Cross Train Your Writing Muscle “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson   For years now, the buzzword in fitness centers and on workout tapes has been ‘cross-training’. Cross-training means that to exercise effectively, you must pay attention to all the muscles in your body, not just the ones that are directly related to an activity.   So how does this apply to writing?  After years of using the same writing style, it may be time to add some diverse tips to your repertoire and move out of your comfort zone.   For about two and a half years, I wrote a bimonthly column in the Maui Weekly. One day, facing a deadline, I sat down to my computer and felt completely unmotivated. I needed to produce, but the thought of writing almost bored me to tears. To get out of my slump, I decided to do something I had not done in a very long time—read some articles online to see how other writers approached their topics. What an eye-opener! I adopted the style of one of the authors and wrote what I considered to be one of my most entertaining submissions. Trying something new started my dormant juices flowing. Besides borrowing ideas from other writers, here are other challenges to consider:   1.    Alter your approach to put you in a different frame of mind. If your first line resembles “Once upon a time” or something like that, try using humor, a dramatic hook, or a question. You might create an immediate conflict. To create continuity you’ll need to continue in that vein, if just for a little while, and your writing will magically take on a new flow. As when you were a child, it will give you that sense of “beginner’s mind” where creativity naturally blossoms. 2.    Change the direction of your story. If you tend to write chronologically, try starting with what you might consider your closing line. It will change things around and give your brain a jolt of adrenaline. 3.    Take your laptop or tablet to a place in nature or even to a coffee shop. See how a different location can stimulate a new part of your writing muscle. 4.    Join a writing group and get ideas from listening to and getting feedback from other writers. 5.    Jot down words or phrases you hear or read that give you that “OOOH, that’s good” response. You can easily massage them to fit your needs. All of the above will cross-train your approach and bring new life and strength to your writing practice.   Enjoy! Jasmyne