I know what you’re thinking.

However, this trick has helped me many a time when I didn’t feel like writing. Or was blocked. Or was just not in the mood. Here is why.

I love watching movies. I’ve loved watching movies since I was a kid, but the only TV in our apartment was in my great grandmother’s room, and it was also the only room that could be locked with a key, so I only had access to it when she allowed me to, and I could only watch movies if I was lucky enough to catch them (the times before VCRs!). She did have a huge library of books, though, so I stole books and whiled away my time reading until I could watch a movie. I was VERY excited when I got to watch one.

So now I always have two movies open on my laptop: some Soviet oldie on YouTube and some blockbuster, most of the times American, on Amazon Prime Video or Netflix or Xfinity. And right after my morning coffee I start watching it from I left off yesterday. About 30 minutes is enough to suck me in and get me excited about storytelling in general. So when when I look at my day’s work, I suddenly feel up to it and start.

This morning it was 1 hour of The Royal Tenenbaums that got me going (my son said "Mom, you HAVE to watch it." How could I say no?)

So there you go, another trick up your sleeve. What are yours?

Gif by Min Liu