10 Creative Block Breakers That Actually Work Doesn't matter what you call it: writer's block or creative block or simply "Where is my inspiration when I need it?!" All creative individuals find their work coming less easily at some times than others. That's when you need strategies, and plenty of them. There are at least 90 such tips, tools, and techniques in , edited by Alex Cornell, with a foreword by Erik Spiekermann. is a fresh compilation of practical, real world solutions offered by a range of creative individuals, including graphic designers, artists, writers, and photographers. These are people who are employed in jobs where they are required to be creative, regularly (brief bios are in the back of the book). The insights in this perkily designed, light-hearted, and useful little volume are sometimes amusing, often unexpected. to find it more compelling. Place an ink-stained handprint on its blankness so you have something to fix. You can't criticize the results. in your episodes of creative block. , not just one. Blocked?
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do. Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals. Because that is what writing is all about. Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. The blank white page. Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” Finding a really good muse these days isn’t easy, so plan on going through quite a few before landing on a winner. There are two things more difficult than writing. It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer.
Writing Exercises and Prompts for Journaling, Prose, Poetry and Memoirs These Writing Exercises are a collection of prompts originally published in The Journal Newsletter. The prompts include journaling prompts, prose prompts, poetry prompts, free writing prompts, and memoir prompts. Jump to the exercises you would like to see: Prompts Copyright © by Susan Michael and David Michael. Journaling Prompts Journaling Prompt - Imagine yourself in a place you like to be (not necessarily someplace you like to *go*). Journaling Prompt - Pretend that you see yourself walking into a room. Journaling Prompt - Create a list of images that symbolize the following: toughness, cruelty toughness, strength Journaling Prompt - Close your eyes for a minute and imagine you are skydiving. Journaling Prompt - Sit yourself in a favorite spot, or imagine an ideal place and describe it as an expanding bubble or sphere. Journaling Prompt - Hold your hands out in front of you, palms down. Journaling Prompt - By what do you measure your value as a person? Free Writing Prompts Poetry Prompts
Thirteen Writing Prompts. [Originally published May 4, 2006.] Write a scene showing a man and a woman arguing over the man’s friendship with a former girlfriend. Do not mention the girlfriend, the man, the woman, or the argument. Write a short scene set at a lake, with trees and shit. Choose your favorite historical figure and imagine if he/she had been led to greatness by the promptings of an invisible imp living behind his or her right ear. Write a story that ends with the following sentence: Debra brushed the sand from her blouse, took a last, wistful look at the now putrefying horse, and stepped into the hot-air balloon. A wasp called the tarantula hawk reproduces by paralyzing tarantulas and laying its eggs into their bodies. Imagine if your favorite character from 19th-century fiction had been born without thumbs. Write a story that begins with a man throwing handfuls of $100 bills from a speeding car, and ends with a young girl urinating into a tin bucket.
Where to Find Ideas for Writing a Story Ideas for writing a story It always seem like there are too many writing ideas or not enough. When you don’t have time to write, ideas come hurtling out of nowhere. Sometimes, they come so fast, you can’t even write them all down. Chances are, you’re not really out of ideas; you’re just not in the mood to write. Luckily, ideas for writing a story are all around you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. What kind of stories do you write? About Melissa DonovanMelissa Donovan is a website designer and copywriter. How To Make An Animated GIF In Photoshop - 2014 Style Hello There! Angie here from Angie Makes. With the New Year right around the corner I thought it would be fun to go over how to make some festive Happy New Years- 2014 animated GIF images. Here's the end product we'll be making. These GIFs are fun, can liven up your blog posts, and are pretty easy to make with Photoshop's animation panel and a few handy Creative Market resources. Let's dive in. 1. 2. And then I needed the perfect girly font to match (also just $5. And because who doesn't love a paintely texture? 3. 5. Now here's the thing about the animation panel. Now. 6. 7. Here's to wishing everyone a very happy 2014!
Writing Challenges Ice, Water, Steam For this week’s writing challenge, take on the theme of H2O. What does it mean to be the same thing, in different forms? Hindsight is 20-20 What if you had the power to rewrite history? You do. Countdown ‘Tis the season for suspense-building lists. Digging for Roots In this week’s Weekly Writing Challenge, tell us about what makes you, you. Overheard This week’s writing challenge revolves around my favorite inspiration: eavesdropping. Pie Food evokes all the senses: the scent of pastry baking, the sound of a fork clinking on a plate… This week, make our mouths water with stories about pie. Oh, The Irony This week’s challenge explores one of the oldest — and trickiest — literary devices. Find a Muse in the Masters Write a new piece using Nighthawks by Edward Hopper as your inspiration. The Butterfly Effect The idea that everything is connected becomes most interesting when applied to ourselves. Genre Blender The Unreliable Narrator Interview
50 of the Best Websites for Writers There are tons of reference sites on the web that can help you find a job or write a poem, essay or story. Here is a list of the best 50 websites for writers. Reference Websites Merriam-Webster Online - Merriam Webster is the perfect place to look up words and find information. The site offers a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, podcasts, word games and a lot of other things that may be of interest to writers and word-lovers. General Writing Websites Writer's Digest - Probably one of the best all-around websites for writers, Writer's Digest offers information on writing better and getting published. Fiction Writing Websites About.com - About.com publishes a Guide to Fiction Writing with general information about fiction writing and a number of community forums for both current and aspiring writers. Nonfiction Writing Websites Bella Online - This site offers a large collection of resources for nonfiction writers. Websites for Freelance Writers and Authors