Home
>
Writing
>
6 Ways to Jump-Start Your Writing Day

6 Ways to Jump-Start Your Writing Day

1. PLAY A GAME LIKE SOLITAIRE

....for half an hour or so before you start to write. Some writers find this mentally 'prepares' them for writing - it's a bridge between their ordinary lives and their writing. The repetitive activity can free up your right brain.

2. DO 15-20 MINUTES OF FREE WRITING

...before you start your 'regular' writing projects. If you don't know what to write, start by describing the room you're sitting in, or the day outside. Write anything - but do write. Don't let yourself stop until your time is up. Very often, you'll find your mind drifting to the project in hand.

3. WRITE A LETTER

.... to a friend, describing your ideal writing life. End with '... and the first thing I'll do towards obtaining this is...' and fill in the answer. Think about how much you want that writing life. The first step is to begin work on your current project!

4. FINISH SOMEONE ELSE'S PARAGRAPH.

Grab any novel from your shelves. Turn to a page at random and jot down the first whole sentence you see. Now write a page that flows on logically from that first sentence. 5. THINK BACK TO THE LAST STRANGER YOU SAW ...that you can remember). It may have been someone in a shopping centre; it may have been someone standing in the same queue. Why do you remember this person? Invent a background for this character.

6. WRITE A PAGE ABOUT AN INCIDENT IN YOUR DAY

....in the first person. Now write about it again, from the point of view of a stranger looking on. What did you learn about yourself?

These are only six of many possible stimuli that might fire your imagination as a writer. When you're really stuck, try jotting down a list of 'Creativity Starters' yourself. Ask other writers how they begin their writing sessions.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

best cleaning company Highland Park ..

In The News:

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.