When we have writer’s block or other challenges, sometimes the hardest thing is to get in touch with what we already know. One way to prompt fresh thinking is to consult the I Ching, the Chinese classic Book of Changes.
The written version of the I Ching goes back more than 3000 years and it may have been around in oral form for long before that. Traditionally you would pose a question, cast coins, and match their patterns to the key in the book.
Some people read it every morning for guidance on how to conduct their day. Carl Jung considered it an important work and wrote an introduction to one edition.
You will get an ambiguous answer, but certain statements will ring true for you and those are the ones to heed.
For example, I just asked what the protagonist in my children’s book should do to find the missing person in the story. One of the key phrases that came up is “gathering together,” which prompts me to think about who he could involve in the search.
There are several virtual copies online that allow you to write a question, virtually cast the coins, and get your reading. One I have used is here:
http://flytrapinteractive.com/~complimentary/iching/index.html
You can use it to find out more about what the protagonist of your novel or screenplay should do—or what you should do!
(Do you want to find 25 easy ways to be more creative? How about 25 ways to turn your ideas into action? How about 25 inspirational case studies of people who have turned their ideas into successes? You'll find it all in my book, "Creativity Now," published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)
