There are days when nothing about a work in progress seems to flow. Your goal requires another scene and you are stuck. All you need is that little spark to get you writing again.

One strategy for finding an idea spark is changing the scenery. Many times it is easy to get stuck in the same locations for your scenes and it makes creativity dry up.

4 Ways to Find Idea Sparks By Changing Scenery:

 1. Scenery by Mood. Try writing one word to describe the mood for your scene. Once you have determined the mood, find a place you could use in your story location that would build that mood. Think of what time of day would best suit the mood of the scene. Then find objects and characters that would contribute to the mood you want to set. Setting the scenery by mood often sparks ideas for a scene and leads you out of writer’s block.

 2. Scenery by Metaphor. Determine how the point of view character is feeling in the scene you are writing. Brainstorm objects that show that feeling. For example, if your character is feeling trapped, you might look for things that show that same emotion. (A bird in a cage, or fly against the window pane, etc.) These things can make for a strong metaphor in the scene. Now, write the scene in a location that would have that object or thing.

3. Scenery by Characters. If your scene takes place in a location that includes only two characters, you may need a change of scenery to add richness and get that extra idea spark you need to build a great scene. Changing the scenery to add more characters will take less pressure off of the dialogue of the two characters. You are able to bring in passing strangers, a pesky sea gull, or even one of your quirky characters.

4. Scenery by Conflict. When you hit writer’s block, sometimes it is simply because there is not enough material for conflict in the scene, time to change scenery. Determine the point of view character’s goal in the scene. Change the scenery to locate the scene in a place that provides for more opportunities to come in conflict with your character’s goal. If your character is trying to find a lost bracelet, place them at the State Fair where people are constantly milling around and making it difficult to look for the lost item. You could have a hot dog collision, a rude passerby, a child with ice cream, etc.

Idea sparking your way out of writer’s block can be as simple as changing scenery to build conflict, convey metaphors, introduce more characters, or create mood. The next time you are stuck with a scene that won’t flow, try this strategy to brainstorm your way out of writer’s block.

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Our Huddle Coach, Michelle Lim semi-finaled in the 2011 Genesis with Death’s Apprentice and received Bronze Medal Recognition in the 2010 Frasier contest with Singed. She is the vice president of MN N.I.C.E., a local chapter of ACFW. At My Book Therapy she coordinates the e-zine’s Genre Java Column and is the Brainstorm and Huddle Coach,our program for local craft groups. Michelle taught elementary school for eleven years. She lives in Minnesota with her husband Hui Hong and four rambunctious kids that keep her life full of laughter and suspense. Contact her at: huddles@mybooktherapy.com.