TECH: 101 Tips (31)
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writercisesOriginal Posting 2 July 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:
"Whenever you read newspapers or magazines, read like a writer. While digesting the gist of the story, look for possible new takes, personality profiles to adopt for your characters, various sources to add to your research files, startling statistics -- whatever catches your interest. Keep a pair of scissors nearby as you read. If you come across an article that intrigues you but you're not sure what to do with it, clip it and add it to an idea folder." Michelle Medlock Adams
Reading, watching TV, the movies, sitting in the coffee shop -- it's all grist for the mill (don't you just love a good cliche?). Keep your eyes open, pay attention to what excites you, what interests you, what makes you think and feel. Grab hold of the events, the characters, the background, the details -- all the little bits and pieces that you can use in your own work.
Sometimes I think of it as the idea net -- there is this flood of stuff going past us all the time, in newspapers, mailing lists, magazines, books, and we fling our nets into the flood, pulling back a haul of ideas. If you have seen the fishing boats, the first thing they have to do is sort through, tossing the ones that haven't quite grown enough yet, dropping the ones that aren't the right kind, sifting and choosing the catch. It's hard work, but it's where the whole business starts.
Organize it the way that makes sense to you. An idea folder, a journal, or scribbles on napkins (although I will suggest that a small notebook makes those notes a little easier to read). Think of it as compost for your creative process... hum, that may not be the best image. Fodder for you to chew on? I don't know, today seems to be a farm metaphor day. Okay, whatever, collect those pieces!
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:
"Whenever you read newspapers or magazines, read like a writer. While digesting the gist of the story, look for possible new takes, personality profiles to adopt for your characters, various sources to add to your research files, startling statistics -- whatever catches your interest. Keep a pair of scissors nearby as you read. If you come across an article that intrigues you but you're not sure what to do with it, clip it and add it to an idea folder." Michelle Medlock Adams
Reading, watching TV, the movies, sitting in the coffee shop -- it's all grist for the mill (don't you just love a good cliche?). Keep your eyes open, pay attention to what excites you, what interests you, what makes you think and feel. Grab hold of the events, the characters, the background, the details -- all the little bits and pieces that you can use in your own work.
Sometimes I think of it as the idea net -- there is this flood of stuff going past us all the time, in newspapers, mailing lists, magazines, books, and we fling our nets into the flood, pulling back a haul of ideas. If you have seen the fishing boats, the first thing they have to do is sort through, tossing the ones that haven't quite grown enough yet, dropping the ones that aren't the right kind, sifting and choosing the catch. It's hard work, but it's where the whole business starts.
Organize it the way that makes sense to you. An idea folder, a journal, or scribbles on napkins (although I will suggest that a small notebook makes those notes a little easier to read). Think of it as compost for your creative process... hum, that may not be the best image. Fodder for you to chew on? I don't know, today seems to be a farm metaphor day. Okay, whatever, collect those pieces!
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