I’m sure everyone knows the story of how J K Rowling spent hours in a cafe, writing the first Harry Potter book. Well, you don’t need to go to a cafe necessarily, but the technique of popping into a cafe for a cup of tea and a short writing session can be really useful, even if the ‘cafe’ is actually your own front room.

I’m referring to a useful technnique I’ve found if a bit ‘blocked’ on something.  Print out the last couple of pages of the WIP, get some blank paper or a notebook, and a pen.  Plus cup of tea or whatever you prefer (non alcoholic).  Then sit down and just scribble, without putting any pressure on yourself to ‘get it right’.

Writing by hand can really free up the mind.  It could have something to do with the various theories of human evolution and language development – that using the hand produced feedback mechanisms that developed the brain in parallel – but whatever the reason, I find scribbling away in a situation of ‘no pressure’ can get through a block, bringing insights into a scene or character that has been giving problems.