August Writing Challenges: Day 13 - Drama

August. The summer is nearly over. Kids are going back to school. You now have some time on your hands.  Okay, you still have a list of chores a mile long, but let's put writing at the top of the priority list, okay?

I am going to challenge you with a writing prompt every day this month. Are you up for it? I hope so.

The writing challenges will be about a variety of topics and hopefully cause you to dig into your writing toolbox to complete with emotional skill.

Watch out, I just might throw in a fun one, well, just for fun!

For the thirteenth challenge we're going to see how well you can describe drama:

Here is your challenge:

Drama: Write about a time when you got stuck in between two parties fighting with each other. You can use your own experiences if you'd like to help give more personality to each character.

Next, write a letter, addressed to yourself, from the other person's perspective. In this letter, take on the voice of your adversary, as your adversary explains his/her perspective on why he/she was right and you were certainly in the wrong.

NOTE: This exercise is designed to give the writer practice at creating two characters that are coming to the battle with equal ammunition. It draws from the writer's personal history with conflict and tries to place the writer in the mind of the opponent.

This exercise is a great way to practice writing from perspectives other than your own. It's also a good way to humanize antagonists.

Enjoy!

August Writing Challenges: Day 8 - Observation

August. The summer is nearly over. Kids are going back to school. You now have some time on your hands.  Okay, you still have a list of chores a mile long, but let's put writing at the top of the priority list, okay?

I am going to challenge you with a writing prompt every day this month. Are you up for it? I hope so.

The writing challenges will be about a variety of topics and hopefully cause you to dig into your writing toolbox to complete with emotional skill.

Watch out, I just might throw in a fun one, well, just for fun!

For the eighth challenge we're going to see observant we are with our surroundings:

Here is your challenge:

The first step is to notice your surroundings. Your home. Start there. What is in your room - apartment - house - tent - mobile home - ancestral mansion? Your abode? Your residence? Look around. Get a pencil and a piece of paper and go to work.

Make a complete list of the everyday, utilitarian stuff in your home. For example, your bed. Next to each item, rate its degree of necessity, meaning, to what extent could you live without it. This will start you on a path of attentiveness.

How many times a day do you walk by it, see it, hear it running? How aware you you of your surroundings?

Once you've made a list of items in your hoe and rated their "essential-ness," widen the search. Observe other people's homes/work places. Look at homes on television and in movies. Write down what you see and remember. 

Think about homes you encounter in books or short stories. What particulars are other writers including? Consider the characters in your own works. Even if you weren't planning on describing their homes in detail, try to flesh out their physical worlds. Do they have a four-slice toaster?

What about trends? Have you begun to notice similarities in the way in which people lay out their kitchens? Do most apartments have a television in the living room but not a bookshelf? Do more married people have pets? Is there more art on the walls in the homes of your single friends or married friends? 

Look, see, observe, record. Write.

IMPORTANT POINT: As a writer, you will spend a lifetime sharpening your observational  skills. The more you are aware of, the more you an write about: AWARE with your eyes, with your heart, your soul, your body. The world is out there for you to gather up and hold. You are on a lifetime mission. Your assignment is to LIVE AND OBSERVE. Your objective is to gain EXPERIENCE.

The end result? Hopefully, lots and lots and lots of wonderful stories.

Finding the Time to Write what You want to Write

You'd think working at home would give you more time, right? NOT!!! Sometimes I yearn for the company office just so I don't have to do all the extra stuff around the house. And... all the 'tasks" my husband assigns me. Let me give you an example. This week, he's writing a chat program so that he and I can chat on our computers between his office and me at home. The company he works for has a firewall that won't allow conventional chat programs like ICQ to operate. So, while he's writing the program, he has be doing the design document, designing the interface, and doing research on appropriate icons. All of that takes TIME. Lot's of time.

And, if that isn't enough, he sends me versions via e-mail to test. It's copy this file to my desktop, or put that executable in the directory, or go shutdown the program that is already running on his desktop, then start the new program, no not version 1.7, version 1.8. Moreover, when it's all done, page him and let him know the program is running so he can test it.

All of which takes time. And, then it's schedule meetings with pool heating companies, call for prices on door locks, organize our equipment manuals, etc. You name it; he's probably already thought of it; from scan these invoices and bills to make copies and mail.

Now, you not only run your own business, but you are a full-time office assistant!!

And of course, how can you avoid the dirty dishes in the sink or the laundry basket. I mean, come on, it only takes 10 minutes or less to throw a load of clothes in, or load the dishwasher, right? But, what about all of the other tasks that distract you when you tell yourself it'll only take a couple of minutes? Those minutes add up, and fast!

Am I just ranting or is there an end in sight?

Well, to be honest, a little of both, I guess.

First of all, this probably doesn’t happen in all households. Ours is a little unique as both my husband and I are technical geeks. We are also a perfect match personally and professionally. He is a Vice President and manages a team of application developers and programmers and I am a technical writer/fiction author/business analyst. He's stable and realistic, deep in details, while I'm full of visions and new ideas, and ready to take on any new task. 

Ready to take on any new task? Well, now we're getting somewhere. 

I am always ready to take on new tasks, as a matter of fact, I enjoy it. But, there has to be a better way of organizing those tasks. 

Prioritize, Prioritize, and Prioritize.

Sounds easy, right? Of course, there is, and it won't take hours of planning but it does require some amount of commitment. 

I’ve changed my priorities over the last 11 months. I’ve closed several businesses so I can concentrate more on studying the Bible and biblical history. I spend more time keeping my household together and my mental and physical health on track. 

Over the last 11 months I’ve been on bed rest three times, and each time wasn’t fun. Just think how much worse I would have been if I were still overwhelming myself with the workload I used to carry? 

My suggestion to you is create a column of all the things you want to accomplish, and then give them a priority number. You can’t give more than one item the same priority number, no cheating!

Then, see how each of those top 10 or 15 items fit your lifestyle and your life goals. You may have to prioritize again.

That’s okay.

If you choose to work at home and write, set yourself specific hours and make sure nothing else interferes with your writing. It’s your JOB. 

As for me, I don’t spend 8-10 hours in my office anymore. I have a memoir to work on, blogs to upkeep, and the rest of my time is split between: church, friends, family, pets, home and myself. Not necessarily in that order. 

Figure out what works for you and if it’s important enough, you’ll find the time to do it. But, remember, not at the expense of your own physical or mental health. 

Maintain your sanity, always!

And, if it’s not fun or enjoyable, then why are you doing it?

Think about that.

It’s your time. You only get a finite amount. Use it wisely.

And, remember. Take each day one at a time. 

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Your Right to Experience Growth

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Your Right to Experience Growth. We often shun others because they are different. We should embrace diversity and open-mindedness. I believe when other do not let you grow, they are doing so because they simply fear what is different. They do not feel validated. Do you write in order to experience growth?

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise?  We all are different, in our special way. Do you embrace diversity? Are you open-minded? Do you write in order to experience growth? Why or Why not? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Intellectual Contributions

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Intellectual Contributions. Knowing that we will pass away eventually leaves many people with the need to contribute in a physical way. Do you offer your words to the world as a way to cement your time on this earth?

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise?  We all understand that we are passing on from this world eventually, correct? What meaning do you give the words you right? Are they a way to cement your time on this earth? Why or Why not? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Your Life Purpose

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Your Life Purpose. Do you think the gift of being a writer is related to your life purpose? Write a one-page declaration of your life purpose and then put it close to you when you write. The written declaration will help guide your soul as you write.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise?  Is your life purpose all about writing? Were you able to create a one-page declaration about your life purpose? Do you have it near when you write? Does it help? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Diversity

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Diversity. Pay attention to the differences in your world and write about them. You may unearth new peculiarities just waiting to be noticed.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Did you notice anything different about your world than before when you observed it? What did you write about? Did you discover anything new? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Get the Picture - A Tip from Robert Newton Peck

I've had the pleasure of hearing Robert Newton Peck speak not once, but twice. And each time, was a treat. The man is a one person entertainment extravaganza. But, all of that aside. He knows how to write and he does it very well.

He's written a book titled "Secrets of Successful Fiction - A fun-to-read, easy-to-master toolkit for writers of all ages." And that's exactly what it is. I'm going to reference it from time to time, as it's full of genuine nuggets of writing information that I want to share with you.

Today's piece is "Get the Picture" and it's about Showing not Telling.

He uses a wonderful example about how millions of Americans used to "watch" their radios every evening before television was invented. Why did they do this? Because they wanted a picture. Not just the voices. Readers do the same thing, he wrote. They want the pictures, not just the words.

Mr. Peck tells us that an amateur writer would tell us a story while a pro shows the story. For example, he went on to use the following:

An amateur would write: "Bill was nervous."

The pro would write: "Bill sat in a dentist's waiting room, peeling the skin at the edge of his thumb, until the raw, red flesh began to show. Biting the torn cuticle, he rubbed it away, and sucked at the warm sweetness of his own blood."

You can see the obvious difference can't you?

Don't bore your reader with a lot of telling. Paint pictures for your reader to see the action, the emotion, the pictures.

As Robert Newton Peck would say, "Do this, and you are a pro. Writing is not listing emotions. Writing is physics. Moving parts. Things. Writing is show business. Get the picture?"

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Gratitude

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Gratitude. Write about the feeling of thankfulness you experience occasionally when you write. As you write, be thankful for your intuitive gift that allows you to hear your inner voice.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Were you able to write and be thankful? Did you thank the gift that allows you to hear your inner voice? Do you have feelings of gratitude for your gift? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

10 Ways to Develop Style

We are all looking for ways to improve our writing. Today, I thought I would help you develop your style. So, what is style? When in the discussion of writing, style is "the way in which an idea is expressed, not the idea itself."

1. Think About Style -  Think about how you want to express your idea. Use all of your senses.

2. Listen to What you Write - Think of your writing as music. The words you write make sounds, and when those sounds are in harmony, the writing will work. Read your writing aloud. Listen for the beat. Listen for gaps where the music doesn't work. "There are no good sounds or bad sounds, just as there are no good notes or bad notes in music. It is the way in which you combine them that can make the writing succeed or fail. It's the music that matters." states Gary Provost.

3. Mimic Spoken Language - Writing should be conversational. Your writing should convey to the reader a sense of conversation. Mimic spoken language in the variety of its music, in the simplicity of its words, in the directness of its expression. Writing provides time for contemplation. Use it well.

4. Vary Sentence Length - Vary the sentence length and you create music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm. A lilt, a harmony. Write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music.

5. Vary Sentence Construction - Subject. Predicate. Object. That's how we were taught early in life to construct sentences. However, identical sentence structure can become boring to readers. Of course, you should strive for clarity and not arrange your sentences in a way that strangles their logic. Keep the primary elements of the sentence dancing so that they will create their own music.

6. Write Complete Sentences - Complete sentences have a subject and a predicate. You should always try to write complete sentences. Good writing often contains incomplete sentences. The incomplete sentence is a useful tool. Using it wisely can invigorate the music of your words. Like a chime or the beat of a drum.

7. Show, Don't Tell - When you are showing people something, you are trusting them to make up their minds for themselves. Readers like to be trusted. Don't dictate to them. Let them see the person, situation, or thing you are describing, and they will not only like what you have written, they will like you for trusting them.

8. Keep Related Words Together - Adjectives should be placed near the nouns they describe so they don't appear to be describing some other noun. In the same vein, adverbs should be close to verbs they modify, and dependent clauses should be near the words on which they depend for meaning.

9. Use Parallel Construction - Just as the steady beat of a drum can often enrich a melody, the repetition of a sound can often improve the music of your writing. When you deliberately arrange words and sounds in similar fashion to show the reader the similarity of information contained in sentences it is called parallel construction.

10. Don't Force a Personal Style - Style is your writing. It is tangled in the content of your words and the nature of you. Do not create some kind of persona in your head and try to capture it on paper. Do not try to write like Erma Bombeck, Hunter S. Thompson, Ernest Hemingway or anybody else. Write well and without self-consciousness. Only then will your own style emerge.

If you follow these simple points, you'll be writing your own music and it will be delightful to the reader and to yourself.

Writing Reference - 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost

29 Ways to Stay Creative

I found this great image that gives a list of the 29 ways to stay creative. 29 ways?!? You've got to be kidding, right? So, I figured I'd go through them with you and see if we can come up with any more to add to the list.

1. Make lists. Okay. Sounds easy enough. I make lists all the time. I think this one we can make a bit more specific. Make a list of topics you want to write about.

2. Carry a notebook everywhere. Definitely something I'd advocate. Even if it's just your smart phone. If you get a burst of genius, get it down. There are plenty of applications for your phone to help you keep track of topics you want to write about. Evernote is a great one. iPhone comes with two: Lists & Notes. I use both. 

3. Try free writing. This is a perfect way to start writing. You don't have a topic so just start writing about whatever is on your mind or just type the same word over and over again until you finally break free and a topic comes to mind. Works nearly every time.

4. Get away from the computer. This one my dog loves. When I need to take a break from the computer I take my dog for a walk. Win - win situation for everyone.

5. Quit beating yourself up. Please, stop berating yourself if things don't go right or if you can't think of a topic. Please, no violence against writers. Give yourself a break. oops, I think that's another tip later on. But, I'm serious. If you still can't think of something to write about, don't worry. An idea will come. If you beat yourself up about it, nothing good can come of it.

6. Take breaks. See, there you go. Take breaks. Flip through a magazine. Go for a walk. Watch a TV show. Call a friend. Stroll through Facebook. Google strange stuff. Your brain needs a rest. Why do you think some of your greatest ideas come to you when you're in the shower or driving? Murphy's Law at it again? Not necessarily. Your brain is constantly working. When you give yourself a break, your brain can finally concentrate on what it needs to do. Find you a topic to write about.

7. Sing in the shower. Well, okay, I think that's a bit personal. I'd prefer not to, but to each their own. But, like I said before, sometimes the best ideas come when you're in the shower.

8. Drink coffee. Fire up those synapses. Give yourself a bit of a jolt. Just don't go overboard and get all jittery and end up walking circles in your living room mumbling to yourself. I don't think this idea wants you to get addicted to caffeine. 

9. Listen to new music. That's always a great one. And, really listen to the lyrics. You can get some great writing topic ideas.

10. Be open. I'm not exactly sure what this one means. I'm an open person, to a point, but I think it mean be open to new ideas. Be open to new options of finding topic ideas. Sometimes an idea comes from the strangest places or person.

11. Surround yourself with creative people. Join a writer's group. There's nothing like being in a room full of creative people. The room literally buzzes with creativity.

12. Get feedback. Everyone needs this. Even those of us who think we've got it all together. Another person's opinion helps to alter our perspective. You never know when someone else's opinion might send you on another path to another great idea.

13. Collaborate. This only works if you work well with others. Think back to kindergarten? Did you work well with others or did you spend a lot of time in the corner? eh?

14. Don't give up. Biggie. Never give up. I've been writing for twenty-five years. I still consider myself a child of the trade. I'm always learning. 

15. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice makes perfect, right? Well, not always, but the more you practice something, the better you get at it. That includes writing.

16. Allow yourself to make mistakes. We all do. Heck, just the other day, I created something for our next writer's conference and I went over it and over it. Proofread the heck out of it. Created an e-mail, sent it in, and wham. Looked back at the piece and saw a blazing error. Argh! I had to correct it and send it again. But, all is okay. Allow yourself to make mistakes.

17. Go somewhere new. A new environment can fill you with new ideas.

18. Count your blessings. Definitely. You are truly blessed. You're a writer, doing what you love, how blessed is that? Keep counting, I'm sure you can come up with more.

19. Get lots of rest. A must for anyone, especially writers. If your brain doesn't have time to shut down and restore itself, how is it ever going to continue working?

20. Take risks. Not literally. I don't mean walk in the middle of traffic or anything. But, consider a topic you haven't before and put your special twist on it.

21. Break the rules. Rules were made to be broken, right? Well, not all of them. Some of them can land you in jail. But, when it comes to writing, definitely break some rules. See what it does to your writing.

22. Don't force it. The ideas will come in their own time. A watched pot never boils. Oh, wait, it will eventually. Same with your ideas. They'll come. Eventually. Just give them time. In the mean time, go back to number 6.

23. Read a page of the dictionary. Now that's definitely an extreme way to find a topic idea. Try the Thesaurus as well. I remember back in the day, we had a set of Encyclopedias on our bookshelf. I loved reading them. What do we have now? Wikipedia. Try it.

24. Create a framework. Hmmm, well, let's see. Framework? Outline? I think that's what this means. Try an outline. Try a flowchart. Start with a word, then move on to the first thing you think of, then move on to what that makes you think of and so on until you've come up with an idea to write about.

25. Stop trying to be someone else's perfect. I'll do you one better. Just stop trying to be perfect. Period. See number 16.

26. Got an idea? Write it down. Don't trust your memory. Especially at my age. I write everything down. If I don't, I know I'll forget. Your brain can only hold so much information before it dumps a few things to hold more. Don't let one of your great ideas be that something that gets dumped.

27. Clean your workspace. A bit of procrastination, but it works. A messy desk is the sign of a genius, right? Einstein never had a clean desk. But, every once in a while, organizing your desk can help you organize your thoughts.

28. Have fun. That's what this is all about. Writing is fun. You get to have fun doing what you love. If it starts to feel like work, it's not fun anymore. Keep some fun in your life. I have a helium-filled balloon in my office. It always makes me smile when it drifts around into my vision.

29. Finish something. Yes, it ultimately comes down to this. You must come up with a topic, write about it and then finish your piece. Just as we've done here. We're at the end. 

Now that we've seen the 29 ways to stay creative, do you have something to add?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Truth

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Truth. The actuality of one's life is formed by one's perceptions and views. Write about what you know to be true in your life.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Did you find the truth in your life? Was it what you expected? Were you able to write about what you know to be true in your life?Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Writing Tip - What to do When You're Stuck for a Topic

I've been fishing for a topic on what to write this week and so far, all I've got is wet bait. So, what do I do?

Change fishing holes? Tried it.

Change the bait? Tried it.

Stop fishing? No, I don't think so. How will that accomplish anything?

I'm going to follow the same advice I would give anyone else. Write. Write anyway. Write something.

Which is exactly what I'm doing here. I'm hoping that while I'm writing, something good will come out of it and I'll actually have something important to tell you about what to do when you're stuck for a topic to write about.

I do have a book. Is it a book if it's a cube that is about four inches by four inches? It's bound, so I guess it's a book. It contains 786 ideas to jump-start your imagination. The title is The Writer's Block by Jason Rekulak.

Randomly flipping through it here are some ideas:

• To Outline or Not To Outline
• Sibling Rivalry
• Describe the Worst Date of Your Life
• Superstitious
• Conformity
• Clueless
• Write a Story That Begins with an Explosion

I have other books too, to stimulate the writing part of my brain. Books about creative writing exercises. The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood is a good one.

If I flip through The Pocket Muse I come up with the following ideas:

Who is the tallest person you know?
Fill in the blank: When I first told my family about ________________ they didn't believe me.
Top Five Jobs for Writers based on an informal and deeply flawed poll:

• Security Guard
• Parrot Trainer
• Bounty Hunger
• Greeter at Walmart
• Neurosurgeon

These either net you lots of material or lots of time.

Ten Commandments for a Happy Writing Life:

1. Don't wait for inspiration; establish a writing habit.
2. Take time off.
3. Read voraciously.
4. Shut out the inner critic.
5. Claim a space.
6. Claims some time.
7. Accept rejection.
8. Expect success.
9. Life fully.
10. Wish others well.

Write about the first time you truly understood that all life ends in death.

What is the subject you are avoiding? Write it down.

Write a piece --fiction or nonfiction, poetry or script-- in which three objects exist at the beginning and only one at the end.

So, what do you think? Is there something in there for a topic to write about? Sure there is. And what's more, I just found another book I have titled 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts by Bryan Cohen.

Do you want to know what's in there? Well, let's flip through it and see what we come up with:

• The top 5 costumes you've ever seen on Halloween. Whey there were so memorable to you and why you wish you'd thought of them first.
• Summer fling? Ever had one? If so, write about it; if not, make up your ideal summer relationship.
• If you could choose any place to be your home; to be a place that you felt comfortable in and could enjoy most of your days where would it be? Feel free to choose anywhere in the world, even if it's somewhere you haven't been.
• Who is the most successful person you know? What can you learn from this person that is applicable to your own life? Write about a meeting with this big achiever in which you learn all of his or her secrets.
• Your significant other becomes a millionaire and starts buying stuff for you all the time. How does that make you feel? can you use your lessons to become wealthy yourself?
• You are very intoxicated at a bar and you completely black out. You wake up the next day with an unknown partner in your bed. How do you deal with the situation and what do you tell your friends who were at the bar with you?
• Shakespeare comes over for dinner. What do you make him and what do you and your family/friends talk about with him?
• Talk about a time in which you lost your voice and had to communicate without language. What did you do and how did it change the way people interacted with you?
• While dreaming you think of the most amazing novel you have ever conceived of. As you wake up, you scramble to a notebook and begin writing. What happens next?
• You have found yourself in the cartoon world of a popular movie or television show. How do you interact with the other characters and how does the style of animation affect you?
• What would you consider to be success in American society? What would be failure? What would have to happen for you to be willing to compromise your vision of success?
• Write about a time you had a run in with the law. It may have been something as simple as being pulled over or something ... a bit more serious. Talk about your experience from beginning to end and detail your emotions throughout.

Well, what do you know. I did it. I helped figure out what to do when stuck for a topic to write about. The best thing for me to do is browse my bookshelf and flip through all my writing prompt books. There is always something to write about.

Another tip is to change how you write. Write in a different location. Write with a different writing instrument. If you write on the computer. Try longhand and vise versa. Shake things up a bit and see what happens.

By the way, the above advice comes from Eating an Elephant by Patricia Charpentier. Pretty good advice, I'd say.

Now, I ask you this question: How do you figure out a topic when you can't think of something to write about?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Intuition

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Intuition. Write about a previous feeling that could only be explained by the forces of your unconscious soul.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Were you able to determine a previous feeling? Did you figure out that it was intuition? How did you figure it out? What senses did you use to determine your intuition? Was this exercise helpful? Did you enjoy it?

Why or Why Not?

Writer Turned Architect - Designing Your Perfect Workshop

Let's take off our writers' caps and put pencil behind your ear and grab a tape measurer. We are going to build us the "perfect" writers' workshop.

For better understanding, we are talking about fiction writing. Ok, now that we got that out of the way, resume.

Is there such a thing as a "Perfect Workshop?" Let's start with that, shall we?

I think so. I think if we held a consortium and asked writers of various stages in their writing career what the entities they felt needed to be in a workshop of their choice, we could build not one, or two, but many "perfect" workshops.

So, let's begin at the beginning. If you were a beginner writer (or those who aren't and can look back and say "hey, I wish someone asked me that question!") what topic or topics would you like to be taught?

What is most important to you when developing your book or writing?

•   Characters
•   Plot
•   Point of View
•   Description
•   Dialogue
•   Setting and Pacing
•   Voice
•   Theme
•   Revision/Editing
•   Business of Writing (remember, this can be a WHOLE other group of workshops)

Look at the list I just created above. We could create separate workshops on each topic. Don't you think?

Okay, Let's take it a bit deeper.

Of these topics, what is most important to learn? Tell me. I really want to know.

Would you like hand-outs that the instructor would actually go over with you?

Would you like hands-on writing exercises where you could be brave enough to read yours to the group and possibly receive feedback? Would you like feedback from the other members of the group? Would you like feedback from the instructor?

How many people would you feel comfortable in a workshop style setting? 5? 10? 20?

I know, some of you are raising your hands in the background. I see you. Yes, I know what you're going to ask. What about critique groups? That's a great point.

Would you be interested in a critique group? Would you want to meet with writers of various calibers and work on pieces and have them read and critiqued by others?

I know, it's a bit off the topic of workshops, but that person in the back was waving their hand so wildly I had to pick on him, or else he might have fallen off his seat.

Let's get back to workshops.

Could you describe your perfect workshop to me in the comments below?

We're not talking price, location, or anything like that. If all those outside influences were met, and we just talked about you designing the subject, what would it entail?

So, tell me, at what level do you see yourself as a writer?

• Just beginning, no publications
• Just finishing with first book
• Looking to publish first book
• first book published, how to top it with a second?
• Advanced writer, several books under my belt, but something is missing
• Uber Writer. I know it all. Well I thought I did, until my books stopped selling and I can't find anything else to write about

So, with your level of writing in mind, describe the perfect workshop for you in the comments below. Can you do that for me?

Thanks.

Image Credit: vectorart / 123RF Stock Photo

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Adventures

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Adventures. When was the last time you had an adventure? Do you work in your office or home and rarely take a break to have an adventure? Today, create a written to-do list and timeline for adventurous experiences that you would like to have this year. Your adventures are sure to lead to new and exciting topics that you an write about.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Did you discover the adventurous side of you? Did you create a to-do list of adventures? Are you going to start doing them? Why or Why not? Did you discover a whole new set of new and exciting topics to write about?

Why or Why Not?

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Seduction of Writing

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about the Seduction of Writing. Do you feel yourself being drawn into the characters that your soul produces? Do you feel a connection with the world when you write that is often not felt in even your closest relationships? The writer is seduced by the act of writing. We are lured from the outside world into a world of creativity and growth.

Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Were you able to see how you, as a writer, are drawn into the world you create? Do you experience a connection when you write that you don't even feel with your closest relationships? Do you get seduced by your writing?

Why or Why Not?

Writing Tips - Finding the Time & Commitment to Write

 Ideas flow like water. Some of us catch them with a cup, others with a sieve.

Hey I like that. I'll have to write that one down.

Anyway, back to discussing finding time to write and sticking to it.

A writer friend I know said that we all have a story inside of us. Those of us who are writers find a way to bring that story out. Many brand new writers fight against all kinds of obstacles (i.e., responsibilities.) Job. Home. Children. Life. Our inner critic. We can't avoid them. Not many of us are fortunate enough to be independently wealthy and can devote our entire time to writing. 

Our inner critic takes on all kinds of roles. It's that voice in our head that says the laundry needs to be folded before you write. It insists you dust the knick-knacks in the living room before you write. It whispers in your ear that your favorite tv show is on and you can't miss it. It also nags you about your writing dreams and cajoles you into thinking you'll never make it.

Fight that inner critic, but don't gag its voice for good. You'll need it when it starts whispering to you in the middle of the night about a plot twist. You'll want to hear it tell you about the weak character build up in chapter three.

Learn to choose what you want to listen to and then you'll find time to write and a desire to stay with your ideas.

Before you know it you'll have your first draft done and you'll enjoy a satisfaction like no other. You wrote a novel. You started it, stuck with it, and finished it.

Every writer needs time to find a routine that works for her. For some they wake early and put in a thousand words before work. Others stay up late and work into the early hours. I know writers who take a notebook or laptop to work and add to their manuscript during breaks and on their lunch time.

No one writer has the perfect recipe for success that fits every writers' needs. However, we all have one major desire in common -- the desire to write.

Here are some suggestions to help you catch those ideas rather than letting them flow away.

1. Keep a notebook beside your bed so you can jot down ideas as they come to you in the middle of the night.

2. Make it a habit to carry a small notebook and pen with you or your personal data assistant or handheld computer at all times.

3. Start a writing routine. Start small at first. For the first week try and find ten minutes every day to write. The next week add five more minutes, the next week add five more. Keep going until you settle into a routine that works best for you.

4. Join a writing group either online or in your city for support. There's nothing like getting encouragement from another writer. Writers are born cheerleaders. They'll help you figure out ways to stifle that inner critic when necessary.

5. Don't give up and keep writing. If you feel yourself losing steam, find creative ways to recharge yourself. Sometimes, it helps to read other authors. Seeing how they’ve crafted a story stimulates you to write again.

If you falter, start again. It may take years to complete your first novel. That's okay. Anyone who says writing a novel is a piece of cake, they're lying. I've heard writers liken writing a novel to giving birth. I'm not sure if it's literally that painful, but it comes darn close!

Writing Tips - 8 Good Writing Practices

From Gotham Writers' Workshop Inc. and an article in The Guardian comes advice from the Science Fiction and Fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.

8 Good Writing Practices

1. Write.
2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
3. Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you've never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
5. Remember: when people tell you something's wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it they are almost always wrong.
6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
7. Laugh at your own jokes.
8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you're allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. Bt it's definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best as you can. I'm not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.

Friday Five Minute Exercise - Labels

1. Set your clocks/timers for Five (5) Minutes.

2. Write about Labels. Write about the close-minded identities we as humans sometimes bestow upon each other. Does labeling negate the human soul in some way? Does labeling affect your ability to write with an open and true heart? Get into as much detail as you can for the next five minutes.

3. Ready?

4. Go.

5. Finished? Review and be amazed.

I hope you had fun. Come back next Friday for a new writing prompt.

Was this exercise helpful?

Did you succeed with this writing exercise? Was it helpful? Were you able to find and write about your own ability to write with an open and true heart despite labeling? Were you able to define how labeling negates the human soul in some way?

Why or Why Not?