Finding Writing Ideas (part 2)

Ideas for writing abound. Every writer knows that. So why do we sit at the keyboard and stare at a blank document, or worse still, play free cell until our brains are fried?

Sometimes writers push themselves so hard, have so many plans, to-do lists and agendas, they spend more time anticipating writing than actually coming up with new ideas.  Days revolve around writing-related activity, until the writer suddenly realizes their actual writing is suffering. Check out the following activities if you need to generate some practical prompts.

Your brain may be constipated. Too many lists, files, folders and agendas can do that. Leave your desk, shut down the inner critic and relax in a comfortable chair. Dream. Let your imagination paint a scene. Write from it. Or brainstorm a list of things you can write about. Do it now.

If brainstorming doesn’t work, read. Read other people’s writing. Read the newspaper, old magazines, the cereal packet, books. Allow other people’s ideas to spark your own. Don’t plagiarize.

Keep a notebook and pencil by your bed, in the car, in your bag. Often great ideas will arrive when you’re not at the computer screen, waiting. Be prepared.

If you’re not ready to go cold turkey and actually leave your desk, try this: Start writing or word-processing and keep going. Don’t give up, even if it’s nonsense, until some sense appears.

Have you been using the same formats in your writing? If you feel stale, that will come through in what you write. Try writing letters, lists, how-to’s, picture books, recipes. Have a change of genre. Find a writing partner. Dare to be different.

Apart from reading books, you can use them to find ideas like this:  Open up to three random pages and choose the top right word on each page. Let those words suggest your writing.

Use the internet to fuel your writing ideas. There are lists of topics available. This one is supposed to be for children but there are great ideas for adults here, too:  http://www.thewritesource.com/topics.htm

Here you will find Writing Fix’s prompt generator:  http://www.writingfix.com/

Or, the Imagination Prompt generator here:

http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html

Go to  http://www.ask.com/ and look at what people want to know. (“Popular Search Terms”) Choose something you feel inspired and/or qualified to write about.

Unless you engage in meaningful activity, your creativity will begin to deteriorate. It’s important for practical people to create in practical ways. So what are you waiting for? Swallow that prune juice!

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Quote of the Month

"I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose."

Stephen King

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Have you been to these sites?

Search engine, Searchme

www.searchme.com

This new search engine is in beta mode but it's stunning. The graphic interface is attractive, allowing you to flick through actual pages the way you would in a print book. I like the "stacks" feature, which allows me to drag and drop the pages I choose into a stack. I can then share my stack with others.

How can it help writers? My crit group is having a drive toward publication during November, when we'll submit cover letters, synopses and queries to each other for critique. I have resources I'd like to share with them.  Instead of copy/pasting urls into a document, I'm re-visiting them and making a stack for the others to visit. I've embedded the searchme code in my blog/web site (www.susanstephenson.com.au ), and emailed stacks to my colleagues. You can see a quick and useful video about the stacks feature at this page: http://www.searchme.com/stacks/

Poetry Card Contest


http://www.sps.com/poetry/index.html

First prize: $300 * 2nd prize: $150 * 3rd prize: $50.
Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write. Poems judged on originality and uniqueness. Due: December 31, 2008.

WOW! Women On Writing Essay Contest

http://wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

Deadline: November 30, 2008

Entry fee: US$10 or US$20 with critique

Accepting entries for their Fall 2008 Essay Writing Contest. Theme: how

recreating your personal space has changed your life, or how by making

changes in your life, it has moved you to express yourself and recreate

your home. First prize: US$200. Length: 750 words max.

Anthology, Wisdom of our Mothers

http://www.familiabooks.com

Familia Books is buying stories to be collected into an anthology tentatively titled Wisdom of Our Mothers. Fifty percent of the profits from the book donated to shelters for mothers and their children escaping from abusive relationships. $100 per story. Due: 30 November 2008.


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Until next month, write on!

Susan