Superman has Kryptonite, James Bond has women, Green Lantern has the color yellow, Chronokari Alpha have...well they don't have a weakness yet but who knows maybe someday. Anyway one of the biggest fears a writer can have is getting writer's block. I must confess that I don't usually run across it but when I do one of my surefire ways of beating it is to go for a ride on the subway. Now it's not the most convenient thing to do if you don't live in the city or have mass transit at your disposal, but being surrounded by all those people can really get your mind working.
The different looks, shapes and sizes that move past you while you're on a bus or subway have tonnes of history and backstory in them. Think about how individuals are dressed, their haircuts even their facial expressions and try to imagine what's going on in their lives or even the choices they've made to bring them to where they are now. Are they late for work? Are they excited to be meeting a friend, spouse or lover? Are they in pain? Have they experienced loss? These are just some of the things that you can try to develop deeper backstories for and as a result they may help you unlock something that may be stalling your writing. Another benefit to riding the subway or taking a bus is the passive nature of the trip. With no real agenda to follow or place to be you can let your mind wander a little. Even if you don't get any ideas for what you're currently working on, your next great idea may pop into your head. Just make sure that you have something to record your ideas on if a good one hits you.
For some more ideas on how to break your writer's block, head over to Heather's Blog run by Heather Weidner. Her site is full of cool writing tips and I stumbled upon it while I was doing some tweeting this morning. Her blog "In a Rut? Ten Ways to Recharge Your Writing" has some useful tips. What are some of your remedies to combat writer's block? Feel free to add them in the comments section below. That's it for now. See you in seven or less.