When zombies attack ...

Zombie attack!You wake up and roll out of bed. You say goodbye to the partner/kids/dog, who've all kindly agreed to 'leave you alone because you need to write'. Ah, precious time. You potter about. You're dragging your heels. Something's not right, but what?You sit at your desk and you admit it: your brain's missing. Yup, it's gone. Nothing there today. You're dry as a husk. You ain't got that swing. There's nothing firing upstairs. You sulk. ... So what now?Fear not. Here are FIVE creative strategies for shaking some swing into the synapses. Time to get your brain back.1. The Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerBah. We all know it's true: nothing stirs things up like exercise. But here's my theory: there's some exercise that's better for stimulating creativity than others. OK scientists, we're completely in the realm of untested assertion here. But I swear some types of exercise feel better for the brain — by that I mean exercise that engages you in thinking about body control or exercise that has an artistic or expressive component. My top tip? Hula hooping: it's hard work for the body and you have to concentrate like a bastard.2. The People of the BookOh brainless one, make haste to your bookshelves and read the first pages of three or four writers that you love and admire. Now read the first pages of some that you don't like. This quick exercise is bound to galvanise you. You know what you want. You know what you're doing. So do it.3. TrainspottingIs it just me? I find that travelling as a passenger in a moving car or a train really gets me thinking. There's something great about moving scenery, and about the opportunity to observe other people going about their lives ... Take the train to Wollongong and back and let the good times roll, zombies.4. For Whom the Bell TollsYou've had it too easy, that's your problem. Time to create some pressure. Set a timer and try for some 'sprint' writing. Set a goal and make the timeframes short — say, no more than 15 minutes at a time. Schnell!5. BlissMeditation works for some people. Nutjobs like me have to do an hour and a half of yoga to access five minutes of semi-tranquility. Sigh. If you don't have an hour and a half, try sleeping. A quick snooze always perks me up. I wake up mortified and sheepish — and nothing stirs the soul like guilt. You've moved heaven and earth to get this writing time: what the hell are you waiting for?Go forth, and find where you left your brain. And if you can't find your own, try stealing someone else's.Brains. Yum.