Prose falling flat? Not sure what to type next? It’s time to pack up your pens (laptop, Alphasmart, whatever) and hunt down something to jumpstart your writing.
When the story starts sagging, and it will, that’s normal, put yourself in the setting. No, you don’t actually have to go to prison, Maui, Bergdorfs, etc. Go somewhere similar and try to focus on a small detail (the hum of electric lights, smell of cleaning solution, taste of fried food in the air) to get the words started again.
If that doesn’t work, try writing from one of these places:
Coffeehouses. There is a reason you see so many people with laptops there. They provide just enough background noise to stifle the voice listing what else you could be doing, and have copius amounts of caffeine.
Parks. Ther have benches, tables, fresh air, scenery…and when it is cold out you have to keep your fingers moving to keep them from going numb.
Cemetaries. It’s quiet. No one will bother you. And if you walk around you can collect fantastic names for your characters.
Bookstores. The vibe from all those published books can jumpstart any muse. Many have big compfy chairs, and people reading…so they have to stand still enough for you to study their features and make your characters really come to life.
Libraries. A totally different vibe than books stores, and yet you still get the buzz from all the books. If you are truly stuck on your book, grab a stack of magazines from a shelf and flip through until you find something you can use.
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