TECH: 101 Tips (29)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting 20 June 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"When I'm having trouble, I read other people's work I admire. That gets me inspired. You can also visualize yourself as a movie director moving your characters around. That's nice and empowering. Or you could go the other way and imagine yourself as an assembly-line worker. Not empowering at all -- but good for reminding yourself that writing isn't always art. Sometimes you have to bang it out." A.J. Jacobs

Take a page from someone that you admire -- or perhaps take a look at that book that you can't believe got published? Anyway, get a shot of inspiration from some of the other writing around. Or back off and reconsider your writing as movie direction, or as the factory grinding out widgets? What about the monkeys madly typing?

Something to tuck in your journal perhaps -- different ways to inspire yourself, to help fan that flickering flame that keeps you writing. Take a moment and think about what gets you excited about writing. Put it down in your list. Now think about something else that helps you keep writing. Put that down. Try to come up with five different inspirations, butt-kickers, or whatever that helps you with your writing.