Here’s an interesting nature photograph that will start your creative juices flowing. What do you see in it? Something human, natural, otherworldly? What made this tree what it is? What is it reaching for? What would it say if it … Continue reading
This week we have a guest post from author/poet Shirley Radcliff Bruton. She’s one of the most amazing poets I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with. I hope you find inspiration in her thoughts, whether you write poetry … Continue reading
Again we will mine our own experiences, our own emotions. Only through understanding ourselves can we bring life to our characters. This might be hard to do, but if you need to bring deep emotions to a story, you need … Continue reading
Sometimes it take only a few words to engage our imaginations. This one might seem like there’s little to it, but once you start writing you might just be surprised by what comes out. Set that timer, and start! To … Continue reading
As writers, we want our characters and our settings to be memorable and unique. This isn’t always easy to accomplish. They key is to look at your characters and settings as something other than what they actually are. That way, … Continue reading
Random events that happen can often be used to reveal character in our writing. Whether our characters are happy about it, sad, angry or indifferent, their response to these events lets the reader understand them a little better. (And if … Continue reading
When I was a little girl, I was always pretending to be someone else – especially when I went to the doctor for a shot! We all have fantasies about being someone other than who we are. These fantasies help … Continue reading
Most of us would be quite surprised to hear what other people really think of us. Now’s your chance to play with what you think others might say about you if they had the chance… It’s fun to do for … Continue reading
Who we hang out with, or would if we could be with anyone in the world, shows a lot about who we are. Same with our characters. The more we know about them, the easier it will be to write … Continue reading
What our characters do can’t surprise us if we really know who they are. That starts with knowing their background. Here’s a twist on the usual school-family-work snapshot. Write Over the Hump How well do you know your character? Write … Continue reading