by Kariss Lynch, @Kariss_Lynch
I have discovered the killers of creativity, and I am addicted to them.
In no particular order, they are: TV, scrolling Instagram, comparison, and a lack of coffee. Can I get an AMEN? Sure, I occasionally find a fun marketing idea on Instagram or enjoy the plot twists or romances on my favorite shows and movies, but they tend to suck my time. And don’t even get me started on a lack of coffee.
But I have also discovered 4 easy ways to stir creativity, especially before a writing session.
- Read a few pages of a book you love.
There is something about reading a beautiful book opener that just pulls me in and inspires me. It also triggers my brain to start thinking about my word choices, almost like it activates the language center of my brain in a new way.
For this practice, I avoid reading books in my own genre. I don’t in any way want to compare or feel inferior when I sit down to write. I love reading a few pages of a Jane Austen classic or a popular young adult fantasy book set in another time and place. The key here is not to get so sucked into the story that you don’t get up and write your own!
- Use a prompt book.
A few years back, my roommate bought me a book titled 300 Writing Prompts. When I need a quick way to get my head into writing, I choose a prompt and spend 5 minutes or less writing on that prompt. A timer helps keep me on track. It also helps turn off the task list running in my head, any editing my brain may want to do, or any overthinking that is prone to happen when I sit down to write. I just go.
Today’s prompt was “If you could win a lifetime supply of anything, what would you choose?” Naturally I chose plane tickets and hotel vouchers. Christmas markets in Germany, anyone?
- Journal for 10 minutes every morning.
This one doesn’t happen right before a writing session (usually). It’s just a healthy habit to start the day. It helps you pause, center, and connect with emotions and thoughts so that later you are ready to write. This is also helpful for overall mental health.
- Go for a walk.
We’ve all most likely heard that there are countless benefits to getting outside. Vitamin D, a change of scenery, walking is healthy, etc. This practice helps untangle the mind and get it ready for a productive writing session. I like to strap my little girl into her stroller and listen to a podcast on writing, dreaming, or business as we walk. My creativity is firing on all cylinders by the time she goes down for a nap.
It’s time to get that creativity flowing! What would you add to this list? In this writing gig with you, friend. You’ve got this!
When a car almost runs over him in the middle of a snowstorm, ex-Navy SEAL Micah Richards knows he’s hit rock bottom. After the deaths of several of his teammates, Micah is sure of two things: he only hurts those he tries to protect and their deaths are his fault. He has one family left on his list to pay his respects but stranded on the side of a mountain in the middle of the night, Micah has run low on options until Casey Stewart comes careening into his life.
The last thing Casey wants is a man, especially one as charming and handsome as Micah who reminds her of her heartache from high school. And especially not when she has so much on her plate: kids trapped in the middle of bad neighborhood cycles at home and a sister who needs out from under their mother’s roof. But helping is in her nature, and something about Micah makes her want to let him in.
Now in the same city, Micah and Casey just can’t seem to stay away from one another, despite Casey’s best efforts. The more, he gets to know the community, the more he wants to stay. When a local drug dealer goes awry, Casey has only one person to turn to—the one who could hurt her heart the most. Micah must face the demons of his past to fight for his new team and new dream—a woman with the heart of a warrior who fights for others. A woman he would die for.
Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and loves writing romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, Kariss goes on adventures with her own personal handsome hero, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.