Athletes and sportspeople need to warm up before they exercise or compete. Any professional will tell you a flat start means you cannot perform at your best. Similarly, a writer uses their brain to write and the rule should remain the same.

Before undertaking a piece of writing try a simple set of exercises to “get the creative juices flowing” as they say. A good one is free association. Write down some key words for the scene you are about to create. Make sure you take account of any thematic or stylistic concerns you feel should be included, and then for five minutes write what first pops into your head, in single words or simple phrases. This technique, as well as clarifying what the scene or passage requires, sharpens your creative edge. It puts you in the mood, and above all generates material you did not have before. Even if you pan through the result after the elapsed time, you may discard a lot of debris but I guarantee there will be a few gems.

Some find a walk clears their minds, and when they get back home their mind is buzzing with ideas. Another may be standing on your head. Some folk swear by it. I have tried this, and I swore when I fell over my desk. Still, whatever method you use, however unorthodox, it doesn’t matter so long as it works.