Category Archives: Writing

Brain Dead

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Brain Dead
by Cait Collins

  

​There are days when I’ve put in hours either writing and reviewing correspondence for my company or working on lessons for my Sunday school class and my mind will not switch to creative writing. This is one of those times. I’m not going to pretend I have words of wisdom tonight. I’m going to admit I’m tired and unable to think. So here’s my one thought for the week. 

Don’t force yourself to write when the words aren’t there. There are times to take a break. The trick is to know when you are unable to write productively and when you are just being lazy.

Writing Quote

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“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”

—Enid Bagnold

GARAGE SALING

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Garage Saling

Second hand stores, pawn shops, garage sales. These are great places to find a good bargain, if you’re willing to hunt and haggle. If you know what you’re looking for and how much money you want to spend, these kinds of places can pull you in and keep you busy searching for treasures all day.

But saving money is not the only treasure at a “Used” store. When you walk in the door, what’s the first thing you notice? If it’s a store front shop, you probably see racks and racks of clothing, shelves of old dishes, boxes and bins of toys and books, maybe furniture, bedding, and even electronics. If it’s a garage sale, there are card tables and home-made racks and shelves lining a driveway or yard.

But look closer. Gently handle the set of china plates and what do you see? Maybe you see the chip or crack on the edge. Or maybe it’s the fact that the set is not complete. But do you see the age? Can you sense the previous owner, the housewife who was widowed after sixty years of marriage?

How about those child size jeans? They look a little frayed in the knee and feel thin in the seat. Do they remind you of a little boy who learned to ride his bicycle while wearing them?

And the stuffed animal loved ragged by the little girl who took it to the hospital when she had her tonsils removed?

Congratulations.  You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle

More Funny Pics About Writing

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More Funny Pics About Writing

by Adam Huddleston

     Here are more humorous pics about writing:

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Breathe

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Outtakes 262

Breathe

By Cait Collins

 

 

Today me will live in the moment, unless it’s unpleasant,

in which case me will eat a cookie.

                                                                                                Cookie Monster

 

One of my co-workers adds some interesting comments, words of wisdom, and off-beat holidays to her morning report (Did you know today was Chocolate Milk Day?).But her Cookie Monster quote really got me thinking.

Sometimes we have those days when nothing seems to go right. You’re late for work. A kid is sick. The car breaks down. And your boss dumps an “it has to be done by close of business” project on your desk. You rush home to work on a free-lance writing assignment that’s due the end of the week, and you stare at the screen begging it to inspire you.

I think Cookie Monster has it right. Eat a cookie. In other words, give yourself a treat. A white chocolate mocha, a really good glass of wine, thirty minutes reading that book you bought last week, or just sitting on the porch and watching the sun set can recharge your creative instincts and allow you to make progress on assignments. A break and a special treat will relax you and allow thoughts to flow.

So me thinks me will get a bowl of chocolate/vanilla ice cream and read a few pages in me new book before me gets back to work on me novel. Who would have thought you could learn something from a Muppet.

Little More Work

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Little More Work

Dialogue’s realistic,

the story moves along.

The character’s are believable,

But the point of view is wrong.

The ending makes more sense,

The conflict gets resolved,

With proper punctuation

And use of perfect tense.

                 Author: Rory Keel

 

Set Your Creation FREE

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Set Your Creation FREE

By Natalie Bright

 

This thing you’ve created—be it blog, picture book, or novel—becomes real. And real things, on occasion, must be set free.

By setting your words free, I don’t mean submitting your work for publication. I’m talking about letting your creation take on new forms and being open to new opportunities.

In my case perhaps a magazine article, which was rejected, can become something else. I had this great piece about a horse trainer, some photos by a professional photographer and an interesting hook about a rescue horse and second chances. The idea struck me: the story would make a great photo-illustrated picture book. One book became two, then three, and then four—that makes a series. Why didn’t I see it before?

There were some delays, a few road blocks that had to be resolved, but the Rescue Animal Series is finally real! Book 1, Lizzy and Little Bit, was released on Amazon last week. Book 2, FLASH, was launched this past weekend. To date, I have 15 possible titles in the series. It’s just a matter of work and persistence, and allowing the story to develop. It all began as a rejected magazine article.

Sometimes on the way to the dream,

You get lost

And find a better one.

 

The Loser

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Loser

By Nandy Ekle

Your character has a goal. This goal is something they really want. They think about it constantly. It is the theme of every decision they make, every thought they have, every moment of every day. They dream about it and this goal becomes the loftiest ambition they will ever have. And they want it so much they would give up everything in the world, including their own body, to get this thing they want.

So that’s where the adventure begins. It begins with a need that goes deeper than the ocean. The character begins to search for ways to get it.

As they search, their vows of “whatever it takes” begin to come true. They must begin to lose things they care about in order to get the one big thing they want. First they lose the small inconsequential things, like toys, grades, respect, or small change money. These are things the reader can identify with losing, but not be scarred too deeply.

But still they keep after their goal.

So then they must start losing higher stakes. The loss of more important things, like pets, jobs, good friends, vehicles, homes, loved ones, or fortunes—these things will dig deeper in the reader’s heart. They can understand the pain the character goes through, but they can still understand why he goes through it. The goal is just too great to worry about losing the things they have lost.

So then, we must be extremely cruel and take it all away. Our character should become totally alone, broken hearted, and starved. This is the point where the character will begin to wonder if their goal is really worth all the loss they have endured. Were they better off in the beginning of the story, or will they actually be better off if they reach their goal? “Happily ever after,” or “sadder but wiser”?

This is also the point where the reader’s heart is as broken as the character’s heart. The reader wanted to see the character reach his goal. They know how important this need is to him, but they also feel the pain he endures to get to the goal. The reader has become a either a cheerleader because the goal is very grand, or they want to discourage the character because the goal is not worth the losses.

So whatever the case, your main character must become a loser to become a winner.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Author Intrusion

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Author Intrusion

by Adam Huddleston

 

This week’s literary term is: author intrusion. Another similar phrase you may have heard is: breaking the fourth wall. It is a device where the author/narrator speaks directly to the reader/audience. This can be used to give the reader extra information that might be difficult or time-consuming to acquire. For example, in a stage-play, a character may step aside and speak to the viewers about what other characters in the story are thinking or doing.

Ooops

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Outtakes 261

Ooops

By Cait Collins

 

Sometimes fate steps in and deals a painful blow. Last Wednesday I was putting the finishing touches on the chapter I planned to read at Thursday’s critique meeting. Suddenly, the entire chapter was gone. I tried “undo”, but nothing. I tried “do not save changes” when closing the file, but nothing appeared when I reopened the file. I’m sure the chapter is somewhere out in Cyberspace, but I don’t have the address.

So what should I do? Midnight Thursday morning is too late to recreate the chapter, so I decided to punt. Occasionally I will write out of sequence. And knowing I had a key scene coming up, I decided to play with it. I had a 30-minute lunch break and wrote about a page and a half, printed it and took the pages to critique. It wasn’t my best effort but it gave me a start on the reunion of my hero and his nephew.

Writing under pressure isn’t ideal. You might get away with it once or twice, but it’s not recommended for every project. While I write by the “seat of my pants”, I do take time to research and plan. Face it, not everything can be spontaneous.