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Posts from the ‘Writing Life’ Category

Jul 7

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Write inspired: Seven ways to use your powers of observation

As writers, we all have routines or rituals. One thing we cannot do though is write only when we are “inspired.” We cannot just write when we feel like it.

However, we can write from inspired ideas we collected earlier. Writing doesn’t happen just when you sit down at your computer or with paper and pen. It’s a constant process of gathering ideas and letting them percolate in your subconscious. These ideas can be the fodder for whole novels, snippets of dialogue, or description.

So how do we find those inspired ideas? Live in full observation mode. Take a closer look at everything around you, and take note.

1. Go to the mall — You’ll find all sorts of people at a shopping mall: men and women, young and old, rich and poor. Observe people to collect ideas for how to describe characters. Watch behaviors,  listen to the tone of conversations, observe how people dress.

2. Read the newspaper — Besides reading news and feature stories, scan the ads, including classifieds. Read more

Jul 6

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Six guidelines for turning rejection into success

Rejection hurts. No matter who it’s coming from, or what part of your life it’s directed at, it hurts. As writers, we have to risk rejection if we want to see our work in print. 

What’s the best way to handle rejection? Can we turn it into something positive?

When I began submitting my poetry to literary magazines, my mentor told me I’d need to develop a thick skin and to look at those rejection slips as stepping stones: with each rejection I received, I was one step closer to getting published. Though I accumulated a bonfire-size pile of rejections, I kept writing and kept submitting. When I received my first acceptance letter, I jumped up and down in a little victory dance. All that work paid off. My second acceptance letter came the following week. Read more

Jul 1

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Defeat distraction with a mini writing deadline

Some days I’m easily distracted and can’t settle down and just write. It could be a a pile of paperwork on my desk, dirty dishes that need washing, or the the phone ringing every two minutes.

So I go to my local library to see how many words I can write in 60 minutes.

Like most libraries, the ones in my community have free Internet access. To make sure people don’t monopolize the computers, each one has a time limit. Sixty minutes is the maximum time you’re allowed to use a computer each day. So I know I have to get into my writing quickly once I log on. Most of the time, the other library goers are quiet and inclined to follow good library etiquette. The low-level thrum of library energy makes for good white noise. I’m in my happy place.

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Jun 30

A revision lesson from actress Natalie Portman

I was inspired to think about revising my writing when I watched Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman accept her award for best actress in a motion picture.

As she thanked Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky at the 2011 show, she spoke about what it was like to work with him. “Every time we’d finish our takes, he’d say, ‘Now do this one for yourself.’”

That was Aronofsky’s way of recognizing Portman’s ability and opportunity to take her craft to the next level.

Some writers dread the revision part of writing. Others love it. I maintain that the rewrite is where the writing actually happens. We are the ultimate owners of the final product. So once you’ve written your first draft, then revised and revised…. and revised. Do one more revision — this time for yourself. Try these scene editing and rewriting techniques for your next “take.”

Jun 17

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Lost in the jungle? Five steps to move your story forward

Ever feel like your mind is a jungle and your manuscript is a reflection of all those tangled vines and spongy mosses? Ever feel stuck in a bog of your own making? In her book, On Writer’s Block, Victoria Nelson says that one of the biggest reasons writers get blocked is because at some subconscious level they know that something isn’t quite right with an aspect of their writing—whether it’s a character, subplot, theme, or even the original story idea.

Before I read Nelson’s book, I spent far too much time lost in my own overgrown and disorderly jungle, paralyzed by fear. Now when I recognize the block is happening—for me it’s when I feel like I need to do anything else but write (clean out the fridge, make another “to do” list, scoop the litter box)—I stop and ask myself a few questions.

The 5-step process below gets me back on track and allows my creative energy to spark and flow again. You can adopt this process or use these steps as a springboard to make the unconscious conscious: Read more

Jun 16

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Are you a writer in waiting?

Are you someone who wants to be writing but can’t really call yourself a writer because you aren’t really writing anything? It’s easy to let life get in the way. But if writing is important to you, you must pursue it regularly despite what life flings your way. Whether you write three sentences, 100 words or 1,000, it all adds up. The days have a way of slipping by, and you don’t want to wake up someday and regret what you didn’t do.

Be conscious of your time and how you’re spending it. Have you designed your life to fit your desire to write? Are you spending your hours on your most important priorities? Most writers — published and unpublished — have many commitments to juggle, not to mention day jobs. But they still fit writing in. Read more

Jun 14

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Four ways to stimulate creativity & cure the writing blahs, part 4 of 4

Sometimes, I just don’t feel like writing.  Even after I read a poem, try to write a poem, or finish a timed write—sometimes, the words still don’t come.  What then?  It depends.  A nap might be in order, or maybe a walk. But often, participating in another type of creative activity is what will cure me.

Play the guitar or create a vision board.  One of my favorite ways to strum the strings of my unconscious is to do something creative that’s not related to writing—like learning to play the guitar.  (Emphasis on the word learning, here).  But it doesn’t have to be guitar or even music—pick anything, except writing, that moves your spirit and allows you to be creative:  painting, cooking, gardening, dancing, even cutting pictures from magazines to create a collage or vision board. Read more

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