Sep 20
Story ideas are everywhere but how do you find one that can sustain and excite you through the long process of writing an essay, novel, or even a short story?
Here are three earlier blog posts (including some exercises) to help you find what works for you:
Don’t write what you know, write what sets you free
Lately, I’ve been overworking my left brain. In the last week I’ve had to learn a new software program, learn a new webinar system, prepare and host a webinar, and finish my business taxes, which required me to learn a new form that took three phone calls and one hour to figure out what the taxman wanted.
This morning I’m officially back to living in my right brain and my current work-in-progress. During all my left brain activity, though, I did manage to keep my sanity by taking a few short play breaks.
Here’s one below: a two-minute video of Dusty the house cat who at night turns into Clepto. Watch to the very end to see the funniest part!
Not only did this make me laugh, but it gave me a great idea for a character. Have you seen anything funny or playful lately that sparked a creative idea?
A few weeks ago, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law asked me to give a toast at her and my son’s wedding this Saturday because in her words, “you’re a writer and good with words.” I thought sure. No problem. I’d be honored.
Then as the days went on and no ideas came except maybe reading a love poem (which would be nice but not very original), I began to panic. How do I gather up the events of our life together—mother and son—in two minutes? How do I convey the meaning of the journey my son and his bride are embarking on? Read more
To use a cliche, I tend to burn the candles at both ends. I work hard and I play hard. This leads to an exciting, fast-paced life but, lately, I’ve been craving down time. So I’m taking some–in bits and pieces. Because it’s hard for me to take time off, I’ve decided to schedule some into my calendar in the hopes it will become a habit.
When I get enough rest I’m more productive and creative, ideas flow, and I look forward to writing each day. In a previous post, “Nap Your Way to Health & Creativity,” I discuss the benefits of a short daily nap to re-charge our batteries.
Here are two other blog posts that discuss the benefits of taking time off:
From Jeff Goins’ blog, an excellent article by Carol Tice, “How to Improve Your Writing in One Counter-Intuitive Way.”
From Jane Fritz’s blog a very informative article explaining how resting is really part of training, “Good News: How Resting is Really Training.” As artists, we can take this concept into our writing.
My biggest pet peeve is when I hear somebody say writing can’t be taught. Of course it can. Maybe it can’t be taught like brain surgery–follow a certain protocol and you’ll have success. But through consistent effort and learning from our mistakes, we can become better writers.
One of my favorite quotes from Terry Gilliam, writer, director, and member of the comedy group Monty Python, reminds me of this fact: Read more
A young woman introduced herself to me at a poetry reading recently. “I write poetry, too,” she said. “But only when the inspiration strikes me.”
Ah, youth. I remember saying the same thing when I was younger.
You see, I’d bought into the myth that writers are a temperamental lot who only write when their muse “inspires” them. Fortunately, I’ve grown as an artist and realize now that the best writers are the ones that cultivate their inspiration daily. They discipline themselves to write each day even when they’re tired or don’t feel like writing. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, inspiration becomes a habit.
How can you cultivate inspiration? Read more
Nov 15
He’s been writing longer than I am old. In this short video, Ray Bradbury explains the secret to his long career: persistence. He kept writing and kept submitting and each year he doubled his sales of short stories. If you need a quick dose of inspiration and a smile (and not just because of the giant blow-up dinosaur in his living room or his writing snack of beer and cheese) enjoy this video!
onewildword 