A refrigerator/freezer is an excellent appliance for keeping things cold, isn't it? If you agree then you will understand why, when I get writer's block, I bury it in the freezer for a couple of days.
First of all, no one will see or find it. When you finally take it out, you will have new
insight on your written piece, trust me! This little habit of mine has never failed me.
While it is being kept on ice, I go ahead and write something else. Having no loss of
words, I just keep writing. I figure if I though enough crap on the walls, something
will stick! :)
Do you have any suggestions for writer's block? Post your comments!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Good Morning all you wannabe's!
Now that you have made notes and drafts, what is your next step? To start writing something, of course. Will it be from your notes and drafts? It is a great starting point.
Can you add to them and begin a second draft? They should look different to you and
new thoughts will spill on to the page.
If you aren't ready to write from them, ignore them for a couple of days and write something else. Anything to get the juices flowing. Writing is like physical exercise, only mental.
Many things can give you ideas: The news, family events, photos, waiting in the doctor's office. That elderly lady sitting across from you has her own story to tell, but
perhaps you can write something about her. Take a good look at her. What are her
facial expressions? Is she bored or sad? Does she seem friendly or offish? What is
she wearing? If you find something to write about her, you have the beginnings of a
character for a story. Maybe she can be entered into one of your story drafts.
That was sneaky, wasn't it? Even though you were stumped, you wrote something else
that can perhaps be used in anyone of your stories or a new one. There's no deadline and your creativity is being challenged.
My whole point here is don't give in to writer's block. There is always something to write about if you just keep your writer's mind open and your notebook handy.
Can you add to them and begin a second draft? They should look different to you and
new thoughts will spill on to the page.
If you aren't ready to write from them, ignore them for a couple of days and write something else. Anything to get the juices flowing. Writing is like physical exercise, only mental.
Many things can give you ideas: The news, family events, photos, waiting in the doctor's office. That elderly lady sitting across from you has her own story to tell, but
perhaps you can write something about her. Take a good look at her. What are her
facial expressions? Is she bored or sad? Does she seem friendly or offish? What is
she wearing? If you find something to write about her, you have the beginnings of a
character for a story. Maybe she can be entered into one of your story drafts.
That was sneaky, wasn't it? Even though you were stumped, you wrote something else
that can perhaps be used in anyone of your stories or a new one. There's no deadline and your creativity is being challenged.
My whole point here is don't give in to writer's block. There is always something to write about if you just keep your writer's mind open and your notebook handy.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Your New Journey as a writer begins......
As with any craft, you will need some tools to begin your writing: A dictionary, thesaurus and a good writing program, such as "Microsoft Word" or you can download a freebe called, "OpenOffice." It has a spell checker, etc., just like the big boy.
I've written several short storys and have had a small collection published at Amazon and Lulu.com. You can purchase my paperback or download it on your reader or computer. My book is entitled "Short Story Favorites". It has stories that are both fiction and non-fiction. All of these stories were written from several drafts.
It's a journey that you must take to write your final story, but it can be exciting. It's your drafts that produce that final "polished and professional" piece of work.
All those thoughts that are floating in your head need to be put some place safe or you will lose them. This is the first step and your story will begin to take shape. You can now see your thoughts on paper.
Are you ready to write? Then grab a piece of paper and a pencil. It doesn't matter what flows at first. These are just your thoughts, which are the beginnings of any short story. Don't worry about the spelling, grammar, etc. until you have put all your thoughts down. This is the first step in any written piece. You will be surprised at yourself, after you go back and read it. Magically, other ideas will come to mind and add them too, to your draft. Remember, this is just a draft. I think they call it "brain storming."
If you have a computer, make a file and store all your notes there. I carry a small notepad around with me. When a thought comes to mind, I write it there. These are your drafts. I've heard some writers complain about doing the rewrites. Frankly, I find it exciting and easier to build from those first drafts. I get so excited when my story begins to take shape. So go ahead and write what ever comes to mind. No one will ever see them, except you.
Does anyone else have tips to share? Feel free to post them here on my blog.
I've written several short storys and have had a small collection published at Amazon and Lulu.com. You can purchase my paperback or download it on your reader or computer. My book is entitled "Short Story Favorites". It has stories that are both fiction and non-fiction. All of these stories were written from several drafts.
It's a journey that you must take to write your final story, but it can be exciting. It's your drafts that produce that final "polished and professional" piece of work.
All those thoughts that are floating in your head need to be put some place safe or you will lose them. This is the first step and your story will begin to take shape. You can now see your thoughts on paper.
Are you ready to write? Then grab a piece of paper and a pencil. It doesn't matter what flows at first. These are just your thoughts, which are the beginnings of any short story. Don't worry about the spelling, grammar, etc. until you have put all your thoughts down. This is the first step in any written piece. You will be surprised at yourself, after you go back and read it. Magically, other ideas will come to mind and add them too, to your draft. Remember, this is just a draft. I think they call it "brain storming."
If you have a computer, make a file and store all your notes there. I carry a small notepad around with me. When a thought comes to mind, I write it there. These are your drafts. I've heard some writers complain about doing the rewrites. Frankly, I find it exciting and easier to build from those first drafts. I get so excited when my story begins to take shape. So go ahead and write what ever comes to mind. No one will ever see them, except you.
Does anyone else have tips to share? Feel free to post them here on my blog.
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