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Writing Prompt #2: Happiness

3 Comments »3rd February, 2008; Category: Writing prompts

Here is a quick and easy writing prompt.

It can be used as a warm-up exercise to get your writing brain going in the morning, or when you don’t know what to write about.

Happiness

Write about happiness.

In a ten minute period, finish this line in as many ways as you can:

“Happiness is….”

Here are some examples to get you going:

  • Happiness is smelling a beautiful rose.
  • Happiness is seeing a beautiful sunset.
  • Happiness is snuggling into a warm bed on a cold night.
  • Happiness is a bowl full of strawberries and icecream.
  • Happiness is…

Go to it.

Good writing.

Hint: Why not share a few of your sentences in the comments?

Write while the heat is in you

No Comments »2nd February, 2008; Category: Blogging, Quotes, The Writer's Life, Writing Hints

“Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.” Henry David Thoreau.

I have found that it is important to always carry a small notebook. There have been times when I have had a brilliant thought (or so it seemed at the time) only to forget it because I had not written it down immediately.

I usually carry a small notebook in my shirt pocket. This serves a number of general purposes as well as a help with my writing. Some of these uses include:

  1. To record a list of the birds I see (so I can write about them on my blog called Trevor’s Birding).
  2. To list any shopping I need to do.
  3. To list places I want to go.
  4. To write down story ideas.
  5. To list ideas for blog articles.
  6. To write short poems or haiku.
  7. To record the names and contact details of people I meet.
  8. To record feelings, ideas, experiences so I don’t forget those first impressions.
  9. To list things to do.
  10. To list things to remember.

When you have a good idea, write it down. Don’t trust it to memory.

Good writing.












			

	
		

		
			
		
		

			
Be more productive – write quickly

			

				No Comments »1st February, 2008; Category: Blogging, Writing Hints			
	
			
			

				
I regularly receive newsletters about writing both in the mail and electronically. Keeping up with all that reading can be time consuming and sometimes a little distracting. Managing all this incoming information is crucial for a writer. I must admit that I haven’t mastered that art just yet – but I’m working on it.


One electronic newsletter editor wrote about being productive as a writer. She suggested that effective writers write quickly and therefore are more productive. Rather than slaving over a sentence or a paragraph for hours, she suggests trying to just get it all down – and worry about editing out the rubbish later during a rewrite. I have to agree with her up to a point.


I often find that writing quickly keeps the creative juices flowing. The momentum created by writing rapidly is self generating. The more you write the more you are able to write. Writing quickly can free up the editor inside your head wanting to stop and polish, rewrite, edit, change and improve your writing. Switch off that editor and just keep writing. Let all the good stuff come mixed up with the rubbish. Later, during the rewriting and editing stages, is the time to refine, correct, polish and delete.


Her theory is that the more you write the more the good bits will shine above the bad parts.


(Now I have to go back and edit this piece.)


Good writing.


Further reading:


			

	
		

		
			
		
		

			
Back to writing again

			

				No Comments »31st January, 2008; Category: The Writer's Life			
	
			
			

				
I haven’t done much writing over the last week or so, nor have I posted much here for a while.


Did you miss me?


Oh, well, never mind. I missed posting and hearing comments from readers from all over. The first problem arose the weekend before last. No internet connection for the best part of four days. I find that very frustrating when I want to get on with blogging, doing research and dealing with incoming emails and comments. As it turned out, the solution suggested by my service provider was as simple as rebooting the router. Bingo! Everything now works fine. Often it is the simplest things that can overcome the biggest problems. And I shouldn’t have let it stress me out so much.


Pen and paper


On the positive side, it forced me back to pen and paper for a few days. I managed to complete an administrative task I’d been putting off for too long. It was something that could only be done on paper and so it didn’t need the computer or the internet.


Illness – again


Hard on the heels of the internet problems came further illness. I had a massive allergic reaction to something. I’ve had a history of minor reactions to artificial sweeteners over recent years. This is usually solved by a single antihistamine tablet and the intensive itching lessens within the hour and the welts go down over 24 hours. This was different. It lasted nearly five days and covered almost all of my body. I was taking antihistamines every six hours to ease the itching. All that did was make me terribly drowsy. I slept or dozed through the week, a state not conducive to concentrating on writing.


Now this week I have been recovering from some severe dental work. This has also left me in a state of discomfort for three days.


Emergency blog posts


I have written a number of times about the benefits of having some emergency articles ready for posting on your blog. I usually work up to several weeks ahead and have sometimes a dozen or more articles timed to appear here, one every day. This has been very helpful in times past when illness occurs, or other responsibilities get in the way or I am away on holidays or travelling. This time I had nothing in reserve, so I appreciated those times in the past when I had worked and planned ahead sufficiently.


Anyway – its now back to writing again.


Good writing.

			

	
		

		
			
		
		

			
Writing Hint #44: Edit, edit, edit

			

				1 Comment »17th January, 2008; Category: Writing Hints			
	
			
			

				
Over recent days I have highlighted the different stages of writing:


Step 1: Plan


Step 2: Write


Step 3: Rewrite


Step 4: Edit


The editing stage is often overlooked by inexperienced writers. This is a crucial stage in the writing process. In the editing stage you need to go back over every word in the piece of writing; it doesn’t matter if it’s a fifty word filler paragraph or a five hundred thousand word novel.


Check for these things:


    

  1. Check Spelling: spelling mistakes are avoidable; check – don’t assume it’s right.
    2. 

  2. Use the correct homophones: get to know the difference between know and no, right, rite and write, to, too and two. There are dozens more.
    3. 

  3. Use the right word: make sure you are using the right word for the context. For example, “She gave the allusion that she was very intelligent.” The correct word should be “illusion.”
    4. 

  4. Punctuation: make sure it is all there – and that it is used correctly. Study the classic authors and how they use punctuation for effect.
    5. 

  5. Check your typing: no matter how carefully you type, errors will creeep in – see what I mean? Get someone else to check for typos. And watch out for words that have been missed out. (I actually found one after I published this article.)
    6. 

  6. Check your use of apostrophes: mastering these is crucial. If you don’t, the Apostrophe Police will come knocking at your door, headed by my daughter.
    7. 

  7. Cut out all unnecessary words: ideally, this is done in the rewriting stage. Avoid padding just to reach the word count. (I just cut out four unnecessary words from that last sentence.)
    8. 

  8. Grammar: use correct grammar. This is too big a topic for this short article.
    9. 



Good writing.


Further reading:



Remember:


    

  • Read every day.
    • 

  • Write every day.
    • 

  • Take time for yourself every day.
    • 




			

	
		

		
			
				
		
	

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