The word of the week is "amazement."
I've been thinking of amazement for a couple of reasons. First, I pondered it as I watched the awe with which Baby M approaches life. She finds limitless wonder in everything around her. A blade of grass is as marvelous to her as a tulip in full bloom. A wasp is as fascinating as a box full of baby chicks. Her new discoveries excite her so much, she wants to share them all with whoever happens to be near her.
Second, I realized last night how quickly life can be snuffed out. I'd been pondering the topic of amazement for a couple of days. When I heard of the death of a family friend last night--she was only in her forties--I realized again that death can visit anyone at any time and invite them to take the journey to the other side. If death can come at a moment's notice, we have all the more reason to live every moment of life with a spirit of amazement.
It's a life lesson. I'm posting it here because it's also a writing lesson. How often does our writing become stale because our perceptions become stale? Does your writing carry with it a sense of awe at new discoveries, or is it, "Just the facts, Ma'am"?
So, this post is accompanied by a challenge. Try, just for this week, to view everything around you through the eyes of a toddler. Imagine how it looks to someone seeing it for the first time. Experience the amazement. I'll do it too.
Let's see if we can imbue our writing with a sense of amazement.
Showing posts with label Writing Exercises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing Exercises. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, December 07, 2009
On the Premises #2
Here's a mini-contest from On the Premises. I'm thinking about taking a stab at it...what about you?
--- MINI-CONTEST #10 ---
STICKY NOTE
The goal of mini-contest #10 is to imply/evoke a complete
story with just a short note written by someone, to someone.
Make sure the note specifies whom it is addressed to, and who
signed it. (You don't have to use the word "signed.") Make the
note no more than 30 words long. With only 30 words to work
with, you'll have to make a lot of decisions!
Here's a dull example to clarify what we want entries to look like.
Sarah:
I bought milk.
Dan.
Remember, use no more than 30 words, and that includes the name(s) of the note's intended
recipient(s) and the name(s) of whoever's signing it. (So the example above is five words
long, not three!)
WORD COUNTS: Except when spelling out numbers, hyphens count as spaces.
"Half-baked" counts as two words, but "twenty-seven" counts as one
word because it could be rewritten as "27."
Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern time, Thursday, December 31, 2009.
Prizes: $15 for 1st, $10 for 2nd, $5 for 3rd, publication but no money for honorable
mentions.
Send entries to Entries@OnThePremises.com and put MINI-CONTEST
in the subject heading, please. One entry per author.
Finally, remember to put your contact information in the body of your e-mail and attach
your mini-contest entry as a .doc, .rtf, or .txt file. (No .wps files! We can't read
them.)
--- MINI-CONTEST #10 ---
STICKY NOTE
The goal of mini-contest #10 is to imply/evoke a complete
story with just a short note written by someone, to someone.
Make sure the note specifies whom it is addressed to, and who
signed it. (You don't have to use the word "signed.") Make the
note no more than 30 words long. With only 30 words to work
with, you'll have to make a lot of decisions!
Here's a dull example to clarify what we want entries to look like.
Sarah:
I bought milk.
Dan.
Remember, use no more than 30 words, and that includes the name(s) of the note's intended
recipient(s) and the name(s) of whoever's signing it. (So the example above is five words
long, not three!)
WORD COUNTS: Except when spelling out numbers, hyphens count as spaces.
"Half-baked" counts as two words, but "twenty-seven" counts as one
word because it could be rewritten as "27."
Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern time, Thursday, December 31, 2009.
Prizes: $15 for 1st, $10 for 2nd, $5 for 3rd, publication but no money for honorable
mentions.
Send entries to Entries@OnThePremises.com and put MINI-CONTEST
in the subject heading, please. One entry per author.
Finally, remember to put your contact information in the body of your e-mail and attach
your mini-contest entry as a .doc, .rtf, or .txt file. (No .wps files! We can't read
them.)
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
More on Modeling to Learn Creative Writing Styles
Another view on modeling, by expert Angela Booth.
Freelance Writing For Absolute Beginners, Part Two-Modeling To Write
By Angela Booth
If you're a writer, and even if you've yet to sell a word, you know you're a writer. Many writers know who they are from a young age, as soon as they realize that someone writes the stories they love to read. With other writers, the love of writing, and the knowledge that they're a writer, sneaks up on them.
So here you are, a newly minted freelance writer, and of course you write, but now you want to sell your writing. As we discussed in Part One of the this article, the fundamental of freelance writing is that people make money from your words. For those people to make money from your words, the words you hope to sell must be in a certain form - a novel, a screenplay, a white paper, a Yellow Pages advertisement, a Web site - your buyers buy a bunch of words in some form or other.
The Key To Form: Audience And Response
The key to any form, is AUDIENCE and RESPONSE. As with most of the fundamentals of freelance writing, most writers write for years without becoming aware of this bedrock requirement. I managed to write successfully for at least a decade without having a clue about what I was doing. Had I learned audience/ response earlier, I'm sure I would have had an easier time of both writing and selling my writing.
Always keep audience/ response in the back of your mind. It applies to everything you write, and ensuring that your writing is laser-targeted to audience/ response ensures that any piece of writing sells.
When a piece of writing isn't working, the clue is often in audience/ response. For example, let's say you've written a mystery novel. You try to sell it, but it's rejected. You remember audience/ response. OK, the audience is people who love mysteries - they love working out puzzles. The response required is for them to read to the end of the novel by continually finding clues and solutions. Understanding this, you revise your novel. You discover how to create characters with secrets and a great mystery puzzle by modeling six mystery novels, then you create another outline for your own. When you've finished, each character in the novel has a secret for the reader to discover, and a greatly enhanced primary puzzle. Your novel sells.
Tip: Write It Down - Who's The Audience? What's The Required Response?
Don't try to keep audience/response in your head. It doesn't work. Write it down. Stick audience/ response on your computer monitor where you can see it.
You can write in any form by modeling examples of the form. You model by: collecting examples, outlining those examples, and writing practice outlines of those models.
Modeling A Form: Collect Examples, Outline Them, And Create Practice Outlines
A "model" is defined as a "system or thing, used as an example to follow or imitate".
Modeling a form works for everything you want to write. It works for novels, articles, advertisements, nonfiction books: whatever the form, find examples, and outline them. Then create your own practice outlines for your current project in that particular form.
Yes, this is a lot of work. However, it's work that you must do. Nowadays, editors don't edit - they don't have time. They expect that your article or book will be pretty much in its final form. If you're writing copy, it's also vital that you model what works (copywriters keep "swipe" files of models so they can copy forms), because your clients are counting on you.
Modeling isn't copying, per se. You're not copying words. You're copying form, structure, and voice.
I know many writers who baulk at this kind of analysis. If this is you, you can shorten the process. For example, let's say you want to write an article for a magazine. Collect six issues of the magazine. Read all the articles. Then find six example articles of the kind of article you want to write. Read those examples several times each, with close attention. Make some notes for yourself, thinking about why certain headlines were used (write this down - writing something down fixes it in your mind). Count the number of words in each article. Count the anecdotes, and count the number of people quoted. Now write your own article.
Modeling successful examples is the KEY to writing anything that you want to write. I wish you much success with modeling. I've used modeling to write many projects, from advertisements to books. You can too.
Angela Booth is a veteran freelance writer and copywriter. She also teaches writing. Visit her blogs - Angela Booth's Writing Blog at http://copywriter.typepad.com/ and Fab Freelance Writing at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/ for daily writing inspiration and motivation. Subscribe to the Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html to receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report" free. It's 21 pages packed with information to help you to develop a six-figure writing career.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Booth
Freelance Writing For Absolute Beginners, Part Two-Modeling To Write
By Angela Booth
If you're a writer, and even if you've yet to sell a word, you know you're a writer. Many writers know who they are from a young age, as soon as they realize that someone writes the stories they love to read. With other writers, the love of writing, and the knowledge that they're a writer, sneaks up on them.
So here you are, a newly minted freelance writer, and of course you write, but now you want to sell your writing. As we discussed in Part One of the this article, the fundamental of freelance writing is that people make money from your words. For those people to make money from your words, the words you hope to sell must be in a certain form - a novel, a screenplay, a white paper, a Yellow Pages advertisement, a Web site - your buyers buy a bunch of words in some form or other.
The Key To Form: Audience And Response
The key to any form, is AUDIENCE and RESPONSE. As with most of the fundamentals of freelance writing, most writers write for years without becoming aware of this bedrock requirement. I managed to write successfully for at least a decade without having a clue about what I was doing. Had I learned audience/ response earlier, I'm sure I would have had an easier time of both writing and selling my writing.
Always keep audience/ response in the back of your mind. It applies to everything you write, and ensuring that your writing is laser-targeted to audience/ response ensures that any piece of writing sells.
When a piece of writing isn't working, the clue is often in audience/ response. For example, let's say you've written a mystery novel. You try to sell it, but it's rejected. You remember audience/ response. OK, the audience is people who love mysteries - they love working out puzzles. The response required is for them to read to the end of the novel by continually finding clues and solutions. Understanding this, you revise your novel. You discover how to create characters with secrets and a great mystery puzzle by modeling six mystery novels, then you create another outline for your own. When you've finished, each character in the novel has a secret for the reader to discover, and a greatly enhanced primary puzzle. Your novel sells.
Tip: Write It Down - Who's The Audience? What's The Required Response?
Don't try to keep audience/response in your head. It doesn't work. Write it down. Stick audience/ response on your computer monitor where you can see it.
You can write in any form by modeling examples of the form. You model by: collecting examples, outlining those examples, and writing practice outlines of those models.
Modeling A Form: Collect Examples, Outline Them, And Create Practice Outlines
A "model" is defined as a "system or thing, used as an example to follow or imitate".
Modeling a form works for everything you want to write. It works for novels, articles, advertisements, nonfiction books: whatever the form, find examples, and outline them. Then create your own practice outlines for your current project in that particular form.
Yes, this is a lot of work. However, it's work that you must do. Nowadays, editors don't edit - they don't have time. They expect that your article or book will be pretty much in its final form. If you're writing copy, it's also vital that you model what works (copywriters keep "swipe" files of models so they can copy forms), because your clients are counting on you.
Modeling isn't copying, per se. You're not copying words. You're copying form, structure, and voice.
I know many writers who baulk at this kind of analysis. If this is you, you can shorten the process. For example, let's say you want to write an article for a magazine. Collect six issues of the magazine. Read all the articles. Then find six example articles of the kind of article you want to write. Read those examples several times each, with close attention. Make some notes for yourself, thinking about why certain headlines were used (write this down - writing something down fixes it in your mind). Count the number of words in each article. Count the anecdotes, and count the number of people quoted. Now write your own article.
Modeling successful examples is the KEY to writing anything that you want to write. I wish you much success with modeling. I've used modeling to write many projects, from advertisements to books. You can too.
Angela Booth is a veteran freelance writer and copywriter. She also teaches writing. Visit her blogs - Angela Booth's Writing Blog at http://copywriter.typepad.com/ and Fab Freelance Writing at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/ for daily writing inspiration and motivation. Subscribe to the Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html to receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report" free. It's 21 pages packed with information to help you to develop a six-figure writing career.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Booth
Monday, October 30, 2006
Copying Creative Styles
In my last post, I published Scott Lindsay’s article on emulation for learning writing styles. However, I later realized I’d used a very similar technique when studying direct response marketing. Rather, I was forced to use it.
The technique? Simple. Copy passages of the writing style you wish to learn, not thought for thought as in emulations, but word for word.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not talking about plagiarism. You’ll never publish or in any way use the actual passages you copy. The idea is to get the language so ingrained into your mind that the style comes naturally.
For example, take that direct response marketing course I mentioned above. To teach the direct response style of writing, instructors gave students copies of well-performing sales letters. Our task was to read through each one, out loud if possible, ten times or so. Once that was done, we were to copy each letter, word for word, at least five times. If you’ve ever seen a direct response marketing letter, you know how long they are. The first read through was fine. Everything after that felt like cruel and unusual punishment. Talk about boring! In fact, I got so bored, I never finished the course. What, I thought, is the point of copying these letters time after time?
It wasn’t until later that I realized the method I hated so much had actually worked. After copying only a few of those letters, the style and language had so embedded themselves in my psyche, it became natural for me to enter “direct response” mode when the occasion called for it.
If you’re trying to learn a writing style, whether fiction, nonfiction or poetry, try this simple copying technique. Most likely, every single moment will be painful (sorry, I have to be honest). However, if you’re serious about branching out and challenging yourself, this method provides great benefits that will last years into the future.
The technique? Simple. Copy passages of the writing style you wish to learn, not thought for thought as in emulations, but word for word.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not talking about plagiarism. You’ll never publish or in any way use the actual passages you copy. The idea is to get the language so ingrained into your mind that the style comes naturally.
For example, take that direct response marketing course I mentioned above. To teach the direct response style of writing, instructors gave students copies of well-performing sales letters. Our task was to read through each one, out loud if possible, ten times or so. Once that was done, we were to copy each letter, word for word, at least five times. If you’ve ever seen a direct response marketing letter, you know how long they are. The first read through was fine. Everything after that felt like cruel and unusual punishment. Talk about boring! In fact, I got so bored, I never finished the course. What, I thought, is the point of copying these letters time after time?
It wasn’t until later that I realized the method I hated so much had actually worked. After copying only a few of those letters, the style and language had so embedded themselves in my psyche, it became natural for me to enter “direct response” mode when the occasion called for it.
If you’re trying to learn a writing style, whether fiction, nonfiction or poetry, try this simple copying technique. Most likely, every single moment will be painful (sorry, I have to be honest). However, if you’re serious about branching out and challenging yourself, this method provides great benefits that will last years into the future.
Friday, October 27, 2006
A Creative Way to Learn Creative Styles
The Exercise Of Emulation
by: Scott Lindsay
A writing exercise that is helpful in learning a very specific style of writing is called Emulation. This is done to match the style of a specific author.
In essence, you create an entirely new passage using an existing passage as your guide.
For example if you wanted to try to write in the same manner as the Psalmist you might copy a passage of Scripture…
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
This would be an emulation example…
Lift your voice to the Lord, everyone. Sing to the Lord with triumph; come to His throne with humility. There is none like our God. It is He who sustains us, and He knows us; we follow Him as the least in His Kingdom. Gratitude arrives before us as we proclaim His greatness; show honor by singing praise because the Lord is awesome and His love does not diminish, He will be faithful to your grandchildren’s grandchildren. (Modeled after the Psalmist in Psalm 100).
While this may not be a perfect example, the idea remains intact; stay as close to the form and function of the passage you are emulating as possible so anyone familiar with the work will quickly recognize the similarities.
This is an exercise that is easy in concept, but somewhat difficult in execution. In a perfect emulation you would replace every word with another word. In a perfect emulation a noun is replaced with a noun and an adjective with an adjective and so on.
Emulation teaches you to creatively rewrite and reexamine the mechanics of what was written. In my emulation sample, I used a thought for thought emulation style, not word for word. Emulation doesn’t need to be about the same topic either; it simply needs to match up with the literary style of the original author.
If you are a looking for a writing exercise that is a challenge and remains a great learning tool, consider the use of emulation as a means of discovering more about the structure the author used and, secondarily, how you respond to that structure today.
About The Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com.
by: Scott Lindsay
A writing exercise that is helpful in learning a very specific style of writing is called Emulation. This is done to match the style of a specific author.
In essence, you create an entirely new passage using an existing passage as your guide.
For example if you wanted to try to write in the same manner as the Psalmist you might copy a passage of Scripture…
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
This would be an emulation example…
Lift your voice to the Lord, everyone. Sing to the Lord with triumph; come to His throne with humility. There is none like our God. It is He who sustains us, and He knows us; we follow Him as the least in His Kingdom. Gratitude arrives before us as we proclaim His greatness; show honor by singing praise because the Lord is awesome and His love does not diminish, He will be faithful to your grandchildren’s grandchildren. (Modeled after the Psalmist in Psalm 100).
While this may not be a perfect example, the idea remains intact; stay as close to the form and function of the passage you are emulating as possible so anyone familiar with the work will quickly recognize the similarities.
This is an exercise that is easy in concept, but somewhat difficult in execution. In a perfect emulation you would replace every word with another word. In a perfect emulation a noun is replaced with a noun and an adjective with an adjective and so on.
Emulation teaches you to creatively rewrite and reexamine the mechanics of what was written. In my emulation sample, I used a thought for thought emulation style, not word for word. Emulation doesn’t need to be about the same topic either; it simply needs to match up with the literary style of the original author.
If you are a looking for a writing exercise that is a challenge and remains a great learning tool, consider the use of emulation as a means of discovering more about the structure the author used and, secondarily, how you respond to that structure today.
About The Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Creative Writing: Using a Journal to Develop Writing Skills
I've used journaling in the past to exercise my writing and improve my writing skills. Here's an interesting article on some strategies you can use to strengthen your writing through journaling.
Use Your Journal to Dramatically Improve Your Writing -- The Easy Way
By Will Kalif
If you are keeping a journal on a regular or even semi-regular basis, you have made a great step toward developing your skills as a writer. But, you are probably only using a small part of what a journal can be. You need to take the next step in journal writing and make your journal work for you. Here are some practical tips on how to do that.
Your journal is a place where you put down your thoughts and ideas and this is a great way to keep the creativity flowing and to keep you writing on a regular basis. But thoughts and ideas are not the only things that go into writing fiction. Your fiction takes place in a world and it has people in it. In order for you to successfully communicate your story to your reader you have to create a world that is tangible and people that are believable. These aspects of writing are just like any other aspect in that they takes practice and your journal is the perfect place for you to practice. Here are some basic and easy exercises that will develop your skill as a writer through your journal writing.
Add Descriptive Writing to your Journal
Make a concerted attempt to describe things in your environment. This is a good practical exercise that will help you find your voice in your writing. Writing for an audience means being able to describe your created world to them accurately. You should practice this in your journal and it can be as simple as choosing any object and writing about it. Here are several different techniques for descriptive writing.
1. Describe things – This is an important skill because the description of things can enhance your story. And it makes use of one of the most important rules in writing: “Show don’t tell” Here is an example of two sentences about a pencil:
The writer held a yellow pencil in his hand.
The faded yellow pencil the writer held in his hand was pockmarked with dozens of bite marks, and its eraser was worn right down to the metal band.
In the first sentence the reader understand the situation. But in the second sentence the reader gets an insight into the writer. This is much better than telling your reader that the writer in the story is a nervous type that frequently erases his work and is prone to biting his pencil.
2. Describe Environments
Choose any environment and describe it. Start with the room you are writing in then move outward. As you move about your daily life take note of the different environments that you pass through. Describe these in your journal. Remember that this is not an exercise in storytelling. It is an exercise in building a believable world with your writing. And you should do this exercise in two different ways. First do it as you look at the environment you are in. Second you should do it from the memory of an environment that you are not currently in. It is amazing how radically different your perspective of an environment can be between your eyes and your memory.
3. Describe people
This is the most important aspect of description. A good description of a person can tell your reader much about the character. Choose a person you know and write a description of him. Don’t just describe his face, describe his body and his gait. Describe the mannerisms he has. Does he use his hands when he talks? Do his arms swing when he walks? What other things should you describe? Remember that your description of him will paint a picture in your reader’s mind.
Add Dialogue to Your Journal
Another skill that you should develop in your writing is the art of dialogue. What your characters say and how they say it can either enhance a story or confuse it. You should practice writing lots of dialogue. Here are some good techniques for incorporating this painlessly into your journal.
1. You should first practice writing dialogues that you have overheard. Do this from memory. What did each person say? And what were the responses and counter responses.
2. You should also practice making your own conversations. This is what you will do in your writing so you should practice it a lot.
Blend Dialogue and Description Together
Now try to put the techniques together. Imagine two people engaged in a conversation. Tell your reader the conversation and show your reader the mannerisms of each speaker. Use your descriptions of the speakers and their surroundings to enhance the meaning of the conversation.
Remember that the greatest thing a writer has to offer is his ability to observe and then to think about his observations and communicate those thoughts. But the first thing you have to do is observe. Don’t just use your journal as a way to put down your thoughts and ideas.
How should you integrate these new techniques into your journal writing?
Don’t change your current habit of journal writing. When you take out your journal write in it the same way you always have. Let your thoughts and ideas flow. But, when you feel that you are done with your journal writing for the day go a little bit further and append one of these techniques to it. Add a paragraph describing something or someone or add a paragraph of created conversation. This will add a little bit of time to your journal writing but it will help you quickly develop some new skills as a writer.
Will Kalif is the author of two self-published epic fantasy novels.
You can download free samples of his work at his personal website:
Storm The Castle - Creativity and Fantasy with an edge
Or you can visit his site devoted to fantasy on the web at:
The Webs Fantasy Guide
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Kalif
Use Your Journal to Dramatically Improve Your Writing -- The Easy Way
By Will Kalif
If you are keeping a journal on a regular or even semi-regular basis, you have made a great step toward developing your skills as a writer. But, you are probably only using a small part of what a journal can be. You need to take the next step in journal writing and make your journal work for you. Here are some practical tips on how to do that.
Your journal is a place where you put down your thoughts and ideas and this is a great way to keep the creativity flowing and to keep you writing on a regular basis. But thoughts and ideas are not the only things that go into writing fiction. Your fiction takes place in a world and it has people in it. In order for you to successfully communicate your story to your reader you have to create a world that is tangible and people that are believable. These aspects of writing are just like any other aspect in that they takes practice and your journal is the perfect place for you to practice. Here are some basic and easy exercises that will develop your skill as a writer through your journal writing.
Add Descriptive Writing to your Journal
Make a concerted attempt to describe things in your environment. This is a good practical exercise that will help you find your voice in your writing. Writing for an audience means being able to describe your created world to them accurately. You should practice this in your journal and it can be as simple as choosing any object and writing about it. Here are several different techniques for descriptive writing.
1. Describe things – This is an important skill because the description of things can enhance your story. And it makes use of one of the most important rules in writing: “Show don’t tell” Here is an example of two sentences about a pencil:
The writer held a yellow pencil in his hand.
The faded yellow pencil the writer held in his hand was pockmarked with dozens of bite marks, and its eraser was worn right down to the metal band.
In the first sentence the reader understand the situation. But in the second sentence the reader gets an insight into the writer. This is much better than telling your reader that the writer in the story is a nervous type that frequently erases his work and is prone to biting his pencil.
2. Describe Environments
Choose any environment and describe it. Start with the room you are writing in then move outward. As you move about your daily life take note of the different environments that you pass through. Describe these in your journal. Remember that this is not an exercise in storytelling. It is an exercise in building a believable world with your writing. And you should do this exercise in two different ways. First do it as you look at the environment you are in. Second you should do it from the memory of an environment that you are not currently in. It is amazing how radically different your perspective of an environment can be between your eyes and your memory.
3. Describe people
This is the most important aspect of description. A good description of a person can tell your reader much about the character. Choose a person you know and write a description of him. Don’t just describe his face, describe his body and his gait. Describe the mannerisms he has. Does he use his hands when he talks? Do his arms swing when he walks? What other things should you describe? Remember that your description of him will paint a picture in your reader’s mind.
Add Dialogue to Your Journal
Another skill that you should develop in your writing is the art of dialogue. What your characters say and how they say it can either enhance a story or confuse it. You should practice writing lots of dialogue. Here are some good techniques for incorporating this painlessly into your journal.
1. You should first practice writing dialogues that you have overheard. Do this from memory. What did each person say? And what were the responses and counter responses.
2. You should also practice making your own conversations. This is what you will do in your writing so you should practice it a lot.
Blend Dialogue and Description Together
Now try to put the techniques together. Imagine two people engaged in a conversation. Tell your reader the conversation and show your reader the mannerisms of each speaker. Use your descriptions of the speakers and their surroundings to enhance the meaning of the conversation.
Remember that the greatest thing a writer has to offer is his ability to observe and then to think about his observations and communicate those thoughts. But the first thing you have to do is observe. Don’t just use your journal as a way to put down your thoughts and ideas.
How should you integrate these new techniques into your journal writing?
Don’t change your current habit of journal writing. When you take out your journal write in it the same way you always have. Let your thoughts and ideas flow. But, when you feel that you are done with your journal writing for the day go a little bit further and append one of these techniques to it. Add a paragraph describing something or someone or add a paragraph of created conversation. This will add a little bit of time to your journal writing but it will help you quickly develop some new skills as a writer.
Will Kalif is the author of two self-published epic fantasy novels.
You can download free samples of his work at his personal website:
Storm The Castle - Creativity and Fantasy with an edge
Or you can visit his site devoted to fantasy on the web at:
The Webs Fantasy Guide
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Kalif
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Creative Writing: Let’s Try Mindmapping
I’ve been a little short on inspiration the last few days (you may have noticed by the lack of original content!). I went searching for new ideas, and found an interesting article on how to outline a book. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I intend to.
How to Outline your Book and Chapters with Mindmapping
By Judy Cullins
Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use flexible thinking and relativity in writing their book. One can add and subtract a thought or phrase from a mindmap easily. Mindmapping is an excellent way to start, organize, and finish your book.
What is Mindmapping?
Mindmapping is a color-coded outline of main ideas, sub topics and details, printed on different colored branches connected to the center. In the center in a circle, you will list your main idea, such as your book or chapter title.
For "The One-Minute Sales Person", Spencer's mindmap would have had seven different colored vertical branches coming from that center, so details can be put on connected horizontal branches--much easier to read.
What are the advantages of Mindmapping?
First, a mindmap is open-ended and open-minded. No more squeezing new "ahas" or ideas into the strict, tight form of the linear outline. You can make mistakes in your mindmaps. Imperfection leads to creativity. When you get an idea for chapter one, you can just add another branch off the main one. Mindmapping expands flexible thinking, making for better writing.
Second, mindmaps use only three to five concrete or color words on a branch. These key words help jog our memory. Under Chapter One "Attracting Passion," I added several horizontal lines that represented the format that follows. One line had "opening quote," the next one "introduction," the next one "Jerry's Story," the next "Food for Thought and Action," the next, "Passion Hot Line," the last line, "practice."
Third, mindmaps speed up your writing because you only write key phrases. When you sit down at the computer, from your color-coded map, the answers will flow naturally. If you need to fatten up your chapter, just go to your chapter file folders where you keep your research.
Fourth, in mindmaps you see the whole related to the parts. Your thesis, chapter titles, and chapter contents all flow because you answered each question your readers had. This fast-forward technique allows me to write at least two or three books each year, and makes each book more organized, more focused and clear, easier to read, and finally brings more sales because people can understand the information quickly and easily.
How Do I Create My Mindmap?
Use a large sheet of paper, at least 8 ½ by 11 inches, but I recommend a large square of butcher paper or poster board, so you can spread out and enjoy the process! Have at least six or seven colored felt-tip pens in primary and bright colors ready.
In the center, encircle your title. Arrange your chapter headings, each on a different colored vertical branch, around the center in any order (you can number them later). If you can't think of a title, put a few key words. Use only one color per branch. Off each main branch, put five or so other horizontal branches of particular chapter parts.
Even though you later change your mind about the contents, this initial mindmap gives you the overall picture of what your book is and what it will share with its readers. I made several mindmaps of my Passion book before I settled on the best information to include.
For the colored mindmapping example, go to
http://www.bookcoaching.com/graphics/MINDMAP.JPG.
Practice: Create your book's mindmap on a separate piece of paper.
Practice: Create one chapter's mindmap on a separate piece of paper now.
Wow! You are up to speed. You have your thesis--what challenge your book will solve, your chapter working titles, your rough draft evolving with a Table of Contents, and you have questions to answer in each chapter.
Mindmapping is an excellent way to start, organize, and finish your book.
Judy Cullins © 2004 All Rights Reserved.
Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Cullins
How to Outline your Book and Chapters with Mindmapping
By Judy Cullins
Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use flexible thinking and relativity in writing their book. One can add and subtract a thought or phrase from a mindmap easily. Mindmapping is an excellent way to start, organize, and finish your book.
What is Mindmapping?
Mindmapping is a color-coded outline of main ideas, sub topics and details, printed on different colored branches connected to the center. In the center in a circle, you will list your main idea, such as your book or chapter title.
For "The One-Minute Sales Person", Spencer's mindmap would have had seven different colored vertical branches coming from that center, so details can be put on connected horizontal branches--much easier to read.
What are the advantages of Mindmapping?
First, a mindmap is open-ended and open-minded. No more squeezing new "ahas" or ideas into the strict, tight form of the linear outline. You can make mistakes in your mindmaps. Imperfection leads to creativity. When you get an idea for chapter one, you can just add another branch off the main one. Mindmapping expands flexible thinking, making for better writing.
Second, mindmaps use only three to five concrete or color words on a branch. These key words help jog our memory. Under Chapter One "Attracting Passion," I added several horizontal lines that represented the format that follows. One line had "opening quote," the next one "introduction," the next one "Jerry's Story," the next "Food for Thought and Action," the next, "Passion Hot Line," the last line, "practice."
Third, mindmaps speed up your writing because you only write key phrases. When you sit down at the computer, from your color-coded map, the answers will flow naturally. If you need to fatten up your chapter, just go to your chapter file folders where you keep your research.
Fourth, in mindmaps you see the whole related to the parts. Your thesis, chapter titles, and chapter contents all flow because you answered each question your readers had. This fast-forward technique allows me to write at least two or three books each year, and makes each book more organized, more focused and clear, easier to read, and finally brings more sales because people can understand the information quickly and easily.
How Do I Create My Mindmap?
Use a large sheet of paper, at least 8 ½ by 11 inches, but I recommend a large square of butcher paper or poster board, so you can spread out and enjoy the process! Have at least six or seven colored felt-tip pens in primary and bright colors ready.
In the center, encircle your title. Arrange your chapter headings, each on a different colored vertical branch, around the center in any order (you can number them later). If you can't think of a title, put a few key words. Use only one color per branch. Off each main branch, put five or so other horizontal branches of particular chapter parts.
Even though you later change your mind about the contents, this initial mindmap gives you the overall picture of what your book is and what it will share with its readers. I made several mindmaps of my Passion book before I settled on the best information to include.
For the colored mindmapping example, go to
http://www.bookcoaching.com/graphics/MINDMAP.JPG.
Practice: Create your book's mindmap on a separate piece of paper.
Practice: Create one chapter's mindmap on a separate piece of paper now.
Wow! You are up to speed. You have your thesis--what challenge your book will solve, your chapter working titles, your rough draft evolving with a Table of Contents, and you have questions to answer in each chapter.
Mindmapping is an excellent way to start, organize, and finish your book.
Judy Cullins © 2004 All Rights Reserved.
Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Cullins
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The Power of Observation in Creative Writing
Creativity isn't just about waxing eloquent about the beauty of a woodland stream or a rugged seashore. In fact, the most difficult creativity is often the most rewarding: being creative with the everyday aspects of life. That means being observant about everything -- and I mean everything -- around you.
Start with this exercise:
Sit down on in a park, the mall, Starbucks -- wherever there are a lot of sights, smells, sounds. Use all five senses to take in your surroundings. Do you hear the scraping of dry leaves or the hiss of the espresso machine? Do you smell the richness of damp earth or the aroma of coffee, or are you overwhelmed by the cologne of the man sitting next to you? What does the bench or chair or ground feel like under you.
Take it all in. Then write! Search for the best word to describe every single sight, smell, gesture, feeling, sound, and anything else you can think of. If your writing is missing any of the five senses -- sight, smell, sound, touch, and even taste -- go back and rework it. Creativity through observation is a lot of work, but once you've mastered it, your writing will be all the richer and more rewarding for the addition.
Creativity isn't just about waxing eloquent about the beauty of a woodland stream or a rugged seashore. In fact, the most difficult creativity is often the most rewarding: being creative with the everyday aspects of life. That means being observant about everything -- and I mean everything -- around you.
Start with this exercise:
Sit down on in a park, the mall, Starbucks -- wherever there are a lot of sights, smells, sounds. Use all five senses to take in your surroundings. Do you hear the scraping of dry leaves or the hiss of the espresso machine? Do you smell the richness of damp earth or the aroma of coffee, or are you overwhelmed by the cologne of the man sitting next to you? What does the bench or chair or ground feel like under you.
Take it all in. Then write! Search for the best word to describe every single sight, smell, gesture, feeling, sound, and anything else you can think of. If your writing is missing any of the five senses -- sight, smell, sound, touch, and even taste -- go back and rework it. Creativity through observation is a lot of work, but once you've mastered it, your writing will be all the richer and more rewarding for the addition.
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