Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

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“I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Ah, words of wisdom.

I was assigned Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg for a creative writing course in college. We were supposed to read a chapter or two a week, but I had a hard time putting it down and ended up inhaling the entire volume in a couple of days. It’s one of the best writing resources on the market, but what’s great about this book is that it’s a blast to read.

Goldberg, who has penned a number of books about writing, including several well-known writing resources, mastered the mechanics of writing in college. It was later that she discovered how to tap into her creativity and write more artfully. Four years after that discovery, she began teaching writing workshops and has since become a widely adored master of the craft.

Priceless Writing Resources

“This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Writing Down the Bones is a good place for young or new writers to start. The first chapter discusses pen and paper and how to select appropriate materials, supplies, and other writing resources.

Yet the book is also ideal for seasoned writers who are ready to get serious about the craft. That’s where I was with my writing when I was introduced to this book, and it made me realize that writing could be more than just a way to pass the time when I was feeling inspired.

Natalie Goldberg will teach you how to freewrite (she calls this the timed exercise), how to make writing a daily practice, and she’ll give you countless ways to explore your writing on a deeper and more creative level. From setting up your own writing space to finding topics to write about and unlimited sources of inspiration, she crams in enough ideas to keep you busily writing for years to come.

“Natalie’s experience in Zen meditation, which is essentially a subtractive process, has provided her insights.” — Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

You can read this book from cover to cover, or you can read a chapter or two whenever you have time. You can open it to a random page. However you read Writing Down the Bones, you’ll get some good gems of writerly insight and inspiration.

With over seventy chapters, each just a couple of pages long, this text is a quick and easy read. At the same time, it’s packed with ideas, information, inspiration, exercises, and writing tips that will get you writing and keep you on task.

Writing Down the Bones is one of my favorite writing books, and the first one that I recommend to anyone who loves to write and everyone who shows the slightest interest in writing.

Have you read Writing Down the Bones? What did you think of it? Are there any other books or writing resources for creative writers that you would recommend?

Get creative with these story starters.

Are you a storyteller? Do you want to be a storyteller?

If you’re interested in writing flash fiction, short stories, or novels, then you’re going to need lots of ideas, especially if you want to write professionally.

Some of us have too many ideas; others don’t have enough ideas. Maybe we have a solid idea for a story, but something’s missing. We need to spice it up by adding subplots or characters. Maybe the setting or story world isn’t rich enough. Perhaps your story lacks theme.

Story starters are a great way to get ideas for writing stories, but they can also be used to generate ideas for improving stories that are already in the works.

Story Starters

Today, I’d like to share twenty-five story starters. You can use these story starters to inspire a new story or to breathe new life into a story you’re already working on. Use them to write whatever you want — flash fiction, short stories, or a novel.

1. We all know about conspiracy theorists. They believe the moon landing was a farce. Come up with a new conspiracy that theorists rally around. The public thinks they’re crazy, but are they?
2. The world is run by politicians, but sometimes, ordinary people get caught up in political drama and intrigue. What happens when a bike messenger, a restaurant server, and a daycare teacher get unwillingly drawn into the affairs of state?
3. Technology has developed at a splitting speed over the past century. Before we know it, every house will be equipped with a robot and a virtual reality system. But what happens when a couple of kids venture into the wrong area of the virtual reality and get stuck there?
4. Witnesses to crimes can find themselves in grave danger, which is why there are protection programs for such persons. But what if the witness decided to join forces with the prime suspect? What does the witness get in exchange for false testimony that acquits a terrible criminal?
5. Take a look at the world we live in. In some places, life is pretty good. But in other places, life is difficult for most people, especially where there’s a lot of inequality, poverty, and oppression. What if an oppressive culture used war or the media to spread itself around the globe? What would that look like, and would we ever overcome it?
6. After a family moves into a new house, one of the kids looks for a hiding place to stash some secret belongings and discovers a panel at the back of a closet. Assuming it leads to the attic, the kid removes the panel only to find a window that looks into a world populated with magic and monsters.
7. Two politicians are in a heated race to win a critical election (governor, president, etc.) and through negative campaigning have become arch enemies. But their kids go to the same college and have fallen in love. What happens when the relationship is revealed in the media?
8. All the evidence in a brutal, premeditated murder points to one primary suspect, including footage from security cameras. The problem is that there’s no motive, and the alleged killer insists on his or her innocence. Who committed this heinous crime?
9. While working on a more fuel-efficient space shuttle that will transport tourists to and from the moon, one engineer stumbles into a way to make faster-than-light (FTL) engines a reality.
10. A stranger comes to a small town that hasn’t seen a new resident since the town’s youngest child was born sixteen years ago. The stranger rarely leaves his or her formerly abandoned home except to buy groceries and strange supplies from the local home improvement store, and the townspeople think something’s not right.
11. Step back in time hundreds — or perhaps thousands — of years. The leader of a small tribe is butting heads with the tribe’s healer. Meanwhile, a powerful neighboring tribe is infiltrating their territory.
12. Inspired by Jurassic Park, a biological engineer is committed to recreating dinosaurs. While researching ancient dinosaurs, the scientist stumbles into evidence that fire-breathing dragons once soared over the land and decides to recreate those instead.
13. While representing an accused killer, the attorney falls in love with the client, partially because he or she believes the accused is innocent.
14. Teenagers love to rebel and experiment. But what happens when one teenager’s antics end up on video and go viral? Bullying and humiliation ensue.
15. After working hard for decades, the main character has finally managed to retire and purchase a condo on a small, tropical island, where he or she intends to write a novel. But strange things start happening — things go missing, there are creepy noises, and our character feels like he or she is constantly being watched.
16. For centuries, humans have wondered if we are alone in the universe. The answer finally comes when aliens arrive. But it’s a time when tensions are high between the nations of Earth. Will humanity unite, or will some nations form an alliance with the aliens?
17. A young couple believes their fairy tale has finally come true and they will live happily ever after. They are recently married, have good jobs, just bought a home, and there’s a baby on the way. But the fairy tale seems to unravel as secrets and lies begin to surface.
18. When a foreign operative embedded in the CIA disappears with loads of government secrets, all hell breaks loose. But is this operative truly a foreign spy, or is it a citizen intent on blowing the cover off of government corruption?
19. A mid-sized tourist plane crashes on a remote deserted island, killing all but a handful of survivors. Rescue is on the way until a devastating storm arises, barring access to the island. Now these urbanites must learn to live off the land and with each other.
20. After serving a ten-year sentence for a heinous crime she didn’t commit, a former college student gets a new identity and becomes a private investigator intent on exonerating herself.
21. A group of teenagers spends a summer day on a scavenger hunt in the woods just outside of town. When they reconvene to name the winner of the hunt, one of them doesn’t show up and cannot be found.
22. When a kid finds out both parents are out of work and the family might have to move in with the grandparents, he or she decides to solve the problem by starting the modern version of a lemonade stand — an online enterprise.
23. One couple’s nasty divorce leaves their two young children in the custody of their grandparents. Will the couple put aside their differences to get their children back?
24. Dreams come true when a foster child is finally adopted. But the child’s new family is filled with secrets, and he or she begins to suspect that it wasn’t a chance adoption after all.
25. The main character receives a strange inheritance from an unknown deceased relative: a key ring with no keys on it. Unusual events occur whenever the key ring is present.

Have you ever used story starters or writing prompts? Where do you find inspiration for writing fiction? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment, and keep writing.

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: “Potter Wars.”

101 Creative Writing Exercises is a book on the craft of writing that is jam-packed with fun and practical writing exercises.

You’ll learn useful writing techniques while gathering ideas and inspiration for all your creative writing projects.

You’ll experiment with fiction, poetry, freewriting, journaling, memoir, and article writing.

Today, I’d like to share an exercise from “Chapter 5: Fiction.” This creative writing exercise is titled “Potter Wars.” Enjoy!

Potter Wars

A lot of artists struggle with the desire to write original material. Of course we all want to be original, but is that even possible?

Some say there are no new stories, just remixed and rehashed versions of stories we’re all familiar with. When we say a piece of writing is original, a close examination will reveal that it has roots in creative works that preceded it.

Most of us writers have had ideas that we shunned because we thought they were too similar to other stories. But just because your story idea is similar to another story, perhaps a famous one, should you give up on it?

Look at this way: everything already exists. The ideas, plots, and characters—they’re already out there in someone else’s story. Originality isn’t a matter of coming up with something new, it’s a matter of using your imagination to take old concepts and put them together in new ways.

To test this theory, see if you can guess the following famous story:

A young orphan who is being raised by his aunt and uncle receives a mysterious message from a stranger. This leads him on a series of great adventures. Early on, he receives training to learn superhuman skills. Along the way, he befriends loyal helpers, specifically a guy and a gal who end up falling for each other. Our hero is also helped by a number of non-human creatures. His adventures lead him to a dark and evil villain who is terrorizing everyone and everything that our hero knows and loves.

If you guessed that this synopsis outlines Harry Potter, then you guessed right. But if you guessed that it was Star Wars, you’re also right.

This shows how two stories that are extremely different from one another can share many similarities, including basic plot structure and character relationships, and it proves that writing ideas will manifest in different ways when executed by different writers.

If it’s true that originality is nothing more than putting together old concepts in new ways, then instead of giving up on a project that you think has been done before, you should simply try to make it your own by giving it a new twist.

The Exercise

Use the synopsis above to write your own short story. However, do not write a space opera or a tale about wizards.

Tips: One of the key differences between Star Wars and Harry Potter is the setting. One is set in a galaxy far, far away; the other in a magical school for wizards. One is science fiction; the other is fantasy. Start by choosing a completely different genre and setting and you’ll be off to a good start. For example, you could write a western or a romance.

Variations: Instead of writing a short story, write a detailed outline for a novel or novella.

Applications: This exercise is designed to demonstrate the following:

• It’s not unusual for two writers to come up with similar ideas.
• A vague premise or concept will be executed differently by different writers.

Instead of worrying about original characters and plots, focus on combining well-known elements in new ways.

Action and dialogue in storytelling.

Today’s post is an excerpt from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, chapter seven: “Action and Dialogue.” Enjoy!

Action and dialogue are the wheels that carry a story forward. The easiest way to imagine action and dialogue in written narrative is to think of a movie. When characters onscreen do things, that’s action. When they talk, that’s dialogue. Most of a story’s momentum is contained in action and dialogue.

You may have heard the old writing adage, “show, don’t tell.” It’s one of those sayings that becomes blatantly obvious once you get it. Readers want to see what’s happening. Characters walk and talk. They kick and punch and scratch. They cry and laugh, run and hide. They do things and say things. That’s how story happens: through action and dialogue.

Action

Action can be contained within a single word: chase. It can be an entire scene that shows a character being chased down streets, through buildings, and then trapped in a corner. It can be threaded through dialogue as characters are talking to one another while they are being chased.

But action isn’t always high octane. Action is an effective way to add realism to a story, such as when characters eat and drink while having a conversation. This type of action is most effective when it’s carefully crafted to move the story forward in the best way possible.

Everything that characters do, from guzzling a beer to engaging in an epic battle, is action. Consider a scene where two characters are eating at a restaurant, having a conversation that is vital to the story. As they chat, they check out the other diners, look at their food, taste their food, and have a drink. All these actions can be used to take us deeper into the characters and the story. Is one character checking out the other diners, looking for someone they know? Are they worried they’re being followed? Does a character eye the food with disgust or hunger? What food do they order? Are they drinking water or wine? Juice or beer? These choices will give the readers insight into the characters’ personalities.

Action often intensifies as the story approaches the climax. The stakes get higher, things speed up. There are fewer casual chats in restaurants. Instead, there are heated arguments and fights, and all emotions are ratcheted up several notches. All of this is depicted through action that moves a little faster and is explained in language that adequately conveys not only what is happening but also how it’s happening, and perhaps most importantly, how it feels.

Dialogue

Excellent dialogue can send a story soaring to new heights. Dialogue is an expression of the characters that reveals their personalities. Because character is where readers forge emotional connections with stories, well-crafted dialogue can deepen a reader’s involvement with the characters, and by extension, the story.

Consider the following famous lines of dialogue from films and you’ll begin to understand the power of dialogue:

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” (Star Wars, 1977)

“Go ahead, make my day.” (Sudden Impact, 1983)

“I’ll have what she’s having.” (When Harry Met Sally, 1989)

Even if you haven’t seen any of these movies, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with these quotes. When characters make witty quips and snazzy one-liners, they pop off the page and make the character and the moment memorable, sometimes to the point that a line of dialogue becomes embedded in our culture.

Dialogue can also boost characterization by making characters distinct through the way they talk. Characters from one country will have different expressions and language patterns than characters from another country. These patterns occur at more local levels as well. People from different regions—states, provinces, and cities—will use unique expressions and language patterns. If one character is from Texas and another is from California, they’re going to speak differently from each other. Ensuring that these differences come though in a story’s dialogue strengthens its realism.

But such patterns are also observable at the individual level. Maybe all your friends use the same language and speech patterns. But you probably know a few people who have distinct ways of speaking. Most of us have certain words that we often use or particular ways of stringing words together that differ slightly from our friends and family. Maybe you know someone who says dude a lot or who pauses at unusual intervals. Dialogue that is styled in a way that is unique to each character can lend realism to the characters, and the more realistic the characters are, the more likely it is that audiences will attach to them.

Action and Dialogue Working Together

Action and dialogue serve a story best when they work together and are interspersed in a smooth way. Characters do things while they talk. They eat, they pace, they make faces and gestures, they use body language. And characters talk while they do things. They chat while eating, working, and traveling.

Although some stories are successful with long sequences of dialogue that don’t include much action, scenes tend to come alive better in readers’ minds when chatter is interspersed with action. But as with all elements of storytelling, both the action and the dialogue should be necessary to the story and should move it forward in meaningful ways.

Want to learn more about writing action and dialogue? Pick up a copy of What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing.

Denotation and connotation for poets.

Most people go through life using language haphazardly. That’s how we get words like irregardless, which has the exact same meaning as regardless.

But writers, and especially poets, don’t have the luxury of throwing words around indiscriminately. Clear and compelling prose and verse demand that we pay due diligence to the words we choose. We look for the most precise and accurate words available to express any given idea.

Words have two basic meanings: denotation and connotation. Let’s find out the difference between the two and look at how we, as writers, can use denotation and connotation to strengthen our prose and verse.

Denotation

Denotation is the literal meaning of a word, the dictionary definition.

The word mom means a female parent. The word mother also means a female parent. These two words share the same definition (and therefore the same denotation), but as we’ll soon see, they can have very different connotations.

Connotation

Language evolves over time through common usage, and words acquire cultural and emotional overtones. Connotation is the implied meaning of a word, which goes beyond its dictionary definition.

Connotation could also be thought of as the flavor of a word. Mom and mother both have the same dictionary definition, but these words have different flavors once we put them into context. Consider the following sentences:

Mom, can I audition for the school play?

Mother, may I audition for the school play?

The word Mom has an intimate and casual connotation whereas Mother carries a more formal overtone. These words have the same meaning but the subtext is different. This is due, in part, to context. Mother may sound formal in the example sentence above, but there may be contexts in which that is not the case:

She’s a loving and devoted mother.

As we can see, a word might express different connotations in different contexts.

Using Denotation and Connotation in Poetry Writing

In poetry writing, denotation and connotation are critical considerations. A key component of poetry is word choice — the language we use to express thoughts, ideas, and images. Denotation and connotation allow us to choose words that give our poetry greater depth and deeper meaning.

Some words have multiple definitions. Most writers will default to the simplest word and most common definition. If they want to show a detective chasing a suspect through a forest, they might say the detective sprinted through the trees. But a poet will look for a word that can be used more fully: the detective darted through the trees.

The word sprint works because it means “to run fast,” but the word dart deepens the meaning because it denotes running fast, a spear-like weapon, and a small projectile that is shot at a target. All of these definitions underscore what is happening when a detective is chasing a suspect.

Although these literary devices aren’t exclusive to poetry (they are found in all forms of writing), poets tend to make the best use of denotation and connotation because the craft of poetry emphasizes language and word choice. Poets spend an inordinate amount of time laboring over word choices, searching for language that perfectly expresses whatever they want to say.

Writers outside the realm of poetry can learn a lot from poetic devices like denotation and connotation, using these tools and techniques to enrich their own work, whether they write fiction, creative nonfiction, or anything else.

Are you a poet? Do you ever pause to carefully consider your word choices? Have you ever applied the concepts of denotation or connotation to your writing? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

How to remember the difference between homophones hear and here.

When I see professional signs or business documents with words spelled incorrectly, it’s like someone’s dragging nails down a chalkboard, which is not a sound I want to hear.

But I try not to get too riled up. I know that spelling isn’t easy for everyone. However, I do believe that with a little effort, anyone can learn the proper spelling of a word.

I also realize that homophones present a special challenge, because when two words sound exactly alike but are spelled differently, we have to work a little harder to remember which spelling goes with which definition.

Homophones

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but have different spellings and different meanings. These confusing words have instigated many headaches among writers, editors, and readers as well as the general population.

Some homophones are easier to master than others. Luckily, today, one of our homophones has an easy, built-in way to remember what it means and how it’s spelled.

Hear Here!

The words hear and here have similar spellings and are pronounced exactly the same, but they have very different meanings. According to dictionary.com, here are the basic definitions of these homophones:

Hear (verb) – to perceive by the ear. I hear music.

Here (adverb) – in this place; in this spot or locality (as opposed to there). You are there and I am here.

Once you know what these words mean, all you have to do is find a way to remember when to use them properly in context. To do that, focus on the word hear. Take a close look at it and you’ll see that hear is simply the word ear with the letter h in front of it. And since you hear with your ear(s), it shouldn’t be difficult to remember that when you’re using the word hear in reference to listening or taking in sounds, you should use the spelling that has the word ear embedded in it.

Past Tense of Hear

The word “hear” is a bonus homophone because its past tense, “heard,” is also a homophone in its own right. Don’t confuse heard (as in I heard that song yesterday) with herd (as in Did you see that herd of buffalo?). Again, just remember that if it’s related to listening, it should have the word ear within its spelling.

Mastering Homophones

To learn more about homophones and other word groups with similar pronunciations and confusing spellings, read Homophones, Homonyms, and Homographs.

Do you have any tricks you use to remember the difference between hear and here? Are there any other homophones that give you trouble? Share your tips and questions by leaving a comment.

Reflective journaling cultivates personal awareness.

A journal is a chronological log, and you can use a journal to log anything you want. Many professionals keep journals, including scientists and ship captains. Their journals are strictly for tracking their professional progress. Fitness enthusiasts keep diet and exercise journals. Artists use journals to chronicle their artistic expressions.

A writer’s journal can hold many things: thoughts, ideas, stories, poems, and notes. It can hold dreams and doodles, visions and meditations. Anything that pertains to your creative writing ideas and aspirations can find a home inside your journal.

Today let’s explore an intimate style of journaling, one in which we explore our innermost thoughts: reflective journaling.

Creative Writing Gets Personal

A diary is an account of one’s daily activities and experiences, and it’s one of the most popular types of journals.

A reflective journal is similar to a diary in that we document our experiences. However, reflective journaling goes deeper than diary writing; we use it to gain deeper understanding of our experiences rather than simply document them.

Reflective journaling is a form of creative writing that allows us to practice self-reflection, self-exploration, and self-improvement. Through reflective journaling, we gain greater understanding of ourselves through mindful observation, contemplation, and expression. As a result, we become more self-aware.

Reflective Journaling

We all have stories to tell. With reflective journaling, you write about your own life, but you’re not locked into daily chronicles that outline your activities or what you had for dinner. You might write about something that happened when you were a small child. You might even write about something that happened to someone else — something you witnessed or have thoughts about that you’d like to explore. Instead of recounting events, you might write exclusively about your inner experiences (thoughts and feelings). Reflective journaling often reveals tests we have endured and lessons we have learned.

The Art of Recalibration is a perfect example of reflective journaling in which stories about our lives are interwoven with our ideas about life itself.

Reflective journaling has other practical applications, too. Other forms of creative writing, such as poems and stories, can evolve from reflective journaling. And by striving to better understand ourselves, we may gain greater insight to others, which is highly valuable for fiction writers who need to create complex and realistic characters. The more deeply you understand people and the human condition, the more relatable your characters will be.

Do You Keep a Journal?

I guess I’m a journal slob because my journal has a little bit of everything in it: drawings, personal stories, rants, and reflections. It’s mostly full of free-writes and poetry. I realize that a lot of writers don’t bother with journals at all; they want to focus on the work they intend to publish. But I think journaling is healthy and contributes to a writer’s overall, ongoing growth.

I once read a comment on a blog by a writer who said she didn’t keep a journal because she couldn’t be bothered with writing down the events of each day; I found it curious that she had such a limited view of what a journal could hold. A journal doesn’t have to be any one thing. It can be a diary, but it can also be a place where we write down our ideas, plans, and observations. It can hold thoughts and feelings, but it can also be a place where we doodle and sketch stories and poems.

I’m curious about your journal. Do you keep one? What do you write in it? Is your journal private or public? Is it a spiral-bound notebook or a hardcover sketchbook? Does journaling inspire or inform your other creative writing projects? Have you ever tried reflective journaling? Tell us about your experiences by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

Tips for Editing Your Own Work.

The human mind is a funny thing; it likes to play tricks on us.

For example, when we proofread and edit our own writing, we tend to read it as we think it should be, which means we misread our own typos and other spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes as well as problems with word choice and sentence structure, context, and overall readability.

If you have a friend or family member who has good grammar skills, maybe they can help you by proofreading and editing your work before you send it out or publish it.

For special submissions and publications, hiring a professional proofreader or editor is the best way to make sure your writing is free of errors.

But for most of us, it’s not likely that anyone’s going to proofread and edit every single piece of writing that we create. That’s especially true for writers who put out a lot of material — like bloggers. Proofreading and editing services can get expensive, and friends and family probably don’t want to spend all their free time checking your work. Sometimes the only option available is to do it yourself.

Do-It-Yourself Editing Tips

Here are twenty-one do-it-yourself editing tips that you can put into practice for polishing your own writing:

1. Proofread and edit every single piece of writing before it is seen by another set of eyes. No exceptions. Even if you hire a professional editor or proofreader, check your work first.
2. Understand the difference between proofreading and editing. Edit first by making revisions to the content and syntax. Then proofread to check for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
3. Use the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word when you edit. This feature saves your edits. You can then review the changes you’ve made and approve or reject them.
4. Step away from a piece of writing before you proofread it. The longer the piece, the longer you should wait to proofread it. Let a novel sit for a few weeks. Let a blog post sit overnight.
5. Before proofreading and editing, run the spelling and grammar checker. Then run it again after you’re done polishing to check for any lingering typos. However, don’t count on software for spelling and grammar. Use it as a fail-safe.
6. Read your work aloud. Pronounce each word slowly and clearly as you read and check for mistakes.
7. Proofreading should never be a rush job. Do it s l o w l y.
8. Don’t review your work once and then send it out into the world. I recommend editing until the piece reads smoothly and then proofreading it at least three more times.
9. At the very least, proofread until you don’t catch any more errors.
10. Read the piece backward so you can see each word separately and out of context.
11. Look up the spelling of proper nouns (names) as well as scientific and technical terms that you’re not familiar with to make sure you’re spelling them correctly.
12. Don’t make any assumptions. If you’re not sure about something, look it up so you can fix a mistake (if there is one) and learn the correct way.
13. Don’t forget to proofread titles, headlines, and footnotes.
14. Pay attention to the mistakes you’ve made in your writing. You’ll find that you tend to make the same ones repeatedly. Keep track of these and work on avoiding them during the initial writing process in the future.
15. Choose one of the many style guides and stick with it. This will make your work more consistent, and you’ll have a trusty resource to use when you have questions about style and formatting.
16. Start building a collection of grammar books and writing resources so when you do run into questions (and you will), you have access to reliable and credible answers.
17. If you intentionally let grammatical mistakes slip through, do so by choice and make sure you have a good reason. It’s okay to break the rules if you know why you’re breaking them.
18. Pay attention to formatting. Use the same formatting on all paragraphs and headings for a professional level of consistency. Learn how to use these features in your word processing software (in MS Word, this feature is called Styles).
19. Proofread when you’re fresh and wide awake. Proofreading doesn’t go over well when you’re tired or distracted.
20. Proofreading and editing can be tedious, so break up your revision sessions by doing other tasks that help you clear your mind: exercise, play with the pets or kids, go for a short walk, or listen to some music. Try to avoid reading or writing during these breaks.
21. Make it your business to develop good grammar skills. Read up on grammar or subscribe to a blog that publishes grammar posts (like this one) to stay up to date on proper grammar.

Some people love the proofreading and editing process. Others despise it. If you’re into grammar, the mechanics of writing, and polishing your work, then proofreading and editing will be easier and more enjoyable for you. If not, just look at it as part of your job — something that goes along with being a writer.

And once you’re done proofreading and editing, make sure you get back to your writing.

Got any proofreading and editing tips to share? Leave a comment!

Don’t put it off any longer: write now.

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper.” – E. B. White

What are your ideal writing conditions? Is it quiet, or are there stimulating background noises? Are you alone, curled up in a chair with a pen and a notebook, or are you in a bustling café, gleaning inspiration from fellow patrons and a tasty meal or cup of coffee? Are you already rich and successful with all the time in the world to dedicate to your craft, or are you a starving artist, hungry to get that first publication credit, desperate to complete that first novel?

Inadequate conditions are one of the many excuses that would-be writers use to explain why they’re not getting any work done. Their schedules are too full, their bank accounts too empty. They’re too tired or not inspired. They haven’t found the perfect story idea. They don’t have a comfortable chair, or there’s too much noise — too many distractions.

Every excuse — every reason not to write — is just that: an excuse. Writing is the cheapest and most accessible craft in the world. All you need to get started is a pen and a notebook. If you have a fancy computer and state-of-the-art software, all the better, but owning these tools is not essential. Anyone can rent computer time in a local library, usually for free (Ray Bradbury rented typewriters when he first started his writing career).

Ideal conditions may happen someday. Your personal responsibilities will dwindle. You’ll have a spare room you can convert into your own personal writing studio. You’ll have spare cash you can spend on supplies, equipment, and weekly trips to a quaint café. In the meantime, why let all these excuses stop you from doing what you love?

If you really want to write — if you truly want to become an author — you won’t let anything get in your way, least of all, imperfect conditions.

Sources:
Quote: Goodreads

Creative writing prompts for crafting stunning imagery.

Today I’d like to share a collection of prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, which contains a variety of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing prompts.

Some of the prompts in the book are story starters. Some are word lists. The prompts I’m sharing today are simple but provocative images that are designed to spark a writing session.

In writing, imagery is the key that can unlock a reader’s imagination. When an image is rendered with the right combination of words, it magically appears in the reader’s mind like a photograph or film clip.

Here’s an example:

A woman wearing a black dress is lying on the floor in a disheveled room.

One reader might imagine clothing scattered across a carpet, a broken lamp, and a woman who has been injured lying on the floor, waiting for help. Another reader might picture the aftermath of a party: dirty dishes, empty bottles, and a woman passed out from drinking too much wine. One reader will imagine a wild and beautiful young woman, another will picture an older, more refined woman.

The perfect balance of description and white space provides just enough detail to make the image manifest, but not so much that the reader’s own imagination fails to be engaged. As a writer, it’s your job to know how much detail you need to include in your writing in order to bring out the most important elements of any image.

Creative Writing Prompts

Today’s creative writing prompts deal with creating imagery in writing. Each prompt consists of an item, which functions as the inspiration for a larger image. You’ll need to paint in the final strokes so the image and its emotional implications become clear.

As you work through these creative writing prompts, try asking questions about the prompt you’ve chosen and the image it evokes. Where is it? Who put it there? Why? Ask questions until the image comes into focus. Then use your words to paint the picture you have developed in your mind.

You can use these writing prompts to create an essay, a short story, a poem, or a quick freewrite. You can write a few paragraphs or a few pages. Follow the image wherever it takes you.

• A pair of baby shoes
• A torn photograph
• A broken bottle and a guitar pick
• A “no smoking” sign and a pair of fishnet stockings
• An oxygen tank
• A partially deflated basketball
• A fishing rod
• A circus clown removing his or her makeup
• An empty hospital bed
• The vast emptiness and beauty of space.

Once you’re done, come back and tell us how these creative writing prompts worked for you. And keep writing.