5 Unique Tips to Get You Writing

Can't get that first sentence on the page? Try these tips to get you writing.

Magazine shop. Great ideas can come from opening a magazine and pointing to the first sentence or picture your finger lands on. "Shampoo and condition, then apply oil..."

Book shop. Use the first sentence you point to as the first sentence of your story. "They should ask Baal to send a fire to consume their offering..."

Dream a little. Wake up in the night? Write down your dream. Use the dream as the first line. "I was trapped in an elevator."

Listen to conversations. "You wouldn't believe what my son did last night."

Write about what you did the day before.  Choose something from your list that strikes you as funny - or a bit - odd. "I ate ice cream. Chocolate. My favorite. I wasn't hungry."

What I have learned is that there is always something to write about, I just have to wake up my brain from sleep mode.

Here's something to write about :)

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

TUESDAY TRAILERS: As a writer, do you take time out to reflect?

Today is World Mental Health Day.

What are you doing for your mental health? Do you take time to reflect, or are you so busy 'doing' you can't think straight?

How does reflection help you as a writer?

Find out.

TUESDAY TRAILERS: Coming Up with Story Ideas Using the Restriction Method

Best Ideas to Get You Writing

If you're like me, the last couple of days was spent doing those Easter dinners and egg hunts. Now it's time to get back to work!

Wow.

Do you ever feel like all that fun time passes like a blink and that your writing is always there to stare you in the face?

I do.

Today, as I began to make my list (I always do better with a' to do' list) I was reminded of how busy Monday's always are for me. Not only do I have the daily tasks, I have the extra tasks brought on by a fun and busy weekend.

No complaints here. But you might just be feeling like I'm feeling this beautiful morning, and so I thought it would be a good time to spark the flame so to speak. To get you and ME writing again.

So here goes...

1. If you have a blog, and just after you've finished reading this one, write your blog and get it posted. I find the earlier I post my blog the more I actually get accomplished during the day and I think that's because I've jumped started my mind early on.

2. Keep writing even if you don't feel like it. If nothing is coming to you, keep writing anyway until something does. Don't correct the sentences or paragraphs, just write.

3. Put on some music. Listen for a moment.

4. Write something that you've shelved for awhile. Pull it out and see what you can do to tweak it.

5. Take a look at my blog post here for other ideas.

The best thing you can do to get jump started in writing is to write and to keep writing. No matter the interruptions, no matter the initial desire. I promise, you'll be on the flower lined lane before you know it.

Smooth Sailing: Writing When the Ideas are Flowing

As writers, we sometimes find ourselves in choppy waters wondering what to write, or trying to make that paragraph work for us.

At other times, things are smooth sailing and we wonder how long the sail will last. Until our child asks for a drink of water? Until the phone rings?

I have learned through the years that the muse is a tricky thing that comes and goes so I try to get in as much writing as I can, especially when the sentences are flowing.



Photo by: Mr Akyuz, courtesy of Flickr

That doesn't mean I won't be interrupted; what it does mean is that I write continuously without checking for grammar or sentence construction. When thing are moving, the last thing I need to do is to put my left brain in gear and do some editing. Editing should be reserved for other times, especially those times when the water is feeling a bit stagnant.

I can always tell when things are smooth sailing. It's almost as if I don't have to think; just record what I hear. Somehow the thoughts just enter, almost as if they skip my brain and drift into my soul. I write almost without thinking and allow the words to speak for themselves.

Does this make sense to you?

I hope so. We writers need to stick together, and it's not often easy to explain what being a writer means to those not walking the walk and writing the talk.

But I hope you do.

I hope that if today is a smooth sailing day that you will write and write and write, and if it's not, that you'll edit or focus on another project, or vacuum the living room carpet until an idea comes to you. And then I hope you can write (at least for a couple of hours straight) without ceasing.

Valentine Writing Ideas

Since most of us are going to be in the Valentine swing tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to share some fun writing prompts to get every heart pumping.

When it comes to writing romance, it's a skill every writer needs, yes, even if you're not writing a romance novel. Since romance is a part of most of our lives, don't you think it should be a part of most of our novels?


Photo by: Mike Overall, courtesy of Flickr

So here goes:

Create a Valentine's Day box. Decorate it accordingly today, with slips of paper and ideas written on them that can be drawn out during the day tomorrow. Keep the ideas simple, like write your first paragraph with the word 'love' in it, or write a poem with the word 'red' in it. Interestingly enough, you may not come up with the best Valentine poem, but you will have something, and that's the point. Keep the box and pull it out next year to write even more.

Photo by: Peter Hellberg, courtesy of Flickr

Rather than buying a ready-made Valentine, write a love letter to your significant other. Use the five senses; something cards do, and make your words literally breathe love.



Photo by: Ruth L, courtesy of Flickr

Cook a Valentine's dinner instead of going out. In an envelope place some slips of paper with all of the words you can think of that explain your love for him/her. Share these words during your dinner.

Photo by Daniel Morris, courtesy of Flickr

Go ice skating and pay special attention to the couples. It's amazing what you can come up with when you watch others in their element (or not so much). Many romantic ideas can come from visiting places where couples are likely to frequent on Valentine's Day.

Valentine writing ideas are as available as your imagination. The deeper your imagination, the more ideas will come to you. Hopefully, these ideas will get you started.