As a writer, you know a thing or two about the importance of organization when writing a book. Not only do you have to create an intriguing setting and develop interesting characters, you also have to incorporate plot twists and, in the end, have it all come together and make sense. But just as organization and a well-thought-out plan is important, giving yourself the creative freedom to write whatever comes to your mind is essential as well.

We all know that there’s a chance we’ll get stuck at the crossroads commonly known as writer’s block and have to find a way to navigate around it. One way of doing so is by free writing, which allows you to explore your creativity and hone your craft by writing about something other than your book.

In this blog, we’re giving you three ideas to jump start your imagination. Once you’ve read over the exercises, sit down and work on each individually. Or, if you want to get a little daring, connect all three prompts and see where it takes you.

Create a book title

Don’t be shy! Write down whatever comes to your mind. This isn’t the time to find the perfect title for your current work in progress – let your creativity flow! Try to create of a book title that’s outside of your genre. Push yourself to think outside-of-the-box and write about something you might not otherwise.

Create a character

It’s time to build a character. For this writing prompt, you’ll want to create a character outline. Start from the name and work from there. What role would this character play in a new story? Would they be a main character, or someone who will throw a wrench into things? What do they look like? Does he or she have a defining feature that would be an important piece in the story? Where did they come from? What event in their past helped shape them into who they are today?  Start asking yourself these questions and you’ll see that your imagination will hop in the driver’s seat and help you fill in the blanks.

Create a scene

Take the character that you created in the previous prompt and build some context for a new plot. Think about the setting – will your character be in a city, a countryside or a suburban neighborhood? What’s happening in the scene that you’re creating? Talk about the surroundings and paint a picture of what’s unfolding. What is your character doing? How are they feeling?

The only way to become a better writer is to keep writing, so take this challenge and have fun using your imagination to create something new!

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017