Tag Archives: writing advice

March 15, 2010 · 1:33 PM

Writing One Page a Day

Writing demands motivation and focus; that much is obvious. But sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult to find that motivation. It’s easy for us, as writers, to want to write, but more difficult to actually sit down to write.  Distraction is everywhere , whether online – email, Facebook, Twitter, Google – or personal – phone calls, family, work – and it can take away from precious writing time. The task of writing a novel can seem especially enormous, but it doesn’t have to be.

We’ve all heard this advice, and it’s about time we follow it: “Write one page a day” to stay on track. Imagine, by  sitting in front of the computer for 20,30,60 minutes, with no distractions and just transferring the words that come to us onto the page, a 365 page novel can be written in a year’s time. Sometimes, a page just isn’t enough, and we can find ourselves writing 5, 6, 10 pages in one sitting, and the novel is done sooner that expected, or comes out longer.

But, of course, there are some hurdles that might keep the motivation away. So, if you’re stuck on the beginning of Chapter Two, for example, and can’t find the drive to continue, don’t let that stop you. If you know what’s coming next in the story, start on Chapter Three or Four or Five, or write the end of the novel if you have to. If you have absolutely no idea where the novel is going, form an outline to make it easier to figure out what comes next. You can always fill in the blanks later. It’s much easier to fill in blanks when the rest of the manuscript has already taken shape and you don’t have to block the motivation just because Chapter Two isn’t working at the moment.

A page a day will allow you to stay focused on your writing, and get that often dreamed about novel out from your imagination and onto the page. Simple advice we’ve constantly heard, but never follow.

So I leave you with the words of Paul J. Meyer – “Productivity is never an accident. It’s always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

Now’s the time. Follow this advice and write on!

The Accidental Blogger

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January 24, 2010 · 3:55 PM

Quotes as Writing Inspiration

Inspiration can come from anywhere. A thought, an idea, an image. Personally, my inspiration comes from life itself. I enjoy sitting alone at one of the many local Starbucks’, drinking coffee and people watching. I pretend to read – a textbook, novel, short story collection, or magazine – while paying attention to the nuances of body language, overhearing snippets of conversation and matching the gestures to the words. I look forward to discussions and arguments. Private phone conversations. Flirting. Even when I don’t understand the language being spoken, I almost always seem to understand what is being said; at least, what’s being said according to me.

But sometimes, the inspiration just isn’t there, and I look to writing prompts to help spark it. As I mentioned in some previous posts, I’ve been crafting writing prompts for a friend who asked me  to be her mentor so she can get over her writer’s block. Instead of struggling to come up with her own ideas, she bases her writing on assignments I give her, and aside from an extremely difficult one she hasn’t quite finished, it seems to be working for her.

Below is one of the assignments she was assigned. She came up with a very unique and interesting piece about lost love and future possibilities. It’s amazing what a little bit of inspiration can help produce. This prompt helped her; hope it can help you too.

I searched my old writing books and picked five unique and not-so-famous quotes. The assignment asked her to pick ONE quote, and craft a short story of no less than 300 words, and with no more than four characters, based that quote…

“All families build a Glass House, open to the world, and live inside it; these houses are our inheritance. My family’s house has the burden of being real as well. It needs to be heated and have its taxes paid.” – Dominique Vellay

“Huck just moves on. Alice just wakes up.” – Adam Gopnick

“Life, of course, never gets anyone’s complete attention. Death always remains interesting, pulls us, draws us.” – Janet Malcomb

“Men are always asking, “What do women want?” I think women mainly want men to cook and show up on time – you know, some of the basic stuff.” – Hans Ostrom, letter

“We travel into or away from our photographs” – Don DeLillo

Give it a try. Pick a quote and just start writing. You’ll be amazed what you come up with.

Write on!

The Accidental Blogger

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January 18, 2010 · 2:53 PM

The Six-Word Memoir

Everyone has a story to tell, but can that story be told in only six words? As SMITH Magazine has proved, it can. Taking a cue from Ernest Hemingway, who, according to literary legend, was once challenged to write a short story in only six words, SMITH Magazine set out to do the same, asking their readers to submit their own six word stories. Surprisingly, most of them are pretty interesting.

The six-word story that started it all, written by Mr. Hemingway:  “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

I first heard of the six word story in graduate school, although it was referred to as ‘the six-word memoir.’ It was an assignment that was given in a different section of a Fiction Writing class I was in. I was really hoping to be assigned the assignment  at some point during the program, but I never was. However, it stuck with me because I felt it was so unique. I love the thought of crafting a  memoir out of only six words. It seems easy, sure, but when I assigned it to my friend, whose writing I’ve been mentoring, she said it was the most difficult writing assignment she’s ever received.

Both simple and challenging, I feel this is a great prompt for any struggling writer, or those who have a brief block that’s keeping them from writing. It’s a good way to think creatively,  but short enough where it can be finished without too much hassle and agony. Below, I offer a few examples of the memoir (there are a few in the above pic as well) and challenge my readers to create their own.

#1 – Tracey Adlai is a Valley Girl.

#2 – Love (Almost Always) Leads to Heartache

#3 – Mrs. Cleaver meets Vivid Video vixen.

#4 – Then: Boys, Music. Now: Boys, Music.

#5 – Loved her family. Loved her country.

#6 – Sometimes lost. Sometimes found. Sometimes forgotten.

#7 – Eternally hopeful and madly in Love!

#8 – Fetching, loving, and just plain vicious.

#9 – They will say I was sweet.

#10 – Never really finished anything, except cake.

If you have any you’d like to share, please comment below or email me at theaccidentalblogger@gmail.com

Write on!

The Accidental Blogger

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November 14, 2009 · 4:09 PM

Writing Advice from Stephen King

Some great pointers for novice writers, from the King of Horror himself.

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November 5, 2009 · 2:56 PM

Writing What We Know

We’ve all heard the famous phrase ‘Write What You Know.’ This is the first piece of advice we learn in most beginner writing classes. As our writing advances, and we become better writers, we’re told not to follow this advice anymore, and branch out and try something different with our writing. While I agree with both methods, I think writing what we know brings an indescribable personality to our writing and makes it stronger. Why can’t we write what we know, and still try something different? Why not take our life story, or the story of someone we know, and give it a unique voice we’ve never given our writing before?

I feel that writing is strongest when the writer creates a world they’re familiar with. Why delve into a WWII romance if you haven’t studied that time and place and don’t know anything about it? Why recreate Paris if you’ve never been? There’s no point because the piece will feel stilted and fake.

We’ve all been in writing workshops where an overly ambitious beginner has tried to create a world h/she knows nothing about. We’ve all watched as h/she has failed miserably and gotten criticized for a piece that just doesn’t feel right. This kind of writing rarely works. So, if I may offer some advice, please do write what you know, despite what you’re told later in your writing career, but don’t take the easy way out. Take what you know, and make it unique. Try a different way of storytelling you’ve never tried before. Use a narrative voice you otherwise wouldn’t. Write what you know, but still be creative.

You might be surprised at the results.

The Accidental Blogger

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