Tips For Finishing a Book

By Laurat Ogunjobi(Guest Writer)

The decision to write a book can be a great task within itself.  When considering all that needs to be done prior to its publishing, one could find themselves frozen to procrastination, self doubt or simply feeling overwhelmed.  The work needed for the illustration, research and drilling feedback from the editor are all perceived hindrances, but nowadays, with the growth of the internet, and more available open access, book publishing has become easier, as well as cheaper if you have decided to self publish. 

Instead of being overwhelmed with your ideas and thoughts, it’s advisable to first start small.  Organize your thoughts in a mini journal or write as few a hundred words per day.  Organization is the key to establishments.  It isn’t feasible to execute an idea, project or goal without a structure or plan.  Make sure to give yourself a deadline and goals to meeting them. 

Although writing is an intellectual art form, it’s motivated by creativity.  Keep your creative flow, and avoid writers block.  Try not to think too less or too much, but instead, flow with the information that you seek to present.  Allow your communication to continuously be motivated by creativity, and have fun with your work.  Laugh at it, joke with it dance with it, all within the structure determined in its completion.  The key is merging creativity with organization.

Why I Write?

By: E.J. Tanner (Guest Writer)

Why someone writes, in the most basic sense, is so they can share information with other people. Why someone would love it is a totally different thing. Authors Joan Diddion and George Orwell may agree with me that there are particular reasons writers like you and me love to write, especially since they both created pieces about why they write.

            In wondering why I write, or why I love it so, I like to pretend that the concept goes beyond just putting words on a piece of paper, however, the physical process is exactly where the affair begins. I love to write simply for the magical science of being able to write. The thrill of thinking of letters, words, sentences in my brain and watching them as the electric signals course through my nerves turning thought into symbolic reality. The rush I get as my right hand dances with my pen down a fresh sheet of paper, turning feelings and emotions into what amounts to nothing more than scribbles is comparable to none. There's a sort of psychological release after every ink blot seeps onto my notebook.

            I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most traditionally artistic person in the room, but once those blots of black or blue ink form into some letters, those words allow me to participate in artistic expression. The pen becomes my paintbrush and allows me to turn images in my mind into words on a page. I love to write because writing allows me to explore the artistic side of my brain and express myself.

            Writing, as many may like to think, goes beyond the personal, that it has deeper meaning for a culture, that a writer is going beyond themselves to make a statement. It doesn't. Writers write for themselves. I writing this piece because I want you to think that I'm right, that the reasons I love to write should be your reasons too. I think that I have such a unique perspective on a subject that you ought to think the same way, you should see it how I see it. As Diddion says, it's all about I, I, I. Taking it a little further, think about when you are or were in school and your assignment was to write an essay, whether it be during an exam or as a term paper. You put in effort to convince your teacher or professor that what you wrote was worth an A, you had to prove to him or her that your ideas were above average. We're trained to write with a drive to prove ourselves right, to have that feeling of having above average ideas. Writing is so self serving in that manner. I love writing something and getting that seal of approval from my audience.

            the final reason, my last personal reason for why I love to write is in search to answer that one word question—why, why, why, that insufferable why. Writing is how I make sense of the world and why my world is the way it is. Writing is how I channel all the stimuli I receive day to day and attempt to organize it all with in my mind. I'd say that most of the time, I'm writing so I can understand myself and really get to know the perspective that lies deep within my brain, try to truly discover and outline the edges of my imagination, or if there is any kind of method to my madness that I have yet to discover. So far, I've found no method, just madness.

Why Keep A Journal?

By Elizabeth Iles (Guest Writer)

Do you remember your first diary or journal? I had quite the collection as a child. Some were plain spiral notebooks. There was one that had all black, lined paper and came with those cool metallic gel pens that all the girls loved to write with in the late 90s. I wrote about my friends, my crushes, my teachers, and even wrote a list of qualities I wanted in my future husband.

Now that I’m an adult, my journaling still includes expressions about the things I want and yearn for. Recently in my life, I’ve realized the deep importance of solidifying goals. Journaling about them helps to visualize them, and visualizing them helps to have the motivation to actually DO something about achieving them. I wish I still had some of those diaries I kept as a kid. I could look back on how the things I have in my life now match up to what I wanted (or thought I did) back then, and what things I wanted back then that I may have long forgotten about.

Journaling is a wonderful form of writing because it has no limits, no specifications, and no form to follow. You can make lists, draw pictures, write poems, stories, or just simply write exactly how you feel and what’s on your mind. A journal can be your own personal therapist, and the more you observe how you think by writing about it, the more you can learn about yourself.

5 Useful Resources for Writers

By: William Snesrud

Any person who wants to write will eventually click into the internet and type into a search engine looking for the best websites for writers.

            If you, like I have been, are a writer wanting to take a love or gift of putting words together and make it into a part or full time income, then you will need some place to start boosting your output potential.

            Yes, I have been there.  But this time I am going to come from the angle that maybe you are that newer writer and may be looking for a place to get an edge, a start.  These are what I call 5 of the more useful websites for writers, especially newer freelance writers.

I have found and used these 5 useful websites, each because of the potential they offer to help you increase your writing production, quality and marketability.

If you are looking for help with writing ideas (like story starters and poetry prompts), information on the craft of writing (how to on 6 styles of writing) plus a writer’s shop – then it is a must to check out www.creative-writing-now.com.  One bonus I found with the set up here is they also have a free 3-day writer’s course, great way to get the mind and words flowing.

            Now www.freelancewriting.com is a place that will take your writing up another notch.  I know my time clock can get lost on this website with the articles, tutorials and reading material, so be careful.  Plus here you start finding writing contests to enter and listings for freelance writing jobs.  Notch it up.

            One of the first websites I turned to when I started taking the craft seriously was www.writing.com.  This is a great spot to build a portfolio of your writing.  Not only can you share and build that portfolio, other members of the website have the opportunity to give you feedback – great way to learn and improve.  You also can review other writers and earn points to save on cost of membership upgrades and writing materials.

            Poet and Writers magazine has a website, www.pw.org, which also gives a person the opportunity to gain insights to writing, researching and marketing.  Their section “tools for writers” is unbelievable in the amount of information you can find on a wide variety of topics. Poet and Writers magazine has been around a long time, they know the ins and outs of the writing craft.

            The final of my top 5 is www.writersweekly.com. New information weekly, usually on Wednesdays, it will include a list of quality markets looking for writers and a liberal list of job openings.  Not as fancy as some of the others, but I find the information they share very reliable and sometimes great for the newbie.

            So there you go.  Where you go with this is totally up to you and your incentive to grow both in your writing craft as well as a marketable writer. 

            I will throw in two old time standard websites, simply because they have been around it seems like forever either in print or internet form, and still give writers a massive amount of information.  For the old reliable you should always have bookmarked click on www.writersmarket.com and www.writersdigest.com.

            So now you have it, websites to spend the next few days looking over, trying out and signing on.  From here it is up to you and your initiative to follow the stepping stones in building your craft. 

            Good luck and happy writing.

Why Aspire To Be A Writer?

By: Joe Everly (Guest Writer)

“Aspiring to become a writer.”  This is a phrase that has been going through my head, in one form or another, since I was ten years old.  The act of writing, itself, did not interest me until recently.  I was in an English 101 class, writing a journal entry when it struck me that I really enjoy writing.  I’m not usually the best at expressing my thoughts through words, but I am better able to get a point across on paper.  Maybe it’s the semi anonymity of paper and ink, and not having to be face-to-face with the reader.  Taken for what it may be, I feel that writing is the best form of expression for me.

            One of the many reasons one may decide to write would be the potential satisfaction received after writing something that will make the reader think, laugh, or even become upset.  The power is in the hand of the writer.  The writer can change the mood, opinion, and sometimes even the physical action of the reader.  Have you ever read something that made you angry, sad, or happy?  I believe that nearly everyone who can read can relate to this.  What about reading a post from a social media site?  Do you know anyone who felt strongly enough about a topic posted “Facebook,” or “Twitter” to reply to the author, or maybe gone a step further, writing to a state representative, encouraging action on the topic?  This happens many times every day.  At the root of these actions, is a person who decided to write about something that they felt strongly enough about to let others know how they felt.  When this happens, momentum can be built, and maybe the snowball effect comes in to play.  What a rush to know that you may have started a movement!

            Another reason to become a writer could be the fact that someone might actually pay you for your work.  It was Confucius, the Chinese philosopher who said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Although few people have the opportunity to follow his wisdom on this one, Confucius hit the nail on the head here.  Anyone who has the knack to write probably has the ability to hone this skill to be used as a job, or even a career.  The process will probably need to be tweaked, and tuned a bit.  With practice, patience, and maybe a lot of ink, the sincere student can become a writer.  Being in the “write” place at the “write” time can be beneficial for anyone, so write often!

 

Grammer Mistakes All Writers Should Avoid

By: Josh Wagner

Do you ever see Facebook statuses, blogs, or tweets that make you want to rip your hair out due to the lack of correct grammar usage? I know I do. Some people tend to just not care about their grammar, or it is just the way they speak that makes them write this way. I’m here to write about 5 grammar mistakes that I find to be very annoying, yet easily fixed.

The first grammar mistake that really makes me want to scream is the incorrect usage of the word “was.” I see so many people saying things like, “We was at the movies last night,” or “We was going to go to the movies tomorrow.” Bother you, too? It’s a simple fix, it’s WERE. We WERE at the movies last night. We WERE going to go to the movies tomorrow. The misusage of “was” has to be at the top of my list of grammar mistakes.

Another common mistake is the misuse of, “two,” “to,” and” too.” This has to be one of the simplest grammar fixes there can be. Only use “two” if you are referring to a number of something. Use “to” to explain that you are going to do something, for example, “I am going to the mall.” And lastly, use “too” if you’re going to be agreeing with someone, or doing something with someone, for example, “I wish that would happen, too,” or “I am going to the mall, too.”

Thirdly, the mistake of using, “there,” “they’re,” and “their,” can be a big mistake, too. Use “there” if you are going to go somewhere, for example, “I am going to be there, too.” Secondly, use “they’re” only if you are referring to someone else, such as, “They’re going to be a few minutes late.” Thirdly, use “their” when talking about the possession someone has over something, such as, “That bike over there is theirs.”

One mistake that is also really aggravating is the misuse of the word “is.” I've seen so many people say, “We is going to the store in a little bit.” No, it should be “We are going to the store in a little bit.” This very annoying mistake can be fixed easily.

And lastly, the final grammar mistake is the bad use of capitalizing letters. I have seen numerous people type like this, “Tomorrow Is Going To Be The Greatest Day Ever.” Please, only capitalize the words you need to. Again, another easy fix, but some people grew up around bad grammar, so they repeat these grammar mistakes. One day, maybe, just maybe, this world will be grammar mistake free!

Be Inspired: Inspiration Comes From the Most Unlikely Places

By: Amanda Walraven (Guest Writer)

    

No matter how much you love to write, there will always be days when you lack inspiration.  Those days when you’ll sit, watching the cursor flash in the upper left corner of a Word document that’s just as blank as your mind.  Those days when, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get the gears in your head to crank out a new idea. So, how exactly does one get the lazy little hamster in their head back on its wheel and running?  Well, there are a number of methods one can try to get that burst of inspiration they’ve been seeking.

My first and greatest piece of advice to a person who is looking for inspiration is to begin carrying around a journal or small notebook.  That way, if any ideas that occur to them throughout the day, they will have a place to write them down, and remember them for later.

When seeking inspiration, there are many places one can look and many things one can do.  For example, when I’m anywhere in public, I like to people watch and eavesdrop.  Not in a creepy way; sometimes you can’t help but notice that one woman’s crazy outfit or overhear snippets of conversation. If you happen to overhear a bit of interesting dialog, scribble it down in your writing journal as soon as you can. Or just watch people. Humans as a whole are amusing and inspiring unto themselves.  Nothing is more inspiring than the primary subject in most writing: human beings.

However, if you’re not into public places, I find that the best ideas occur to me when I’m not thinking about thinking of an idea all.  So, do something to take your mind off the fact that you need to write something.  Go for a walk or run. If at all possible, get away from the busy streets and out into the beauty of nature.  Simply looking at a sunrise or sunset can sometimes be all the inspiration you need. But, if you can’t get away from the city, just let your mind wander as you walk or run and let the inspiration flow.  And, as ever, keep that journal close!

Conversely, if you dislike both exercise and public places, then seek inspiration from the comfort of your home.  Not sure what to write about?  Google it.  Do a search on the topic you need to write about, and come up with tons of great ideas and sources, but be careful; don’t plagiarize! I also own a wonderful little book called The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood that gives plenty of inspirations.  This is a superb resource for any writer, if you’re willing to invest about ten dollars of your hard-earned cash into a new book.  This book is full of writing tips and prompts to get you inspired and writing in no time.

            There you have it, folks.  Ways to get inspired, be it in public, in nature, or in private.  If you haven’t used any of these methods before, give them a try!  They work for me, and I hope they’ll work for you.  Happy writing!

Another 5 Tips Every Writer Should Know

By: Michael Eikmeier (Guest Writer)

  

     Write every day. The secret to writing, like any other skill, is to practice as much as you can. Except with writing, perfection or expertise level is never reached because it is so intangible. That is the first step to becoming a better writer. It doesn't matter if your grocery list becomes a flash fiction story about the four-month-old apple in your fridge, or if it’s an entire chapter to a story you are working on; just write a little bit to get the juices going each day so you don’t have to fight the rust after a long weekend away. It’s the most important thing you can do. There’s an old saying that goes: “Eat every day that you practice,” and that should be applied to writing as well.

            Another way to make less mistakes as a writer is to start the piece you are working on, leave it for a day or two, and then come back to finish it. The only way ideas fully form in one’s head is to let them ruminate and take shape. Almost all of writing online is someone else’s unfinished idea. It’s critical that you let your thoughts breath, like a nice glass of wine, before unleashing it onto the world. Don’t rush; a well thought out idea is much better than an immediate one.

            Self-editing seems to be the hardest task in writing, yet it helps the most in publication. Spell-check is not 100%. So read your piece out loud, enunciating each sentence, and see how it sounds. If some parts are clunky, chances are it needs some work. If you find yourself yawning, throw something in there to spice it up. And if you don’t know how to properly punctuate the sentence you are trying, change it, or look it up. Do not wave your ignorance around for everyone to laugh at; credibility is nearly impossible to earn back.

            The last two ways to make less mistakes are tied together. Be confident, and be educated. Confidence is not something to easily taught, but it comes from having solid grounding, which comes from being educated. Basically, do your research. It makes you sound credible, it makes you sound intelligent, and it makes you seem like you are worth reading. Also, it’s super easy to do. Wikipedia is not an option; however, there are hundreds of online news sources that want nothing but readership. If you want to talk about something important, chances are they got to it first. So you must source it properly, have something intelligent to say about it, and then you look like a champ. These are just a few suggestions. The real final answer to how to make less mistakes is practice and experience. So write daily, and learn from your mistakes.

Other Suggested Reading

• 5 More Tips Every Writer Should Know
• 5 Tips Every Writer Should Know

5 More Tips Every Writer Should Know

by: Tracey Bannister (Guest Writer)

1.   Get rid of disruptions.

In order to write effectively, get rid of the clutter that is crowding your mind.  This means different things to different people, but finding a quiet place where you can think clearly is a very important step in improving your writing.

2.   Visualize your audience.

Visualizing the receiver and anticipating a reaction to your message helps you determine the words to use, the amount of detail to include, and the best method of organization.

3.    Do your research.

No matter the subject, research is a very important factor to writing well.  Even fictional writing uses non-fictional elements and if you have not researched your subject well, your reader will tune out and dismiss you as a serious writer.

4.    Keep it short and simple.

Whatever the cause, you can eliminate the fog by applying the familiar KISS formula.  The language you use should be short, simple, clear and concise and should be written in a conversational manner.

5.    Have somebody else read it.

It’s hard to catch your own mistakes.  Hand your writing to a friend, co-worker or family member for an objective view.  They can usually catch those mistakes that a computer proofreader won’t catch and they can offer suggestions as well.

Other Suggested Reading

• Another 5 Tips Every Writer Should Know
• 5 Tips Every Writer Should Know

5 Tips Every Writer Should Know

By Sara La Rue(Guest Writer)

     Finding tips for writing is as easy as any Google search; you’ll find links with lists and websites of information, including tools to help motivate you and topics to spark your imagination. However, when I sat down and thought about my own five most important tips for writers, I tried to think about the tips that I find most beneficial.

            First, and most important: You do not have to have an English degree to write enjoyable, well written pieces for readers. Most of my favorite blogs and columns are written by people who woke up one day and decided to write something down. Lawyers, teachers, gas station attendants, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you have the desire to write, grab a pen and start writing. Every reader on this planet has a different preference for satisfying reading. Know that you can’t please everyone and jump in anyway. Follow your heart and mind, let your fingers do the typing and discover what you have within you.

            Secondly, write what you know. Don’t desperately attempt nonfiction when fiction is where you strive. Don’t start a blog about comic books when you’re more interested in fashion. Don’t write for the public’s interests, write for yourself. The audience that finds interest in your personal genre will find you. However, with that said, don’t forget to challenge yourself once in awhile, dive in and write something completely different, just for your own sake, but remember not to beat yourself up if it doesn’t come naturally.

            Third, you will have writers block once in awhile, and when you do, try to relax. Take a break, have a cup of cocoa and get away from it for a little while. Pick up and go somewhere else, sometimes you just need a change of scenery. When that doesn’t work, try a random word generator as a way to exercise your mind. Get a word, write a paragraph about it. Do it again. Worst case scenario, fall in love with your deadline. Plan for it, date it. Mentally prepare for it and ration out the time you have left. Write your article for it, as it if was a letter to your love about whatever the topic is at hand.

            Fourth, take everything you have and get it all out. Put your partial thoughts on paper and take your time piecing them together later. This will come in handy when you’re struggling to get an outline and when you know exactly what you want to say. Just scribble it down in an endless list and then go through it later to rewrite each line in genuine care and detail. The most important thing is having it. Keep a voice recorder handy for the car or when you’re in bed. Sometimes your best thoughts come to you in the middle of the night or when you’re unlikely to have a pen around.

           

            Finally, my fifth and final tip to achieve success with writing is to read.  Reading has incredible effects on a writer. It motivates them to create things others can read. It enhances your vocabulary and improves your general language and writing skills. When you read something you enjoy, it reminds you why you write in the first place, you write in hopes for others to feel the same. Be excited that what you write can change the views of those who come across it. It has the ability to create emotion, promote thought and imagination, to encourage and educate. Your writing is an open door; it’s your job to welcome guests inside. 


Other Suggested Reading

• Another 5 Tips Every Writer Should Know
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5 Writing Tips I Learned In College

By: Carson Lee (Guest Writer)

There are things that we learn throughout the course of our writing education and intellectual journey that will conceivably stick out in our minds. Most of this knowledge could possibly be from other entities than institutionalized learning. There is much more to writing than basic grammar, structure, and fancy wording. Below are pieces that are essential for any writer to learn in order to become an exceptional author:

1.   Thinking

We think constantly on a daily basis. Our ideas shape our lives, our perspective, and how we go about seeing the world around us. It is important to not be distracted and not only think, but believe, in the ideas and/or opinions we construct.

2.   The importance of documentation

The rate in which the human brain forgets is remarkable. It is hard to remember every significant thought that comes into our minds. It is important to write down and record thoughts to come back to later because some of the thoughts lost could possibly be your greatest work.

3.   Reading

Every writer must enjoy reading because they will be doing a lot of it. It instills grammatical rules in our minds subconsciously and greatly influences the type of styles we like. It’s similar to listening to music; you expand your approaches to certain types of writing.

4.   Proofreading and Constructive Criticism

It is important to get feedback at any point of the writing process. You can learn a lot by asking questions and disputing your case in argument. Get your work proofread and take all forms of criticism into consideration because it could open up different aspects of your writing.

5.   Learning from those better than you

 Ultimately the people who you hang around with have an influence on the type of work you do (unless you do it all on your own and are not open to anyone’s viewpoints but your own). It is important to surround yourself with people who have ambition, encouragement, and differing viewpoints.

How To: Spark Inspiration Within Yourself

In my opinion, I feel it is very important to be inspired. Even if you are not writing, I believe inspiration is vital. Inspiration opens our eyes. It opens our eyes to all that we have not seen and to all that we have been missing. Inspiration opens our hearts to all those things that we have taken for granted, looked down upon, degraded, and walked past. Inspiration opens our ears to the thoughts we have refused to listen to and the words we have ignored for so long. Inspiration opens our noses to the smells that take us on journeys all over the world to places near and far. Inspiration opens our touch to the textures of life. Inspiration opens our hearts, our minds, and our souls. It is freeing. It is motivating. It is encouraging. It is hope. It is faith. It is love.

Inspiration is a writer’s best friend. Inspiration draws writers into new places that we would not normally think about. It makes us think and gives us a lasting impression that causes us to ponder into creativity. It is a host of endless opportunities and doors that are just waiting for us to open. 

 When I think about it, there are a number of great ways to find and discover inspiration for your writing. Based on experiences, goals, and dreams, here are six ideas in no particular order that will hopefully open your heart, your mind, and your soul to let the faith in:

1. Discover Nature.

Look around you. Listen to the birds chirping and singing. Embrace the world around you. This is one of my favorite things to do because I always catch myself in awe of the great Earth we live in. I realize how truly blessed we are to live in such an incredible and intricate world. This is a very humbling experience. Sit, and watch for hours. Go to a park. Breathe fresh air. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

2. Go for a Walk.

This is very similar to the first, but this is amazingly rewarding. Walking will calm your worries and fears at least for the time being. This will put all your problems and troubles into perspective and will give you faith, hope, and love. Go for a walk in a local park or city. Look around at nature and architecture. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

3. People Watch.

This is a great experience. Sit, and watch the people pass by. Go to a local coffee shop, drink a cup of Joe, and fill yourself with others. Try to figure out who they are. Try to figure out their story. Embrace the diversity and different cultures. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

4. Travel.

Go to your favorite place, or travel to an area where you have never been before. Engulf yourself in that area, and live the culture, the experiences, and the life. Take time to slow down and look around you. Have fun, and live it. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

5. Take a Break.

Get some sleep. Get some rest. Relax. Put down the pen and pencil for a while. Try not to worry about writing. Focus on enjoying every moment. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

6. Live Life.

Go for a bike ride. Hang-out with your family. Go to the school play. Hang-out with your friends. Go out to eat. Go to a concert. Play outside. Get some exercise. Cry. Look at pictures. Read a book or some of your previous writings. Spend time with your relatives and loved ones. Work. Live your normal, everyday life, and try not to worry about your struggles and fears. Think positive, have fun, and say thank you. Be kind, and help others. Volunteer. Go shopping. Go to church. Pray. Take it all in. Take all of life in, and enjoy it.

 I feel any and all of these suggestions can be done alone or with someone or with a group of people. Personally, I find the best inspiration when I am by myself because I am an introvert, but I also feel that I am the most focused and connected to my inner-self, the world, the words, and God when I am embracing these experiences alone. This is a personal decision as we are all different, but be sure to live and enjoy every single second of life.

During these experiences, write. I find it is a great exercise to write while you are doing something that inspires you because you will be motivated and your thoughts, ideas, creativity, and soul are entirely open. I think some of the best writing comes from these experiences. Live it. Enjoy it!

 It is my hope and prayer that these examples will inspire you and will present you with all that you have been looking for. Thank you so much for this great opportunity. I am looking forward to watching you grow upon your journey! Have faith! You can do it! Please, feel free to contact me if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns. I would love to hear from you! Find your inspiration!

 

Kevin Martin (Guest Writer)

kevinmartin@mail.com
@kevinmartin1414
kevinmartin1414.blogspot.com
kevinmartin.quora.com

8 Simple Ways To Find Inspiration

By: Paul Schwalbe (Guest Writer)

Every writer, depending on personality and writing style, has his or her own ways of gaining inspiration. As much as I’d like to believe there is one method that will work perfectly for everyone every time, there isn’t. That being said, here is a list of some ways that work for me:

1.      Listen to Music – It doesn’t matter what kind you listen to. Any song can trigger an idea or emotion than can lead to some inspiration. It can come from the lyrics, the tone, or even knowledge of the instruments being played. Personally, I like to build little stories that match what is happening in the music and have been inspired to expand them to full pieces.

      Additional Reading: How to Use Music To Enhance Your Writing

2.      Look at Images – Like the music, it doesn’t matter what kind of image. You can be inspired by what’s happening in a picture or the colors that are used. Even the history behind a painting can provide inspiration. 

3.      Live Life – Don’t lock yourself up in a small room and wait for inspiration to come pouring fourth. Get outdoors, go places, and do stuff! Whether it’s walking in the park or jumping off a cliff, the more things you do in life the more you’ll have to write about.  

4.      Read Anything & Everything – Great writing can inspire you to create a something equally as great. Terrible writing can inspire you to write something better (and also make you feel better about your own writing).

      Additional Reading: 6 Blogs Every Writer Should Read

 

5.      Wander the Web – Get online and wander. If you stay on long enough I can guarantee you will find something you have never seen or heard of before and you just might be inspired by it. Sites like Pinterest, YouTube, and Stumblupon are great for this.

6.      Talk About Your Writing – Bouncing ideas off other writers is a great way to spark new ideas of your own. In some cases bouncing ideas with non-writers is even better as they can provide an entirely new perspective on things. 

7.      Keep Paper and Pen Nearby – Lots of people like to say things like, “you never know when you’ll be hit with inspiration.” If you don’t write it down you won’t remember what it was that hit you. If you have an idea, write it down as soon a possible. Once it’s written you can always look back on it to be reminded and re-inspired. I have written ideas across my arms before because I had no paper handy.

8.      Always Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open – This is more a piece of advice than a method but you never know what may set off an idea for a piece. It could be the woman on the cell phone behind you in a checkout line or the guy with the funny laugh on the train. It could even be a billboard you see on the road. Just keep in mind that inspiration can come from anywhere and be ready when it does.  

Great Tips For New Writers

          By Gabriel Cortez-Jerome

          I am only a creative writer, but I believe that my philosophy about writing can help any writer who is struggling to produce work that can hold up to the high standards of a writer’s ego.

            Curiosity is an important motivator for any writer. All writers need mystery, because writers often relish in making known, what was previously unknown. The art of written literature is like education solidified. Because of this, all writing is in part showing off. The art is in the words themselves, for they act as a vessel through which an idea is passed from one mind to the next.The very act of recording a thought, through written ink or otherwise, displays a satisfaction with an idea and how it is expressed.

            In order to write a thought down, a writer must be satisfied with it. The act of writing itself places no responsibility upon the writer, however, when one has the audacity to take up the pen, they must be dignified in how they represent their ideas. Whether bragging, reporting, or convincing, the writer should always bear in mind the audience.

            In order to innovate on old styles and language, writers must think of themselves as pharmaceutical engineers, improving on old formulas to come out with better and better drugs. To do so we must use our minds to segregate every kind of language to the smallest morpheme. A writer should be familiar with which words to use in each invented scenario. In doing this, we writers push our successors to squeeze their works into smaller niches of the market’s spectrum. In doing so, we hope to make them more creative in order to pay our dues to the evolution of writing.

            To be a good chemist, you must easily segregate the world into easily organized pieces. Those pieces are painted by our collected experiences. It is my personal belief that the sentimental is how we blur together the smallest pixels by focusing on the larger picture. To give something nostalgic value, we must find something that in some (hopefully more obscure) way reflects a valuable idea. To recreate pictures from memories, a writer weaves together sentimental symbols, using them as a more closely revered language of symbols that we use to identify ourselves as unique.

            Every writer must recreate our unique experiences by understanding deeper truths that are universal to many readers as well. Because writing is most importantly a vessel for communication, it is important to remember that a true writer should at least try to write for others. To do this, we must use common symbols to allow the reader to experience the same beauty felt by the writer. Remember that the writer wants a reader to share his/her vision through wordplay. Also remember that most residents of the planet Earth need money to sustain themselves and so passion must not be the only motivator to the writers time allotted to writing and to his/her subject matter. The earlier idea of coming up with new creative ideas with universal themes is essential to getting noticed. To a writer, a word is like the feather of a peacock.

            Diligence is an element not to be overlooked. I like to finish old works over long spans of time like complex puzzles to be slowly deciphered. By always keeping a notepad on hand, a writer is continuously giving him/herself opportunities to record creativity. I constantly find myself losing valuable thoughts to the wind because I carelessly thought that I could juggle more than three at once. Setting deadlines on your calendar, alarms, signing up for blogs, we writers are forced to give ourselves material to work with. The more material we collect, the easier our writing puzzles are to complete.

            Don’t fear specificity! People like to hear personal details. People like it when themes are implied by obscure aspects of a universal signifier. Many writers fail to set up their own context and instead state what they mean too explicitly, making it uncomfortable to read. This is a very heavy-handed approach and is on the wrong side of subtlety. To imply your point, try to draw a picture with subtle signifiers. This is what they mean by the popular phrase “show don’t tell”.

            Inform your lyrical lexicon of literary references by indulging in interesting conversation, outings and experiences. Surround yourself with a variety of people to keep the material fresh. If one of your memories is naturally more interesting to others, it is easier to make it into a masterful story than if the memory were less interesting. In the same way, your writing will always improve the more you experiment with different styles of writing.

            No matter the style, writing is the same as acting. Every exercise to increase your writing ability is a matter of sculpting your mind to be worth paying attention to. With every voice you use, you must master the character you are acting out. Learn all of their idiosyncrasies, this is easiest when the voice you are using is your own because you know your own opinions. The voice is interesting but the opinions they express are the real reason people are reading.