Creative writing can be likened to climbing a summit. Along the trail, the adventurer will pause and survey what lies behind and beyond. The pause may be of purpose, perhaps a stop for a quick lunch or to catch one's breath. This process is remarkably similar to the writer who takes a brief hiatus from her work. The writer needs to be still, to sit on a distant plateau and take-in sights and sounds. Once refreshed, she will resume the journey.

Like learning simple mathematics, writing becomes a sequential process. It requires time, reflection and an evaluation of achievements. For example, a writer may strive to master the technical aspects of craft. To do so, she is compelled to practise and to reach a level of satisfaction before moving ahead to a new challenge - perhaps the discovery of voice or exploration of experimental language. My theory is that the writer gains ability and creativity through a building block process.

I say building block, not writer's block. What some refer to as a block in creativity, may simply be a pause. The writer sits atop a rocky plateau. She revels in the fresh air, the scent of pine, the sun reflecting off an escarpment. When ready, she'll pack her gear and move further up the incline. Often during this stage - what I call quiet creation - poems and stories are being scripted on an unconscious level. This period of retreat is not without benefit. Often the writer can look at this time and summon a prompt from that experience. If we return to the plateau, one may remember the speckles along the bloom of a wildflower and write and write and write. Thus, our down  time becomes our transport to inspiration.

Inspiration abounds. It is everywhere - here on the internet - in newspapers, periodicals, magazines. Prompts also come through personal contact . Do you recall meeting a friend on the street and being engaged in meaningful discussion?

Take a vacation in your own town, visit a coffee shop or deli or fruit stand and take notes. Listen to the conversation of others in a mall, an art gallery, a midway. The words of our neighbours are often the springboard for poetry or prose. Join a writers' group or take part in a workshop. To join  those immersed in the same art is to experience fresh ideas. It becomes a renewal of the creative outlook.  Ask yourself a personal question... who is your muse. Perhaps your inspiration is nature and you should be spending more time in the outdoors. Observation of what you see, hear, and experience provides excellent writing material.

To get you started, write on the following topic for 5 or 10 minutes. Do not concern yourself with grammar or spelling or plot or audience. Simply write. The prompt ---- Ask yourself a personal question

Begin now.

Write with your eyes like painters, with your ears like musicians, with your feet like dancers. You are the truth-sayers with quill and torch. Write with your tongue on fire.
---  Gloria Anzaldua