There's that classic scene of a writer staring at a blank page, trying, and failing to write - writer's block. Here's one idea to break the writer's logjam and find inspiration.
Pick one word that is ripe with meaning and build upon it. Use reading materials you don't usually turn to - if writing a novel, flick open a book of poems and find a word that catches your eye.
Writing a love story? 'Maggot' could become 'Jealousy's maggot eats away love'. Avoid the clichés and choose words for symbolism. 'Blather'. Could be used as 'The blathering winds against the window, chattered the lock.'
Wanting to instill tension in a thriller? What springs to mind? Two teams of people in a tug of war. First there is the eye staring to the other team. A glisten of anxious sweat. Esprit de corps swirling around the team willing each other to find the extra strength. There are breaths being pulled in, held and suddenly exhaled. The fear in faces of losing. There's the gripping of the rope. Sudden taking the strain. The cry to start. The creaking of the rope. Backwards and forwards. Hands burn as they slip. The slithering of people being pulled along the grass towards defeat... and victory.
By focusing on the tension in rope and the effect of tension in people, words spill out that can be used in a novel's scene - staring, glisten of anxious sweat, breaths in and out, creaking, burning, slithering, pulled towards - all ideas to play with.
Photo - Lidia Stawinska on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/@liliess
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