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How To Write Outside Your Comfort Zone

By on January 19, 2017
How To Write Outside Your Comfort Zone - Writer's Life.org

It’s always good to experiment with your writing, and learning how to push those boundaries and write outside your comfort zone can lead you down many interesting paths.

Of course, writing outside your comfort zone is easier said than done. Even if you are up for the challenge, if you are used to writing in a particular style or genre it can be difficult to know where to begin.

Here are 6 things you can do to help you.

Read for inspiration

Reach for a book that you usually wouldn’t go for to get a fresh perspective. It’s so easy for writers to read a lot of books that fall into similar genres as their own work. That's not surprising - after all, if you have no interest in science fiction you are hardly likely to write a book about it are you? Saying that if you want to experiment and try something new, or bring in elements of different genres into your book then reading a different genre will be extremely helpful.

Go somewhere new

Take a trip somewhere you have never been before. This could just be to a new restaurant or cafe in the area where you live, or a full-blown adventure across seas and continents! Going somewhere new and absorbing the sights, smells and sounds as well as talking to the people that live there could give your imagination and creativity a much-needed boost.

Buy some story dice

Story dice have words or pictures on them. Simply roll the dice and make up a story with whatever you get! This forces you to write about things you normally wouldn’t and is great for giving you fresh ideas too.

Do a story swap

A story swap great to try with your fellow writer-friends. Agree on a topic or title for a story, and then both of you go away and write the first half of it (you can agree on a word count to make it easier). Once you have finished, exchange your stories and write the ending for one another. It’s fascinating to see another writer’s take on a particular topic or theme, and to then try to write in their style can also help give you insight into how you could take your own stories in a different direction.

Take up a new hobby

Writers often write about what they are most familiar with so why not take up a brand new hobby to see if that gives you inspiration and motivates you to write about something different?

Do something that scares you.

Fear is a powerful emotion and is one we often avoid as best we can. However, being a little afraid can really help you when it comes to writing outside your comfort zone. Not only will overcoming fears and taking on these challenges contribute to making writing outside your comfort zone less daunting, but the experiences themselves will also put you in touch with a range of emotions you aren’t used to - and you can incorporate these into your writing too.

Taking them time to try new things is usually very positive and what makes life vibrant and exciting. The same goes for your writing. So the next time you feel as though things are getting a little stale, why not try the above and see if you can inject some new energy and creativity into your work?

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