How to Break A Writing Block

#1. To Train the Brain to Get Into the Habit of Writing

How do you write a 500 page book? Or, for that matter, a poem? A piddling 5 minutes at a time. When you're not feeling ready to commit to writing a short story, magazine article, or, (gulp) a novel, brief exercises (which of course, can expand to any length of time) can serve as a bit of track to run on, as it were. The more often you write, the easier it gets.

#2. To Train the Brain to Imagine More Vividly with EaseAnd how do you conjure a vivid world for readers? By use of vivid detail that appeals to the senses (smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch), by convincingly conveying other points of view and by playfully exploring that ever-strange energy of 'what if?' For the most part, these are the tasks of the 5 minute writing exercises.

#3. To Enhance the Flow TomorrowAlas, there are days--- even for full-time writers--- when it is impossible to block out the ideal number of hours for writing. On such days, if you can write intensely for 5 minutes--- even just 5 minutes--- the writing "muscle" stays pumped so that the following day, the writing once again flows.

#4. To Bust a Block
For those with writers block--- whose excuses usually include variations of "I don't have time" and/or "my writing must be super special & perfect or else why bother" --- five minutes is a low bar indeed. (By the way, if the block is bad, try setting an alarm clock or an egg timer, and promise yourself, when it rings in 5 minutes, you'll quit writing. A bit of reverse psychology.)

#5. To Seed Something Big & Wonderful
Pourquoi pas?

So, here are five five minute writing exercises:

1. "Passive Agressive Grocery Shopping"
Fred has high blood pressure. But Linda brings home some items from the grocery store that are not so good for Fred. Write the scene with dialogue.

2. "The Last Piece of Pie"
Write the first paragraph(s) of a story that begins:She would not give him the last piece of pie.

3."Clutter"
Clutter can tell you a lot about a character. What exactly is it? And where is it? What is it blocking / obscuring? Describe the clutter of:
~ a bereaved widow who, 20 years after her husband's death, cannot bring herself to go on a date
~ a doctoral student unable to complete his thesis
~ a yoga instructor who is addicted to e-mail
~ a chef who suffers from adult onset diabetes

4. "The Presence of the Past"
Within a one-mile radius of where you are right now, what would have been present 100 years ago?

5."Smells of Things That Don't Smell (Much)"
What is the smell of:
~ the moon
~ sadness
~a child's joy in watching a soap bubble
~grief
~cowardice
~snow
~velcro
~a nasty letter
~ silver
~ mystery
~ sand
~ a sidewalk in summer
~ the middle of the earth
~ purple
~a contented dog napping
~ a cloudless spring sky
~ gold
~ a dollar bill
Once you've finished, circle the three you like the best.

For more free 5 minute exercises, visit www.cmmayo.com