At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
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About a decade ago, I had the good fortune to read a screenwriting book called How to Write for Animation by Jeffrey Scott. Unlike most screenwriting books, Scott hardly mentions story theory; instead, he focuses on teaching a very practical writing process. I applied his methods in my own work, and was amazed at how helpful they were. In fact, Scott’s book turned out to be one of the three most helpful professional books I’ve read.
Although many people believe the best way to battle writers block is to sit down and fight through it, I like to kick-start things with an activity that lights me up, gets me giddy, and puts me in the right place to write my best stuff.
Here are sixteen activities that can help you tap into the creative part of the brain and get you jazzed to put pen to paper. Many of them are completely unrelated to writing, but in my experience that’s the best way to beat writers’ block. Bookmark it for the next time you’re out of creative juice!
With 2014 on the other side of the sunset, I wanted to write something relevant to the changing of time, the promise of a new year, the symbolism of a new year meaning a new start.
And then I saw that there exists something called a “spoonerism” in writing, and all my previous ideas immediately went out my ear.
I’m a trial by fire guy. I haven’t always been that way, but I’ve learned to love it, especially with writing. As an entrepreneur, I subscribe to the READY, FIRE, AIM methodology, as opposed to the traditional READY, AIM, FIRE.
I know authors who subscribe to the READY, READY, AIM, AIM, AIM system. ‘Work In’ never translates to ‘Work Out’. Are you one of them?
Being a good writer also being means a good character in your life story. Four life-tips that will make you a better writer: live, steal, run, and think.
After Christmas Eve service, my family drove into downtown St. Paul and randomly handed out 15 Christmas Acts of Kindness — envelopes into which we tucked $5 gift cards, hand knit scarves or a kid’s book. We looked for people waiting at the bus stop, cleaning a deserted office building or simply walking in the cold. I, of course, was curious about their stories.
The year is almost gone. It’s holiday time for family gathering, food, drinks, and fun. I doubt that anyone is going to sneak out from the festivities and write (a solemn bow, if you do!).
Christmas revolves around family and, last but not least, the family table. In the heat of enjoyment and gratitude for being together, family members share stories. For me, this is the best part: the storytelling.
Have you ever been bored by your own writing? Have you ever thought about your book, only to feel dread and a desire to procrastinate? Here’s the first thing to do when you meet this predicament: Don’t panic.
We humans have been telling stories since we learned to talk. No doubt those tales that sent torrents of adrenaline through our veins also seared the strongest tracks in our memory, and were told and retold through generation after iPad-less generation. Indeed, the definition of myth is “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.”
So where do you draw the line between a myth and a fictional story?
You don’t. You write one into the other.
On Saturday, I went out to dinner with some friends as an early birthday celebration. We all ate our fill, and when the server came by to ask us how we felt about dessert, all of us laughed because we were so full. Sweet treats to follow? Please.
Speaking of desserts, I’m sure we all know the different between a desert and a dessert, right? Just in case, let’s review.