Five Thoughts to Discover Your Writing Inspiration

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." (Jack London)

Inspiration is all around us. A word, a song, or a picture can propel us forward to greatness.

Today inspiration came to me via Suzanne Lieurance, my writing coach from the Working Writer’s Coach, The National Writing for Children Center and my summer boot camp writing buddy, Lisa H. from Peace and Laughter in the Moment..I think. Job boards are also inspiring because when a job speaks to you, a slew of ideas begin to cascade through your head and you can’t wait to write them down and submit.

Consider using one or all of these five approaches to find your inspiration.

1. Music is a major source of inspiration. Listen to your favorite music when relaxing and ideas will come like a waterfall.

2. Free writing creates moments of the muse. You may be stuck on a topic and your writing is reflecting boredom. Even if you have to write the same words over and over keep doing it and before you know it your creative power is unleashed and you have a novel, article or EBook.

3. Next is reading. Great minds do travel in the same dimension. Get out a favorite book that is close to your own niche and read away.

4. Carry a small personal recorder in your purse or pocket. Now if you are in the shower that may be a little difficult. Dry off your writing hand and use the pen and paper that is laying on the bathroom vanity. Or run dripping wet to the computer and type it in.

5. Go to the park if you are feeling stuck. This is a wonderful chance to practice meditation and prepare your mind to receive great thoughts.

I like to take bike rides early mornings so I can "hear" the quite and "see" the Forrest with out the trees. Where are you when brilliant ideas pop in your head?

Write it down,

Carma

Writer's Block: Free UP Your Creativity With Writing Prompts

Do you need a swift kick in the pants to banish the writer’s block in your head? When you look at a blank page does your mind respond with blankness? I know all writers have been there so I have a little help for you today.

Practice free writing from the five prompts below. Take ten minutes and don’t think about punctuation, grammar or anything like that. Free writing is one of the best tools for blasting writer’s block and filling up empty space in your mind. Choose one for today and save the others for later.

1. Electricity is a recent discovery. Think of 12 things to do when there is no power.

2. Write about the color of hunger.

3. A picture is worth more than a blank page. Take out those dusty photo albums and pick out photo number 14. Start your count on any page you want but make sure you stop at photo #14. Look at the photo for 2 or 3 minutes. Then for 10 minutes write all the feelings that photograph made you feel. Don’t censor yourself. Just write.

4. What are things you can do in 3 minutes? List them.

5. In 200 words describe a hot day.

OK, that was easy. After you have written your piece set it aside until tomorrow. Begin your writing session tomorrow by rewriting your work that you did today. You will be surprised at how many more ideas will pop into your head just from that one prompt. Before you know it you will have a short story or perhaps the first chapter of a novel.

Write it down,

Carma

Three Ways to Ignite Your Writing

I know writers are always looking for tips and information in order to further their craft of writing. There is an excellent article by Jesse Hines at Copyblogger on how to make your articles and stories come alive. Jesse Hines gives examples on three ways to tweak your writing with resumptive, summative and free modifiers. It's a great brain tweaker.

This is an excellent article and I highly recommend writers of all genres read it.

Also his blog on June 2 Five Tips for Good Writing from C. S. Lewis is outstanding. The study of your craft is never over.

Write it down,

Carma

Hot Tips for Children's Writers

Do you enjoy writing for a topic or a theme? I found tons of valuable writing tips and information on Liano Mahoney’s website. Surf on over there. In particular I have listed some tidbits to think about that Liano Mahoney listed on her site. Check out the other 9 tidbits by clicking here. There's more: click on this link to a doc file containing an up-to-date theme list for some children’s magazines. Of course you should check out the submission guidelines for any magazine you are interested in.

DO THE MATH.
Perseverance is the ultimate key to publication.

In your quest to getting published, try to remember that children's book publishing is a business. Like all other businesses, it boils down to numbers. Here are some numbers that all children's writers should consider*:

10% = the portion of the American population who believes that they have a "book in them" that they would like to write some day

5,000 = the approximate number of picture books published in a year

1,001 > the number of words that most publishing houses don't expect and don't want in a picture book manuscript

$50,000 = the approximate amount that a publishing house has to invest in the making and distribution of a picture book, including artwork, royalties, printing, marketing, etc.

The number of manuscripts in the average slush pile that are truly publishable: less than 5%

12 = the number of rejections JKRowling received for the first Harry Potter book before it was finally accepted

*DISCLAIMER: Please note that all of these stats have been posted for motivational purposes only. They have not been fact-checked. In other words, consider their implications, but please don't quote them as gospel.

Write it down,

Carma

Everything You Always Wanted to Know...

About writing for children but were afraid to ask can be learned by joining the Children's Writer's Coaching Club (CWCC).

As a club member, you are invited to take part in FOUR 55-minute teleclasses about children’s writing every month, plus you have the opportunity to submit a manuscript for professional critique every week, and you can choose to complete a weekly assignment and have it reviewed as well.

In addition, founder of CWCC, Suzanne Lieurance, presents a weekly 55-minute teleclass with known children's authors. This week on Thursday, April 10th at 3:00 pm Pacific time. Margot Finke will present a special teleclass for CWCC members titled: "Query Letters: How to get them right." It will be recorded and all members of the CWCC will also receive a link to the recording so they can listen to the class at their own convenience if they aren’t able to attend the live session Thursday afternoon.

You're probably thinking this costs hundreds a month. Wrong. For $27 a month you get all of the above. Plus you experience camaraderie of meeting other enthusiastic authors honing their writing skills.

Write it down,

Carma

How Not To Get Published

Editorial Anonymous (A blog of a children’s book editor) is an astonishing blog. It is written with truth, a bit of bawdiness and most of all some real good information laced with humor.

While surfing I found reference to two outstanding and outrageous posts. I highly recommend the read and if you aren’t wiping tears from your eyes then you aren’t reading it.

The Biggest Mistake Would Be Writers Make

And

How Not To Get Published

Write it down,

Carma

A Few Good Links

Over the weekend I ran across more than a few good links while I was looking for relevant content. There is so much great stuff out there that I couldn’t decide what to post, so I decided to post links and let you surf and peruse around.

Margot Finke’s post on “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books” by Harold Underdown is one I don’t want to miss. Go here to read it.

And this link http://www.underdown.org/writing-guides.htm will lead you to dozens of guides on how to write children’s books!

Dottie Enderle’s website is very appealing. Click here to take a quiz and discover 10 tips for writing picture books.

One of my readers gave me this tidbit. Maybe some of you already know where to go to get the submission guidelines for the Cricket Magazine Group. I did not.

Have legal questions? Take a look at Writer’s Beware. This site has an abundance of information.

Another place to submit articles for sale is Writing for Dollars.

In Addition:

Have you ever wondered what to read when looking for ideas and examples for your nonfiction writing? I discovered one idea that said the best way to do this is to look in a bookstore under the topic you’re writing, (biographies or science, American history, etc.) and pull out a few books for the same target audience.

Certain authors of these books have made a name for themselves and they are who you want to study. Also ask your local librarian which titles are flying off the shelf.

Write it down,

Carma

Editorial Calendars: A Cheat Sheet for Writers

Typically, magazine editors like to work at least six months in advance. Articles submitted the month of March describing fall, pumpkins, Halloween parties and colorful leaves will be right in line with their needs.

An Editorial Calendar gives you a slew of topics to pitch and research for. For instance, it is probable that magazine editors will be inundated with pitches for Halloween. But if you have an editorial calendar prepared you can give your creativity a boost by writing about topics that are not published as often. Below are a few ideas/links to get you started writing winning articles for the fall. You can add your own as the year progresses.

Columbus Day
Dryer vent safety month
National Bosses Day
Cooler weather
Halloween Costumes
Right-brainers rule month
Raking/celebrating leaves
National breast cancer awareness month
National domestic violence awareness month
Daylight savings time ends (Fall back)

Editorial calendars are a writer’s best tool because they double as cheat sheets. They can also give you an edge for submitting timely queries that are bound to attract the attention of a thankful editor.

Furthermore, writers who submit articles for magazines know the importance of researching all those back copies. Editorial calendars will help you to focus on a particular topic rather than having to scan all topics. Writers are busy people and need to make their research time effective.

By creating your own Editorial Calendar you are mapping out a successful plan for your writing career.

Write it down,
Carma

Ten Nitty-Gritty Facts for Children's Writers

1. Writing for children is not a starting place for a writer to work on their craft nor for the faint of heart. A lot of children’s stories consist of approximately 800 words or a 16-200 page book. Within this framework you've got to have realistic characters, an enthusiastic storyline, a believable plot and dialogue. Also, the child protagonist has to be the one who solves the problem---not the adult.

2. Never talk down to a child reader. Don't assume they can't understand above their level. Children need and want challenge to learn and grow in their reading. Give them real problems that can captivate them.

3. Understand a child’s needs. Children need to be loved, to have friends, to feel secure, to learn and grow, to find entertainment just as adults do.

4. Always show them a good time and you will have a reader for life.

5. The characters of your story will grow as they experience their adventure, and your readers may grow as well. Children can learn that life is not always fair but there are ways to survive and have hope. They can understand that it is normal to be jealous, afraid, angry or lonely. Through your words children can see how an attitude can change their life. However, don't fall into the trap of "preaching" to them. If you let them see a young thief grow and change they will have learned a lesson in a non-threatening way.

6. Understand the market. The children's market is tight and the competition is fierce. Read good and bad books that are being read by kids. Have a talk with your local librarian. She or he will be able to point you to the most popular books children are reading. Join the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (http://www.scbwi.org/).

7. Nonfiction does not need to be boring. Remember how you despised those dry history and science books? A creative children’s writer can spice up the dullest history books with a little action thrown in and a well-written story line will enthrall the kids to the point they will not realize they are even learning.

8. Unless you or your cousin are a clone of Steven Kellogg, let the editor choose an illustrator for your picture book. Editors have the final say so on artwork and may not like it if you push a packaged deal.

9. What if you are not around children every day? No problem. Spend some time at a playground with a notepad then eavesdrop and observe. You can also go to a restaurant popular with kids. Volunteer some time in a classroom. Watch how the kids react with each other. Study body language and listen to conversation.

10. Read, read, and read lots of magazine stories and nonfiction for kids. You will get a feel for genres, story lengths and what is popular. Get to know your reader and they will want to know you.

This post was inspired by children's author Kathryn Lay.

Write it down,

Carma

Do You Write for Free or for Fun and Profit?

Who has not written for free, especially in the beginning of your career? My quandary is how long is beginning supposed to last?

Nonetheless, as I sat bemoaning the fact that I don’t have any “traditional publishing credits” and all I can do is write for free, Tiffany’s post, “The Controversial Writers Meme—at long last” at Rockstories popped up. Thank goodness I subscribe. I recommend you go over and check her out.

This is the headline that grabbed me.

Guidelines are critical; job requirements are not.

This is especially what I needed to hear today. In part, Tiffany wrote: As a writer, you're not selling your background or experience--you're selling your ability to write.

Where I come from, background and experience is all important (must be the civil servant in me) so that is why this post encouraged me. Go on over and read the rest of her post. I am taking this statement and posting it by my computer screen.

How does one write for Fun and Profit? It is easy for a new writer, like me or you, to become overwhelmed with all the tips and instructions that are out there because it is not easy to know which tip is reliable when you are new to this line of work.

I for one have jumped at too many “EBooks” on how to earn X amount of money by making purple widgets. It is painful at times to look at my PDF file in my computer to see all those un-read books taking up valuable bytes. Downloading Ebooks is akin to walking into a B & N where every new book on self improvement, writing or etc is begging me to take them home.

I know you all are book lovers like me so take this Ebook Writing for Fun and Profit by Brian Scott home with you and find out how it will help give your writing the confident jump it needs.

Write it down,

Carma

When Your Butt Hits the Chair

Your hands are poised over the keyboard, elbows are bent. You feel the raised hyphen on J and F as you position your fingers over the keys. The printer is full of paper, computer is on and cursor is blinking at the top of the page.


The second hand taunts with Tick... tock...... tick.... tock.....

Hands are poised over the keyboard, You double check your finger position as you feel the raised hyphens again over F and J. Your elbows are still bent, printer is still full of paper, Word doc is open and the cursor is beckoning like Ahab's finger... type... type... type... type...


AAArrghhhhh!


Does this happen more often than you would like? Me too.


When this happens to me I go looking for prompts and motivation either by reading one of my books or online. I ran across a few neat sites that may be able to do the trick for you if you haven't heard of them yet. Let me share them with you.


Creative Writing Prompts

As always the Writers Digest is always a great resource.


And The Teacher's Corner

Write it down,

Carma

The Sound of Writing

Thanks to Terry Whalin of The Writing Life for sharing this video from You Tube.

Click and enjoy.

Pictures ARE worth a thousand words. I would like to be able to commandeer those words, wouldn't you?



Write it down,
Carma

Have A Little Soul

I ran across a wonderful website. Heather Blakely is the webmaster of Soul Food Café which houses Dailywriting.net and more. The Soul Food Café is a labyrinth offering a wealth of creative stimuli and a multitude of links from writing prompts, inspirations, stories, writing motivation, imaginations and much more. When you visit the Soul Food Café, you can read about its Seven layers.

This site is full of inspiration for writers and artists who are looking to revive their passion. It is an experience one must experience personally. It can take you deep into cyber space but you will not care.

It may take a long time to go through the amazing layers but you will not want to rush. Take your time. This novice blogger plans too.

Write it down,

Carma

Bumper Sticker Friday

I am declaring Friday as Bumper Sticker Friday. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Bumper stickers can reveal a great deal about the owner of the bumper. Some people display them to proclaim their philosophy on life. Like this one I spotted on a 1960 Ford pick up truck.

“Always Drink Upstream From the Herd”.

“Find Your Voice and Never Stop Singing” is my bumper sticker choice this week and the one that gave me the idea to start Bumper Sticker Friday. I love this sticker because it encourages positive thoughts. It also made me think about composing a list of things I want to do before I die. Number 1 – Take voice lessons.

Now, you say, how did I go from bumper stickers to making lists of things I want to do before I die? Well…life is all about ideas and words. Writers are all about words and thoughts, for starters. Where do writers get their ideas? Everywhere, so why not a bumper sticker?

Analyzing bumper stickers is also a great pastime while waiting for the light to turn green.

What favorite bumper sticker have you seen this week? I really want to hear from you.

Write it down,

Carma

You Might As Well Have Written Nothing

This is what Skellie, guest poster for Brian Clark of Copyblogger said when he brought up the point that readers need to understand what you write. Read the post in its entirety.

When you have an earth shattering idea the world needs to hear, it won't mean a thing if readers cannot understand it.

Skellie elaborates on five tactics to help you write clearly and expressively.

Another important detail to learn how to become a better writer is to follow Brian Clark's 10 steps. You will be amazed by the simplicity of it all.

Write it down,

Carma

Are You Stuck in a Rut? Here's a Ladder

That’s not very helpful. Giving you a ladder really will not help you get out of a rut or learn why you got in the rut in the first place. Hope Wilbanks at Hope Writes wrote an article titled “Writing Ruts – What not to do when stuck”

Her four suggestions of what NOT to do are 1) Don’t Hide, 2) Don’t stop writing 3) Don’t throw it all away and 4) Don’t bury yourself in work.

Read her article in its entirety below:

In "Writing Ruts: What To Do When You Get Stuck", I shared some things every writer can do to get "unstuck." Now I want to briefly talk about the things you should not do when you're feeling stuck. It's all too easy for a writer to self-sabotage. So if you're feeling low on inspiration, or if you feel like you just cannot write another word, stop right there.

What Not To Do:
1. Hide. Let me tell you, I understand how it is when you can't write. You don't want anyone to know about it. You want to retreat and pretend like everything is okay and you're writing everyday. Don't pull away though. Keep in touch with those who will encourage you and cheer you on through your block.

2. Stop writing. Whatever you do, don't stop writing. I know you think it's impossible, but you can write, even when you don't feel like you can. Keep a journal. Write out your frustrations by hand. Write about how you can't write. Write how it makes you feel. Sometimes all you need is to work out those inner frustrations.

3. Throw it all away. I've heard way too many writers talk about how they threw away their rejected manuscript. Rejection hurts. But don't throw away all your hard work, just because someone said, "No." Just get up and try again.

4. Bury yourself in work. Writers on the other end of the spectrum think that if they bury themselves in what I call "busy work" they'll eventually be able to write again. If you can't write, then don't punish yourself by doing other things to keep yourself busy. Do something productive, or write in your journal.

If you're feeling stuck, I hope these tips help you out. Remember to be gentle with yourself. The inspiration will return. In the meantime, stay focused and be encouraged!

Do you need an article like this for your business? Hope Writes articles, blog entries, newsletters, press releases, and more for small business owners.

Write it down,

Carma

Take A Bite From the Billion Dollar Book Pie

This incredible information came from Billie Williams at Printed Words

290,000 books were published in 2006 – makes you feel like a needle in a haystack if you are an author. Where do you fit, how can you possibly hope to compete? Take heart!31 Billion dollars a year is, according to a recent survey, spent on book purchases. That’s a lot of change. I imagine some are purchased for schools, but many of their textbooks are used year after year with minimal replacement. So, you have to think that most books are purchased for personal reasons. All you have to do is write the book you are passionate about, market it like there is no tomorrow, and you may carve out your slice of that Billion dollar pie.

And here is a daunting thought:

Speaking of writing — did you know that if you have an idea that you think sounds like a great first line, gets you unstuck on your current WIP (Works in Progress) or just takes your breath away—you only have 37 seconds to capture that fleeting pellet of wisdom before it floats away on the ether? And even if you can recall bits and pieces of it — within 7 minutes it will be gone forever.

I know all of us have experienced the familiar panic attack when a “WOW” idea hits us and there is NOTHING to write on or what about the time the title of your book popped in your head and you KNEW this was IT and you were lathered up in the shower? What did you do?

I used to place one of those notepads with a rubber suction cup on the dashboard of my car. Other than looking nerdy, I think the sight of it chased my muse away. Day after day the blank paper on the note pad glared at me. Finally, I got rid of it.

Now when I am in the car, I carry a personal digital recorder in my purse. It isn’t much bigger than a lipstick case and it works great. Not only does it record my bright ideas, it records the inflection of my tone and mood. I love that part. When I am at home, I have pen and paper in every room of the house.

If you get a chance click on over to the Printed Word and read Billie’s post in its entirety.

Billie A Williams, Award winning author of over two dozen fiction works, plus non-fiction and poetry books, articles, columns and recently a 3-Act Play to be released July 2007. http://www.billiewilliams.com/ http://www.word-mage.com/ (where you can visit other authors of her Word Mage writing group)

Write it down,

Carma

Does Your Blog Sizzle?

The subject of writer’s block has been bantered around a lot and there is even debate as to whether it even exists. I am not going to say one way or the other but occasionally I need a jump start. Thanks to Anne Wayman at the Golden Pencil for listing those 101 Great Posting Ideas that will Make Your Blog Sizzle from Philip Liu who writes the I Help you Blog blog. With a list like that you are sure to have a great supply of jump starters.

Then a few days ago Liz Strauss invited Joe Hauckes over to speak at the SOBCon Virtual Conference March 12 Joe wrote about Why Navigation is Important to You and Your Readers.

This is just two examples of how much information and sharing are going on all over the blogsophere. I have something with a different twist. I am sure there are books lying around your desk right now. Pick one up and turn to…let’s say…page 123. Go to the third paragraph and read. What does it say? What is the name of the book and Author?

I just reached up and grabbed a book I’ve had for quite a few months. The name of the book is “Warlord, No better friend, No worse enemy". Author is Ilario Pantano (with Malcom McConnell). The third paragraph says:

“Then I pulled on the fully modified Kevlar vest, loaded with my ammo and gear. Heavy. It would be hard to run far wearing all this. Even with the insulated roof, the GP tent was hot and I was sweating from the effort. And this was only the end of March. What would July and August be like?”

Did your paragraph make you want to get back to reading or did it spur new ideas?

Write it down,
Karma

P.S. No fair to search for a favorite book. Just grab the first one you see.... I'm watching.

Ready, Set, 1 - 2 - 3 Write......

Screech!!!! Halt!!! Wait, wait. I just saw the latest software for writers who are just starting out on xyz website and it is a must. A manuscript cannot be written without it. I can't start writing until I have that in my writer's tool kit. I mean it is very important to keep track of my word count.

Oh, and while I was at the bookstore I just had to buy this book on how to sell books and articles. Never mind that I already have 10 books with all the advice that any novice writer needs even though I don't have anything written yet, but I know I will, so I need to be prepared.

I can't forget to subscribe to 15 magazines, websites and news papers and read 30 books before I put my first word on paper.

Now....What else do I need? Oh, what about that seminar?....oh, oh, dictionary, thesaurus, uh, ......just put it in the basket. I'll read later.

Okay, okay, you get my drift. As a new writer, blogger, etc, I have found myself doing everything BUT writing lately. Instead, I have gathered as many self-help books and articles on a freelance writing career, looking for THE secret. I have discovered that I have THE secret. It is in my fingertips right here, right now.

I realize I am not saying anything new to you veterans out there, but if there are any new writers listening in...run...don't walk to the nearest keyboard or note book and start putting your words down. Until that happens, you will never be a "writer" and any advice you receive won't do you any good until you put it to Action.

All of those things I mentioned above are very important but my point is that they do not stand alone and a writer can not learn by osmosis. I appreciate all the help that is out there for people like me and I shouldn't waste it by doing nothing.

To name a few of the important people who are here to help fledgling writers like me are Lisa Gates of Intrinsic life design, FundsforWriters, Writer in the making, The Golden Pencil and on and on. Please visit them.

Write it down,
Karma