The Hamster Principle

Ever get stuck? Maybe you're writing along, la-la-la-la-la, and bam! The scene stalls out. Your characters are looking at each other, mouths open, but the dialogue is dead in the water. You have no idea what to do.

Or maybe you're not a writer. Maybe you're simply in the middle of a conversation and you notice a glazed look in the listener's eyes. How do you get someone's attention back when you've completely lost it?

Toss in a hamster.

No, not a literal one, you sicko. I'm pretty sure animal rights activists would have your head on a platter. I'm talking about the concept of spicing things up with a surprise.

Take the scene, for instance. Type in a ridiculous line that's completely random, just for fun. You don't have to keep it. It will, however, get things moving along, and the surprise will eventually be on you because you can come up with some winning banter that you might not have discovered otherwise.

Or in conversation, lob an off-the-wall question at your listener. Not too, freakish, mind you. You're going for attention grabbing, not an institutional commitment. Need an example?  Say, "Oh, by the way, I noticed your socks. Super cute! Where did you get them?" Socks are always a curve ball. People don't expect you to notice them.

Go ahead. Give it a whirl. Hamster things up and get unstuck.