Art imitates real life. Or maybe, real life imitates art. Sometimes, you just have to wonder. I'd sooooo like real life to imitate art because I want a magic wand, a la Harry Potter, so I can wave it around my house, shouting (with tremendous glee), "SCOURGIFY!"
I find myself intrigued by the trailers I've seen on TV for the new Tom Hanks movie, Larry Crowne. I'm thinkin' I need to go see it---because it is, after all, Tom Hanks. Can't think of a single movie I've seen him in that I didn't like. As I said, this one intrigues. And intrigue is a very good motivator for writers, isn't it? You never know just what will spark an idea.
Anything can be new and fresh---it's all in the execution. Not to mention the fact that we're all individual, unique people with our own perspectives.
So, what tired old ideas floating around out there do you find intriguing enough to breathe new life into, and polish up? One of my faves is the premise for *While You Were Sleeping*---one of my all time favorite movies. How could that be freshened and polished? That is today's writing prompt challenge. Hehe. And when I get a few minutes to rub together, I'll work on it myself.
Showing posts with label Tuesday Writing Prompt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuesday Writing Prompt. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Writing Prompts...Handy Links
I did some research online and found several sites with writing prompts to collect here.
Charlotte Dillon's Writing Prompts: Loads of writing prompts to choose from. And at the bottom of the page, an invitation to join her writing prompt email group, and a link to do so.
: Creative Writing Prompts from CreativeJuices.com Several prompts, organized into categories. You'll need to wade through the adds, but many of these prompts look interesting enough to make that worth your time.
Write Any Genre: Prompts for romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, historical, and fairy tales etc.
Creative Writing Solutions: Story starters, prompts for character development, setting, point of view, and plot development.
It's All About Writing, Nicole Humphrey Cook: Sentences to get you started. The author recommends we keep in mind the who, what, where, and how.
I love coming up with writing prompts. Today, I'm going to give "Who, Where and When" Prompts that you can add the "What, Where, and How" aspects, and tighten up the "Who, Where and When" parts, too. Have fun. Make it as short or as long as you want. The list will go Who; Where; When
A couple >< to divorce; The court house; 30 minutes before their appt. with the judge
High school teacher/Cop; Parking Lot at the football field; Evening time, just before the homecoming game.
Psychic/Psychologist;Career Day Fair; Just after lunch
Veterinarian/Jockey; Horse farm; day before a big race, morning
Professional Party Planner/Profession Party Attendee; Party at a posh hotel; Night, almost midnight.
If you have suggestions for "Who, Where, When" Prompts, add them in the comments.
Happy Writing.
The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict and conflict. ~James Frey
The story is not in the plot but in the telling. ~Ursula K. LeGuin
If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing. ~Kingsley Amis
In good writing, words become one with things. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Day Late...
...and a braincell short.
Summertime with the kids around all the time makes me one busy Momma. And the fun isn't going to stop any time soon. So busy, not enough time in the day to get it all done, and finally, summer seems to have arrived.
Currently, the boys are being tortured with going through all their clothes, toys, books and miscellaneous junk. Told them if they do that, we'll have a garage sale, and they can split the profit. Naturally, they can't do it on their own---so it'll take us a while, since I can't/won't/don't have the attention span to deal with it for more than about 1.5-2 hours.
Writing is still happening. Shockingly and amazingly enough. One WIP, the historical, is on the back burner percolating. Has issues I need to work on. The other WIP, a contemporary, seems to be what has the majority of the Muse's attention. And I must say, my Muse has writer's ADHD. However, it's the writing that I love, so I'm happy something is moving along, even if I have to take breaks in between to deal with laundry, cleaning, providing taxi service...It's great. Exhilarating when it all comes together.
Other musings...I have Nora Roberts' The Search but I haven't read it yet. I don't like reading new books when I'm in the middle of writing, so I'm re-reading some of the In Death books. I'm saving the new book to savor later. :D
Well then. I hear a tremendous silence emanating from the laundry room. The machines have stopped. More laundry training must happen. Kids need to be urged on to their next task of the day, and there's some writing that needs to go on before I go tackle the Big Ugly, also known as "The Linen Closet."
For now, I"ll leave you with a few quotes about writing and a suggestion for a writing prompt.
Writing Prompt Suggestion: Look through your WIP for a scene that has Talking Heads (dialogue, no description, narrative, etc) or a scene that's only narrative (think "INFO DUMP") and revise. For a Talking Heads scene, think about what your main POV character is thinking, feeling, what of the physical senses you can bring into the scene, how can you make the scene do double or triple duty by incorporating conflict, revealing some motivation, addressing your goals---how can you use this scene to move the story along? For your Info Dump scene---what is really necessary for the reader to know? Can any of it be turned into action---either dialogue or the characters getting active? How can you improve it to move the story along?
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~ Scott Adams
We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway
You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it. ~Ursula K. LeGuin
The only way to learn to write is to write. ~Peggy Teeters
Everything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And later on you can use it in some story. ~Tapani Bagge
Summertime with the kids around all the time makes me one busy Momma. And the fun isn't going to stop any time soon. So busy, not enough time in the day to get it all done, and finally, summer seems to have arrived.
Currently, the boys are being tortured with going through all their clothes, toys, books and miscellaneous junk. Told them if they do that, we'll have a garage sale, and they can split the profit. Naturally, they can't do it on their own---so it'll take us a while, since I can't/won't/don't have the attention span to deal with it for more than about 1.5-2 hours.
Writing is still happening. Shockingly and amazingly enough. One WIP, the historical, is on the back burner percolating. Has issues I need to work on. The other WIP, a contemporary, seems to be what has the majority of the Muse's attention. And I must say, my Muse has writer's ADHD. However, it's the writing that I love, so I'm happy something is moving along, even if I have to take breaks in between to deal with laundry, cleaning, providing taxi service...It's great. Exhilarating when it all comes together.
Other musings...I have Nora Roberts' The Search but I haven't read it yet. I don't like reading new books when I'm in the middle of writing, so I'm re-reading some of the In Death books. I'm saving the new book to savor later. :D
Well then. I hear a tremendous silence emanating from the laundry room. The machines have stopped. More laundry training must happen. Kids need to be urged on to their next task of the day, and there's some writing that needs to go on before I go tackle the Big Ugly, also known as "The Linen Closet."
For now, I"ll leave you with a few quotes about writing and a suggestion for a writing prompt.
Writing Prompt Suggestion: Look through your WIP for a scene that has Talking Heads (dialogue, no description, narrative, etc) or a scene that's only narrative (think "INFO DUMP") and revise. For a Talking Heads scene, think about what your main POV character is thinking, feeling, what of the physical senses you can bring into the scene, how can you make the scene do double or triple duty by incorporating conflict, revealing some motivation, addressing your goals---how can you use this scene to move the story along? For your Info Dump scene---what is really necessary for the reader to know? Can any of it be turned into action---either dialogue or the characters getting active? How can you improve it to move the story along?
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~ Scott Adams
We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway
You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it. ~Ursula K. LeGuin
The only way to learn to write is to write. ~Peggy Teeters
Everything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And later on you can use it in some story. ~Tapani Bagge
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Inspiration
...comes from many sources. One of my favorite inspirations is songs. Sometimes it's the lyrics alone. Could be the melody or the singer(s) or simply the mood of the piece, too. Recently my Muse Bait has been The Highwaymen---Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristopherson. Namely the song entitled 'Highwayman.' Struck my fancy. I love the progression of the Highwayman through the verses---his many incarnations, how the spirit survives the death of the incarnation...It's cool. And yeah, who wouldn't love listening to these men sing? I mean, you have to admire anyone who's voice comes from their toes, like Waylon Jennings' and Johnny Cash's. And in the midst of searching YouTube for more Highwaymen songs, it occurred to me. The heroine in the new WIP the Muse gifted me with this past weekend...how droll and unexpected would it be for her to like the Highwaymen's music? The notion still tickles me. Can't wait to incorporate that bit of silliness. :D
Now that I've digressed a wee bit...Inspiration...someone said you can't wait for it to hit on its own, you have to go after it with a club. So true. That's why I often turn to music for inspiration---either as a laxative for Museal Constipation or just to spark an idea to start writing. People watching works, too. Closing the ol' eyeballs and letting the mind wander works, too. Another favorite of mine is asking myself "What If" situational questions. "What if the bridesmaid never becomes the bride," for example. Taking a simple, every day occurrence and setting it on its ear is fun, too. Writing prompts are good ones, too. You never know what will come from one.
Speaking of writing prompts...What song(s) have inspired you? What have you seen people do that's caught your fancy and blossomed into an idea? Where has your mind taken you? What every day occurrence can you take and set on it's ear? My answers are below, in order of the questions asked.
1. Song: The Long Goodbye...It's been tickling my brain cell for years. One of these days, I'm going to put it on repeat and listen to it until whatever it's evoking within me comes out.
2. People Watching: People shopping at a home improvement store, in my case, Lowes.
3. Mind Wandering: Saturday last, the Muse gifted me with a heroine, hero and a situation and a very good view of the entire story. Now I just hafta figure out how to get it out of the brain and onto paper (or in this case, into the computer!).
4. Everyday Occurrence On Its Ear: People going about their daily business, piling into elevators to be whisked up to whatever floor they work upon, but when the elevator doors open, they don't wind up where they think they will...Hmmm...
**~~**~~**~~**~~**
If you wait for inspiration to write; you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter. – Dan Poynter
Ever tried and failed? No matter. Try again and fail better. – Samuel Beckett
Best advice on writing I’ve ever received. Finish. – Peter Mayle
Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. - E.L. Doctorow
He is able who thinks he is able. - Buddha
You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like. - Phyllis A. Whitney
Now that I've digressed a wee bit...Inspiration...someone said you can't wait for it to hit on its own, you have to go after it with a club. So true. That's why I often turn to music for inspiration---either as a laxative for Museal Constipation or just to spark an idea to start writing. People watching works, too. Closing the ol' eyeballs and letting the mind wander works, too. Another favorite of mine is asking myself "What If" situational questions. "What if the bridesmaid never becomes the bride," for example. Taking a simple, every day occurrence and setting it on its ear is fun, too. Writing prompts are good ones, too. You never know what will come from one.
Speaking of writing prompts...What song(s) have inspired you? What have you seen people do that's caught your fancy and blossomed into an idea? Where has your mind taken you? What every day occurrence can you take and set on it's ear? My answers are below, in order of the questions asked.
1. Song: The Long Goodbye...It's been tickling my brain cell for years. One of these days, I'm going to put it on repeat and listen to it until whatever it's evoking within me comes out.
2. People Watching: People shopping at a home improvement store, in my case, Lowes.
3. Mind Wandering: Saturday last, the Muse gifted me with a heroine, hero and a situation and a very good view of the entire story. Now I just hafta figure out how to get it out of the brain and onto paper (or in this case, into the computer!).
4. Everyday Occurrence On Its Ear: People going about their daily business, piling into elevators to be whisked up to whatever floor they work upon, but when the elevator doors open, they don't wind up where they think they will...Hmmm...
If you wait for inspiration to write; you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter. – Dan Poynter
Ever tried and failed? No matter. Try again and fail better. – Samuel Beckett
Best advice on writing I’ve ever received. Finish. – Peter Mayle
Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. - E.L. Doctorow
He is able who thinks he is able. - Buddha
You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like. - Phyllis A. Whitney
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thinking Out Loud
Writing isn't easy. If anyone told you it was, they lied.
To wit, a plethora of quotes on just how easy writing isn't.
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer
Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ink and paper are sometimes passionate lovers, oftentimes brother and sister, and occasionally mortal enemies. ~Terri Guillemets
Every writer I know has trouble writing. ~Joseph Heller
When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler
But when it comes down to it, a writer can't help themselves---we have to write:
It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write. ~Sinclair Lewis
So,without pulling any punches, are you a writer or are you whiner? Do you want it enough to write, submit, take the rejections and start the process all over again? Try and fail, but don't fail to try. ~ Stephen Kaggwa.
Being a writer is not the best thing in the world for the ego. You create a masterpiece---the most brilliant work of art to ever flow from human fingers to a keyboard. Never have any words been more inspired or more poignant. Angels wept as you created your work of art and rightfully so. With a trembling sigh, you send it to your critique partner---a writer you connected with on some board somewhere on the internet, or someone you met a local writer's meeting.
And this totally ignorant, soulless individual proceeded to rip your baby apart. Brutally. Suggested you might try looking up the rules about commas, maybe. And while you're doing that, check out how many different ways there are to vary sentence structure. After that, you might want to consider removing half a million adverbs and sticking to one POV per paragraph. But, they add at the end, "If you kick up the conflict and layer in a few more details, you're on your way."
Obviously, morons abound. Your work is perfect. Stunning. Thrilling. Evocative. Exciting. Fresh. You know this because your mother said so. (Um...Mother's are predisposed to love anything and everything their children create. Well, within reason. For example, I don't love the stink my sons are capable of creating in the car when they have a...er...Wind Passing Contest.)
The key is to be open-minded. Teachable. Willing and able to hear the honest truth about your work and willing to apply these honestly truthful suggestions to your story. Learn. Grow. Write. Pinnacles are awesome to achieve, but stagnate when they turn into plateaus. You have to have a hunger for this, a thirst---for more than the occasional strawberry margarita---and the desire to strive for that next pinnacle.
If you want it badly enough, it's likely you're nodding and agreeing with a few things I've said. If you don't want it badly enough, you're calling me a moron who has no clue---after all, what could I possibly know? I'm not published any more due to my e-publisher closing doors, nor have I sent anything out lately. That last part isn't because I stopped writing. It's because I've got my eye on the next pinnacle and I'm applying some honestly truthful suggestions to my writing. When it's ready, I'll send it out. But until it's done, I can't send it out into the world wearing a chocolate milk 'stache beautifully complemented by uncombed hair, body odor, and wearing holey sweats and a faded t-shirt. I want my efforts to soar and I want to look back and say, "I did my best. I didn't quit. I didn't fail to try."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~Tuesday Writing Prompt~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Pick something your critique partner has mentioned you could improve in your writing, or something an editor has said in a rejection letter to you and go find 3 online articles that address your bugaboo. Make a list of tips that resonate with you---suggestions you found most helpful---and dive back into that WIP, armed to do battle. This doesn't have to be shared, this is personal for you.
To wit, a plethora of quotes on just how easy writing isn't.
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer
Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ink and paper are sometimes passionate lovers, oftentimes brother and sister, and occasionally mortal enemies. ~Terri Guillemets
Every writer I know has trouble writing. ~Joseph Heller
When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler
But when it comes down to it, a writer can't help themselves---we have to write:
It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write. ~Sinclair Lewis
So,without pulling any punches, are you a writer or are you whiner? Do you want it enough to write, submit, take the rejections and start the process all over again? Try and fail, but don't fail to try. ~ Stephen Kaggwa.
Being a writer is not the best thing in the world for the ego. You create a masterpiece---the most brilliant work of art to ever flow from human fingers to a keyboard. Never have any words been more inspired or more poignant. Angels wept as you created your work of art and rightfully so. With a trembling sigh, you send it to your critique partner---a writer you connected with on some board somewhere on the internet, or someone you met a local writer's meeting.
And this totally ignorant, soulless individual proceeded to rip your baby apart. Brutally. Suggested you might try looking up the rules about commas, maybe. And while you're doing that, check out how many different ways there are to vary sentence structure. After that, you might want to consider removing half a million adverbs and sticking to one POV per paragraph. But, they add at the end, "If you kick up the conflict and layer in a few more details, you're on your way."
Obviously, morons abound. Your work is perfect. Stunning. Thrilling. Evocative. Exciting. Fresh. You know this because your mother said so. (Um...Mother's are predisposed to love anything and everything their children create. Well, within reason. For example, I don't love the stink my sons are capable of creating in the car when they have a...er...Wind Passing Contest.)
The key is to be open-minded. Teachable. Willing and able to hear the honest truth about your work and willing to apply these honestly truthful suggestions to your story. Learn. Grow. Write. Pinnacles are awesome to achieve, but stagnate when they turn into plateaus. You have to have a hunger for this, a thirst---for more than the occasional strawberry margarita---and the desire to strive for that next pinnacle.
If you want it badly enough, it's likely you're nodding and agreeing with a few things I've said. If you don't want it badly enough, you're calling me a moron who has no clue---after all, what could I possibly know? I'm not published any more due to my e-publisher closing doors, nor have I sent anything out lately. That last part isn't because I stopped writing. It's because I've got my eye on the next pinnacle and I'm applying some honestly truthful suggestions to my writing. When it's ready, I'll send it out. But until it's done, I can't send it out into the world wearing a chocolate milk 'stache beautifully complemented by uncombed hair, body odor, and wearing holey sweats and a faded t-shirt. I want my efforts to soar and I want to look back and say, "I did my best. I didn't quit. I didn't fail to try."
Pick something your critique partner has mentioned you could improve in your writing, or something an editor has said in a rejection letter to you and go find 3 online articles that address your bugaboo. Make a list of tips that resonate with you---suggestions you found most helpful---and dive back into that WIP, armed to do battle. This doesn't have to be shared, this is personal for you.
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