4 Odd Writing Tips That Really Work

by Rose Atkinson-Carter, @Reedsy

Like many writers out there, I have my favorite strategies when it comes to my craft, from setting realistic goals to carrying a notebook with me everywhere I go. But whenever I feel stuck in a rut, I try to do something new — shaking things up, after all, is the best way for me to approach my writing from a new perspective.

In this post, I’m going to share four writing tips that I consider strange but also always reliable. If you’re struggling with your work at the moment or just want to know what my tried-and-true strategies are, read on!

1. Write when you’re tired or sleepy

An hour after the sun rises, I typically get out of bed and shuffle over to my desk, a freshly brewed cup of coffee in one hand. But when the words just aren’t flowing, I leave writing until after dinner or right before bedtime.

Have you ever tried writing in a completely exhausted state? While you probably won’t find yourself composing very polished and refined sentences, there’s something wonderful about writing without a filter. When I’m fully awake during a writing session, I tend to fixate on self-editing; instead of steadily moving my story forward, I’ll obsess way too much over word choice and sentence structure.

So, whenever I feel like I’ve been unproductively working for too long on the same section, I switch things up and work at night. This helps me get more words down without revising my writing every other minute! Then, I can go back to what I’ve written the following day and clean things up.

2. Write using an unconventional font

What’s your favorite font to use while typing away on your computer? Are you an Arial person or more of a Times New Roman fan? I typically use Georgia or EB Garamond, but when I’m in a frazzled headspace, Comic Sans is my preferred font.

Comic Sans doesn’t have the best reputation — in fact, countless people around the world have openly expressed their hatred for it, and you should certainly be concerned if you ever see it on the cover of a book — but if you want to get the words flowing, an unconventional font just might be your best bet.

Whenever I use a silly-looking font that’s stripped of pretension, it becomes easier to write whatever comes to mind without feeling the need to edit every sentence right away. There’s something about a more casual font that encourages me to take risks and be okay with making goofy mistakes, so why not try it yourself? You’ve got nothing to lose!

3. Take a dance break

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk, eyes strained after spending an unknown amount of hours in front of your computer, and nothing you read or hear makes sense anymore. What do you do? You could call it a day – but if you don’t want to just yet, try taking a dance break.

The thought of you randomly dancing to some upbeat music might seem silly at first, but trust me on this one. Moving your body has so many benefits, from relieving tension and stress to increasing energy. It also helps your body release hormones known as endorphins, which are known to boost one’s mood.

Whenever I want to quickly get out of a slump, I force myself out of my chair and dance to my favorite songs for around ten minutes. Once I return to my desk, I feel less frustrated, more energized, and ready to focus on the task at hand!

And remember, if dancing’s not your thing, you could always try brisk walking, running, jumping jacks… anything that’ll get your heart rate up!

4. Write your story backwards

If you’re like me, you probably gravitate towards a chronological approach when it comes to penning a story. But what happens when writer’s block hits and you’ve been staring at the same page for days, maybe even weeks? Well, that’s where my last odd tip comes in.

Instead of letting yourself reach a point where you want to rip your hair out, try skipping all the way to the end of your story, then work backwards. Write the very last scene or chapter, then write the one before it, and so on. Even if you’re relying on a story template, you can approach its various parts in a non-chronological order.

Let’s pretend you’re composing a cozy mystery and reveal the killer’s identity in your book’s last chapter. You could write the whole story from beginning to end, but what would happen if you compose the big reveal first, and then work on each preceding chapter until you’ve reached your book’s first chapter?

This could help you find more motivation to write due to the novelty of the situation, and who knows? It may even help you find more ways to subtly hint at the killer’s identity or hidden motive! By working your way backwards, you’ll have already written how your story ends, which will give you a chance to think deeply about all the events and clues that build up over time until that grand finale.

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And there you have it — my favorite odd writing tips that always help me out of a slump. How about you? What are some of your time-tested techniques that other writers might consider unconventional?

Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from finding the best creative writing courses to hiring a ghostwriter and more. She lives in London.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay