Bryn Donovan gives great prompts on how to start writing when you hit writers’ block.
If you like these writing prompts, you might want to pin or bookmark them for future reference. Take a look!
“The more I write full time, the more I learn about how to get started and when to stop: knowledge that makes me more efficient in a job that often is not.” (Deborah Lee Luskin)
STARTING
Start by writing a rough draft: rough– as in scrawled in a notebook or typed without consideration for spelling, syntax or grammar. Usually, doing this shakes the ideas loose in no particular order. Often, the order becomes apparent before I’ve finished turning out all the pieces, so I number the sentences but keep pushing on to what may be the end. Or not.
WAITING
Ideally, I then wait…if I’ve left myself enough time before a post has to go up or before a deadline arrives. When I can, I let the rough draft mature overnight and return to it the next day. I’m a strong believer in the process of fermentation for both writing and wine, and often while I kick back with a glass, my subconscious continues to work.
When I return to the draft the next day, I’m always surprised by what I find: sometimes it’s a welcome surprise, more often, it’s a set of notes with a workable idea buried in it, and I have to dig to find it, typically by writing another draft. And another.
STOPPING
The telltale signs of needing to stop are attention to email, wandering over to Facebook, staring out the window, or eating lunch one-two hours early.
How do you start a piece? And how do you know that staring at your computer any longer won’t help, so it’s better to stop?
Source: Live to Write, Write to Live
Starting.
The more I write full time, the more I learn about how to get started and when to stop, knowledge that makes me more efficient in a job that often is not.
I’m learning to start by writing a rough draft: Rough as in scrawled in a notebook or typed without consideration for spelling, syntax or grammar. Usually, doing this shakes the ideas loose in no particular order. Often, the order becomes apparent before I’ve finished turning out all the pieces, so I number the sentences but keep pushing on to what may be the end. Or not.
Ideally, I then wait. That is, if I’ve left myself enough time before a post has to go up or before a deadline arrives. When I can, I let the rough draft mature overnight and return to it the next day. I’m a strong believer in the process of fermentation
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Whether you’re a blogger, student, or aspiring author, learning to improve your writing is a skill that can be used for years to come. With a little practice, research, and creative choice, you’ll be on the right track. Dana Fox shares great tips for becoming a better writer:
Read more details on each point at How To Improve Your Writing Skills
What is a logline? It’s a summarization of your story in three sentences. Can you do it? A few months ago, one of SWG’s speakers spoke about creating your logline…the backbone of facts from which you can then create the body of your work. A logline is the essence of your story.
The logline (a term that is typically used when talking about movies and scripts) must answer:
The logline created at the beginning of your work gives you a place from which to start.
This guest post by Wendy Thomas gives some great tips on developing your logline and why you should know it at the beginning of your work. Read more:
at Your story’s logline and roadmap — Live to Write – Write to Live
Writing short stories will give you fresh insights and help hone your writing skills. It will also help to tighten those words and thoughts into a publishable collection. You can create an anthology of your own, or others’short stories! Pick a genre, create a theme, and get started. What’s stopping you?
This article has some great tips for how to get started….
A collection of short stories can quickly build into a book. One excellent example of this development method combined the author’s love for canine companions with her knowledge of training police and military working dogs. Violetta Kovacs collected multiple short stories about various K9s who exemplify excellence in the daring and often deadly “jobs” they carry out. Then, she published her book: K9 COMMANDO, Police and Army Dogs from New York to Berlin. Read more...
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