Another writing prompt from our buddy Ian Scofield.
You are going on the greatest adventure of your life! Where is it? How do you get there? What do you do while you are there? Who do you go with? Think on this and start writing within a minute or so.
Goal: 7 minutes of writing.
Have fun, folks.
I saw a bumper sticker today:
“Love people. Cook them healthy food.”
I immediately thought to add a single, strategically placed, period:
“Love people. Cook them. Healthy food.”
And that, my friends, is why professional writers are worthwhile investments. The ability to spot and make that tiny change to express exactly what you want to express.
But I promised a contest. Readers, find a catch phrase, song lyric, tshirt, bumper sticker, line from an ad, whatever.
Change one tiny thing. Move punctuation, swap out a homonym. Change the meaning. Be funny. Post both in the comments.
Have fun.
Step 1. Go here:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/12/tools-and-insight.html
Step 2. Read it. Think.
Step 3. Come back. Comment.
This week’s prompt is going to be a little more difficult for some of us. We are going to be writing an instruction manual. The challenge? It is for a product that has not yet been invented, you are going to be creating it and bring it to life via your writing. The product/item has to be something completely new, it can’t exist already. There is a little leeway in the fact that it can be for a purpose someone has already thought of. I encourage you put a little thinking time (5 minutes max) before you start writing so that you can format this the way you want.
Note: It may also be helpful to draw some illustrations for your work if you are good with a pencil. Sorry I won’t be illustrating, I can’t draw.
Thanks as always, Ian.
Once upon a time, I ran a martial arts studio with 120 students. I spent 10 to 12 hours every day surrounded by high energy people, teaching classes, solving problems and talking with a cast of just over 500 characters who passed through my doors each week.
Now, I type at a computer for a living.
I love my job. The money, flexibility and variety are simply better than working in martial arts. But it can get lonely.
Which is where writing communities come in. Besides curing “lonely writer syndrome,” they provide a sounding board for your ideas. They serve as alpha and beta readers for your manuscripts. They provide accountability via verbal gobslaps if you don’t meet your goals.
Writing communities are, as the lady says, “A Good Thing.” Though there is infinite variety in these, as in all other things, I see three basic categories of writing community.
Writer Groups
These are small cadres of writers who get together to share and critique work. Rarely part of a larger organization, they meet regularly to help each other out.
Pros include a tight group of people you know well, and a regular structure of meetings. The biggest con is that you end up with the same five or six opinions every time.
You can find writers groups on local meetups, checking at bookstores and through Facebook and other social media sites.
Writing Forums
If you have the thick skin necessary to deal with the inevitable troll, you can join a writing forum. At any time day or night, some random fellow member can provide research advice, encouragement and critiques.
Pros include a wide array of opinions and experience, along with constant access to help and guidance. On the con side, the medium doesn’t lend itself to forming tight relationships.
Some of my favorite writing forums include Children’s Book Isider, WritingForums.org, and the forums over at WritersMarket.com. Freelance Writers’ Den merits a special mention because it comes with a great suite of articles and tutorials that are really helping me out. There’s a link to them to the right.
Professional Associations
You’d be amazed how many writers’ associations there are. National freelance associations, regional associations, genre associations, regional genre associations…each with their own newsletter, fee structure and annual events.
For the most part, these associations don’t give you the day-to-day help or a forum or writer group. They instead keep you in the loop for news, opportunities and chances to network. Most associations offer at least one convention or workshop each year — and they’re well worth going to. Membership gets you discounts for these conventions in addition to the standard benefits.
One last thing about associations: The Pacific Northwest Travel Writers Conference runs on April 29 & 30 this year in Port Townsend, WA. I’m speaking, so show up.
Thanks for listening.