3 Creative Writing Bits Of Wisdom To Inspire You

One of the privileges of being a college instructor is having an office. One of the practices on my campus involves instructors decorating their doors with posters, sayings, etc. I decided to add some creative writing quotes and wisdom on my door. Here are some I culled from my Internet search:

"If I waited till I felt like writing, I'd never write at all." - Anne Tyler

This is so true. Writing is scary - especially when you are in the midst of a dry spell, when nothing you write sounds right, when all you can come up with is crap. But write anyway. Write crap till the magic returns.

"I'm a writer. Anything you say or do may be used in a story."

I love this. I found this unattributed nugget and had to include it. Lesson one for beginning writers is this quote. You use EVERYTHING you encounter in your day-to-day happenings to fuel your writing. I tell my students this story all the time. Two of my daughters were arguing over clothes once. Really frustrating. So...I wrote a scene in my Mall Demons Series where two characters, sisters, are arguing over a blouse. The climactic scene involved one of the sisters being eaten by a demon because of what she did to her sister. 

Lastly (for now),

"Sometimes only paper will listen to you."

Another unattributed saying that empowers any and all who have something to say but feel they have no outlet for their words. Maybe the people in your life won't listen, but your friend, the paper you are writing on, or the screen you are typing on, will listen. And that is a wonderful thing. So...write.

What Is Writing?

Here is something I came across about the art of writing:

Whence did the wond'rous mystic art arise,
Of painting SPEECH and speaking to the eyes?
that we, by tracing magic lines, are taught
How both to the colour and embody THOUGHT?

One Reason Why It's A Good Day

In the middle of cooking dinner... What else?

I have some of the kids reading, some watching a movie. Earlier it was quite the task to get them to clean the entertainment room and the inevitable spillover of toys and books in the living room, dining room, the halls, the bathrooms...sigh!... OK, every square inch of the house.

That all done, I sat on the couch (I mean, reclined) and read. I found a Tennessee Williams quote about his sister that struck me. So, I grabbed my notebook to jot it down and my thoughts on it. The quote made me think of a scene for my characters. Then I fell asleep.

Only for five minutes, because the kids started fighting about whose turn it was on the video game.

The one reason why it was a good day: I was able to find the inspiration to write. Even if you only get a few minutes, write. If you do today or tomorrow or next week, then consider it a good day.

The 1 Writing Book You Must Read

This post is gonna be simple. I just want to direct you to an awesome book for writers. It's "On Writing," by Stephen King.

If you're a new writer, wannabe writer, wishing-to-be a writer, this book is for you. Check it out. If you have any fave parts, let me know.

Obama vs Clinton, You Write The Ending

So... State Of The Union just happened. Then I read a Washington Post article saying Hillary Clinton has the lead among Democratic candidates for 2016. Hmmm. So, I wonder...

If someone wrote a flash fiction story pitting Obama (now, not eight years ago) in any kind of situation against Hillary Clinton, what would that look like?

Could be interesting... Just thinking aloud, or, online.

Check Out This Cool Writing Prompts App

Writers are always looking for prompts. Am I right?

Well, here's an app I was turned onto recently while attending a seminar on how to incorporate iPads in the classroom. It's called "Prompts - For Writers."

And it's free - for now.

Check it out. I've started using it in my writing classes. When I first walk into class, I pull up a prompt from the app and show it to the class on the projector screen. I give them five minutes to write. While they are doing that, I get everything else ready for the rest of class. 

So... go to your App Store and give it a try!

New Year, New Look

A new year is in full swing. Over the last several months I have moved across the country and taken on new responsibilities.

During this time of transition, I have neglected this blog. But, I believe I'm at the point I can revamp it. Bear with me as I try out different looks. I will be back up and running daily soon.

I have a few projects in the works and am excited to share them with everyone. They will include more visuals - including videos.