Trevor's Writing

Writing Prompt #4: About my friend

2 Comments »22nd February, 2008; Category: Writing Hints, Writing prompts

Time for another writing prompt

Why not try writing about your best friend?

This could be a warm up exercise before getting on with your current writing project. It could also be the gem of and idea for a magazine article. It might also be used as a special letter to enclose with your card or gift when your friend next has a birthday. Whatever you choose to do. The main motivation is to practise your writing and to hone your skills.

Here are some suggestions for writing about your best friend.

Fifteen reasons why ___________ is my best friend.
My friend’s favourite foods.
Thirteen things I like about _______.
Eight activities I enjoy doing with my friend.
Three habits of my friend that annoy me intensely.
Four things I admire about my friend _______.
How I first met my friend _______.
Six bizarre facts about my friendship with ______.
Eleven pieces of evidence that my friend is far crazier than I ever will be.
Ten things my friend might say about me at my funeral.

Put your friend’s name in the blank spaces.

The numbers are rubbery; use whatever number you prefer because they are only suggestions.

Alternative activity:

Try the same suggestions, but with someone you cannot stand being with – or even someone you detest. (If you try this activity and write about your wife/husband/partner or significant other, do NOT leave your writing lying around – unless you want to make a less than subtle point or two, or have a death wish.)

Good writing.

Are you a student of writing?

1 Comment »18th February, 2008; Category: The Writer's Life, Writing Hints

Many people get the idea that they are going to have a go at being a writer. They get out some pens and paper, or fire up the computer and set to work. The vast majority do not get much further than that. Most people do not take the time to become a student of the craft of writing, they do not make the effort to learn how to do it.

Are you an aspiring writer? If so, you need to do your apprenticeship, learning as you go. There is no short cut method. It takes effort and time. I will ignore the Chosen Few who are so gifted and are naturals; they do not need help in developing their skills. Most of us do. If I want to play a classical piece of music on a pianoI just cannot sit down at the key board and play; I must spend many hours, days and even years learning and practising before I will be half-way good at it. So it is with writing.

Here are some ways you can learn about the craft of writing:

Read books about writing.
Subscribe to magazines about writing.
Join a writers’ group.
Join a writers’ Centre.
Attend conventions and conferences.
Attend seminars and workshops for writers.
Search for suitable article on the internet.

This list is just a start. Your learning process should be a life-long.

Over the years I have read many magazines and books about writing. This morning I added two more to my library. I am looking forward to reading them. I’ll share snippets from them on this blog as I read them. The books I bought are:

“Eats, shoots and leaves” by Lynne Truss. This has quickly become a classic in helping people grapple with punctuation.
“A novel in a year” by Louise Doughty. I read a great review of this book on the weekend just gone and was delighted to find it in my local bookshop. (The curse of a malady called “impulse buying.”) It could also be very useful in helping me write a novel as a part of my Masters of Arts course which I start this week.

Good writing – and studying.

Less blogging and more writing

No Comments »15th February, 2008; Category: Master of Arts course, The Writer's Life

A few days ago I wrote about the studies I am doing over the next two years while I complete my Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Yesterday my wife (who is also studying) and I went to the college for Orientation Day. We had our mug shots taken for the student ID card and then had a whirlwind guided tour of the library and resource centre facilities. After that we were invited to afternoon tea into the section called “The Loft” where all the Humanities lecturers have their offices. This is a section right up high in the building just under the roof, hence its name. It’s a cosy, intimate and friendly part of the college and somewhere we can hang out if we need to talk to the lecturers.

During the afternoon tea we were given some extra information about each of the courses. We also received our reading lists and assignment topics. On reflecting upon the lecture topics and reading through the assignments I was rather relieved at the level of expectations. I can do this was my immediate thought, something that ran quite contrary to other thoughts or terror and panic racing around my mind at 5:30am earlier in the day! The writing assignments include the usual essay type activities, but the emphasis is going to be on the creative writing process and actually creating new works. That is exactly what I wanted out of this course. It will keep me focussed.

One of the three units I am doing will be less writing but more reading. It is called “Literature and the Christian Faith.” I’ve been saying for some time that I need to be doing far more reading. Now I have to make good on that resolution. It will be the most demanding of the units I am doing as it does involve that extra reading.

As a result of my year of study I will have to cut back on my blogging and do more writing and reading. One thing I will do, however, is to use this blog to reflect on my reading and studies. So don’t go away – I’ll still be around. It’s just that the frequency of posts will become a little erratic at times.

Meanwhile – good writing.

Absolutely Scrabulous

No Comments »11th February, 2008; Category: The Writer's Life

Over the weekend my daughter introduced me to the wonderful game of Scrabulous. This is the old board game Scrabble modernised so that it is playable over the internet.

You can play with someone else, solitaire or against the computer. What a wonderful waste of time. My daughter was beating me soundly until the last few moves. Several high scoring moves right at the end won the day for me – much to her chagrin.

While this game could be addictive, and it could lead to a great deal of time wasting, there is a serious side of it for the writer. It is an excellent game for sharpening the thinking skills. It could possibly be used effectively as a daily warm up activity before beginning the writing for the day, providing one doesn’t get hooked and play multiple games. In the same way I currently use the daily cryptic crossword in the newspaper as a warm up writing related activity.

Good writing.

Opinion: we can change the world

3 Comments »9th February, 2008; Category: Opinion

Sometimes I get a little down – even depressed

I sometimes get depressed watching the television news or reading the newspaper and learning of the absolute depravity of some people. When I go online I discover that the internet seems to be the place where many of them congregate.

Then I spend time with friends or colleagues or the folk at church and I am uplifted again. When I experience the generosity and love and care and courage of others I am amazed and encouraged. Life then is good, people are great and all is well with my world.

Each one of us can do our little bit to make this a better place.

We CAN change the world – one kind, loving, caring act at a time.

Further reading:

To read more in my series of opinion pieces click here.