When I don’t know what to write, writing prompts and challenges are my go-to writer’s block busters. The one I’ve tackled most recently is the Sweet Seven presented by author Hannah Deurloo, and if you like writing for children, give her challenge a shot! Here’s what I love about them:
1. Writing Prompts are Short
Like a handful of blueberries (as opposed to a meal), writing prompts are low commitment and energy-packed. They don’t take long to write, and that’s a big deal. When I feel stuck, I want to get moving again fast. A prompt can get me from A to B in a paragraph. Boom.
2. You’ve Got Room to Grow
Whether the challenge is a paragraph, page, flash fiction, or short story, you can always make it longer if you want to. I love the creative freedom this brings. I once did a 24-hour challenge with a friend, and the story that came from it was cooler than I anticipated. Maybe one day it will be a novel, but for today, it’s something started with room to grow.
3. Hello, Focus
If a river is blocked, the water disperses. The same kind of thing happens (at least to me) with writer’s block. Instead of cutting a clear path, my thoughts can begin to go all over the place. A prompt gives me a problem to solve. Navigating the waters becomes the focus again, and I’m back on course.
4. Gain a New Perspective
Writers can be great builders, but when we always use the same materials, the work gets mundane. If you use a book, an online challenge, or even make up your own writing prompt with a friend, it forces you to try something out of your box. And that, my friends, helps to get those inventive wheels turning again.
You can do it! What challenge will you conquer today?
Until next time,
Invent your story
The coolest thing happened this week. I got a comment. It wasn’t a, “Hey, I like what you’re doing!” kind of comment – although I appreciate all feedback. It was a, “I get criticized for my out-of-the-box thinking, and your words really encouraged me…” kind of comment.
Not a public comment. Not a “two thumbs up” from a well-known critic that’s going to make my career. It wasn’t a call from an agent. It was a person who was facing a challenge, and my words encouraged them.
Wow.
You know what, writers? It’s worth it. For that alone, it’s worth it. Yes, writing takes hours, days, weeks, and years. Yes, you may never make a dime from it. It may take a very, very long time (if you’re like me) and you are going to face a zillion challenges in every form imaginable.
For that one person, it’s worth it.
People say to write for yourself, and I don’t argue that. Putting those thoughts, words, and ideas onto paper is fulfilling, and if you’re only writing for others, you may lose yourself in the process. Write like you. Write for you. Just write. It’s good.
But with billions of people on the planet, there’s a good chance someone out there will benefit from what you have to say. From honesty. From your brand of crazy – because we all have our own brand of crazy.
My goal, this week, is to let one of the people who’ve encouraged me know that they’ve made a difference in my life. I’m part of someone’s “target audience” too – and I’m easily part of the “audience” of the person whose comment had an impact on me. Friends, we need each other, and that is a gift.
Until next time,
Invent your story
If you’re looking for more encouragement, check out Chocolates and Writing Advice. Happy Friday!
How long has it been since your last adventure? I’m not talking about reading a book or using your imagination today. I mean the lapse of time since you last slipped on the shoes you don’t usually wear, walked to a place you don’t usually go, and tried something you’ve never tried before.
Writers are stereotyped for a reason. We can get really stuck in our heads. I don’t think we avoid adventures on purpose – I think sometimes we forget we’re not having them because we imagine a new escapade every day.
Experts say reading and writing each day will improve your skills, and it’s true. But if you’re reading, writing, and looking at your work with disgust every day, then doing the work isn’t your problem.
The problem could be you need to live a little bit.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. – Henry David Thoreau
This is one of Thoreau’s most famous quotes. The beautiful thing is he wasn’t just making up pretty words: he lived it. He went into the woods and deliberately lived. Your adventure doesn’t have to be as intense as Henry’s, but be deliberate.
Awhile ago, I had some free time that I could have spent writing, but I went downtown Grand Rapids instead. I put away my old sneakers for fancier shoes (that gave me blisters to remember them by) and strolled along the sunny streets. The city was full of history, busyness, mystery, and untold stories. I may or may not have forgotten where I parked at one point.
From the monument celebrating Rosa Parks to the curious Bull’s Head overhang, Grand Rapids was a beautiful place to deliberately live for an afternoon. When you step outside today, take in the air, the rain, and the mayhem. Let yourself be inspired.
Until next time,
Invent your story
At my writer’s group this week, a college-bound girl asked the crew about choosing a degree. She loved to write, but she wasn’t sure if she should major in English or something else. I remember wearing those shoes a long time ago. There’s more than one path to a fulfilling life of writing.
The Pros of Earning an English/Writing Degree
I’m friends with a number of people who’ve graduated from an English/Writing program or have earned an MFA, and we’ve had similar experiences. Students dive into the writing craft, workshop a lot of papers, and get a fantastic overview of different career avenues for writers from technical to creative writing.
Studying language roots in linguistics fascinated me. College was beneficial and fun because I was able to excel at what I loved most. After graduation, there wasn’t a one-size-fits-all career path, and there certainly wasn’t guaranteed employment in my field. It’s a unique degree.
The Pros of Earning a Different Degree
When you love to crunch numbers, create new food combinations, and enjoy writing, then how do you choose a major? Every person is unique, and writing is a beautiful art that doesn’t need an English major for success. If you love the culinary arts, you can fuse that into writing by blogging about meal-related topics, write children’s books that have fun with food, create a cookbook, or invent a new avenue that combines writing, cabbage, and coconuts.
You won’t just have writing opportunities, you will have a “niche market” with expertise in your non-writing field. I have a friend who majored in business, and she’s a writer. It’s easy for her to see the business-side of marketing her work because it’s already in her toolbox. I fully support expanding your horizons with a degree outside of writing, even if you love to write.
Why I Chose the English/Writing Degree Path
When I walked the halls of my university, I entertained dreams, doubts, and wanted to do it all. Someone in a creative fiction class posed the “to degree or not to degree” question to my professor, and her answer solidified my choice forever. She said this:
Only choose English/Writing for a career if you can’t do anything else.
That sounds bad, but think of it this way: if you wake up wanting to write, dream up stories as your shop for groceries, and keep a pen and paper with you at the beach (for just in case) then you may fall into the fold of writer addicts who can’t do anything else. Getting a degree in writing will not waste your time or money, because it’s not about the time or the money. It’s about what comes to life on the page.
If you choose a different career path and love to write, then never stop writing and please share your work. There are endless benefits to traveling this road. One of the most creative writers I know is the one with the business degree, and the world is a better place because her stories are a part of it. You can check out her blog at questtype.com.
For every banker, hairdresser, rocket scientist, or rock crusher who wants to write: don’t let anything hold you back. It’s your life.
Invent your story.