Reading through a writer's notebook or journal is like discovering pearls, rubies and diamonds amidst a pile of rubble.
That little notebook is a powerhouse of ideas for every writer: The more you write down bits and pieces of your thoughts and observations, the more you are adding into the well of ideas for future works.
Here are a few things you can record in your notebook or journal, so that in case you run out of ideas to write about, you can refer to it:
Your Shoeboxed Life: Write what you know, feel and experience. Jot down snippets of events in your life. Write a sentence or a paragraph about a funny, embarrassing, happy or infuriating experience.
The Interesting People. Scribble descriptions of people you meet every day. How do they react in certain situations? How do their names fit their image?
A Word a Day. Whenever an interesting word catches your attention, write it down. It may have a different meaning for you a month or a year from now. If you keep a list of words in your notebook, these words can serve as story starters for you.
Those Quotable Quotes. A meaningful quote can start you off to writing. Collect quotes you come across that interest you.
Ordinary People with their One-Liners. Overheard lines in a conversation can sometimes spark your creative mind. Write down these one-liners in your notebook. They can be great story starters.
Something You Read. Read good books. Keep a file of memorable lines or quotes. Write down quirky billboard ads. Scan the papers for one-liners. These are good idea stimulators.
Emotions. Describe what you feel at any given moment. If you feel angry right now, write what your anger feels like. Descriibe it. Use vivid words.
Writers are similar to store owners. Store owners stock their supplies in their shelves, while you stock ideas between the pages of your little writer's notebook.
You can make your stock endless, bottomless. You can reach down again and again for inspiration without exhausting your notebook of reserve.
So start stocking your writer's notebook today. A week from now, take a peek in it and you just might find something there that could connect your pen to paper.
About The Author
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
Shery is the author of the book, WEEKLY WRITES: 52 Weeks of Writing Bliss! Grab a copy from amazon.com and get free unlimited access to the amazon.com Exclusive Members Area that features over $250 worth of goodies! amazon.com
cleaning help near Mundelein ..One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why. You... Read More
How long should your chapters be?I can't resist... I have... Read More
Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More
Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a... Read More
If you're targeting an educated, more affluent audience with your... Read More
Q: How do I expand on an idea without getting... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree... Read More
If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More
During the years that I've been teaching writing and participating... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
Kallu was a tenant of Santosh Kumar Nayak. Santosh Kumar... Read More
If you have an online home based business you know... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father... Read More
If you either want to write a book to help... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
reliable maid service Wilmette ..Do you have trouble getting your thoughts and ideas down... Read More
Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project,... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
Compiling a list of the history's ten best writers is... Read More
Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of... Read More
You send me an e-mail. You tell me you've written... Read More
Remember the days when we wrote with pen and paper?... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More
Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More
BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More
Write Right - You have an all important business letter... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Writing |