Writing Information
| |
Writing Information |
|
|
|
|
Are Writing Exercises Effective?
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis was once asked to give a lecture on writing to a group of college students: "Looking out at this gathering," he said to the assembled students, "makes me want to know how many of you really and truly wish to become writers?" Every hand in the room went up. Lewis looked at them for a moment and then folded his notes and put them away. "If that's true," he said, "then the best advice I can give you is to go home and start writing." He then turned and left the room. If the first secret of writing is to write and if you've set up some sort of writing schedule, the next step is to figure out what to write. Opening a brand new file and looking at a blank screen often results in a kind of brain-freeze; we feel as idea-less as the empty screen we're staring at. Writing exercises can help us thaw our idea bank. The goal of a writing exercise is to open your mind and allow you to hone your skills and experiment. The joy of such an exercise is it's not 'for real.' That is, there's no thought of pleasing an editor or finding a publisher or meeting a deadline or getting paid. You're just writing, with your internal editor turned off. Some freelancers find writing exercises so effective and freeing they actually begin every writing session with a 10 or 15-minute exercise. Others use them more sporadically. But however you do it, writing exercises will help you with your writing. Use writing exercises in your writing schedule, as a natural part of your writing discipline; use the exercises often and watch your writing improve. Ideally, a writing exercise is short, requiring you to spend no more than 10 or 15 minutes writing, thinking and feeling about something that's unrelated to the rest of your writing work. In a way, they are like mini-meditations and mini-vacations because they clear out the cobwebs and give you a new view. It's that new view, that different way of seeing, of expressing, that's the key to a good writing exercise. Naturally, not every exercise blows your mind every time. Sometimes you are just not ready for the challenge presented, but even then, the seed is planted. Sometimes you are simply not up for doing a writing exercise, which is okay too. Again, simply reading can set some new thoughts in motion. Lana Hampton makes it easy to improve your writing skills. Visit her Writing website today for the latest writing tips and information.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Seven Suggestions To Develop a Superb Writing Style Every writer eventually develops her own unique style of writing. As you struggle to create your own voice, while focusing on the required standards, you may want to consider the following tips for improving your style and establishing a professional formula for success. Top Ten Ways to Write Like a Pro Checklist Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling copy thatezine publishers, related Web sites, and book audiences willclamor for? To sell well, your articles, reports, books, and copywriting need to pass the checklist below: 1.___Make your book or article title or headlines grab your reader by the collar. How to Have an Effective Writing Group The works you've written are numerous, ranging from short stories to even the novel, hidden in a storage bin (under the bed) collecting dust. But there comes a time when you must wipe away that dust, regain your pride, and prepare your babies for publication! But, how do you get such a critical, unbiased eye to analyze your works, offering both praise and criticism?It's simple-start a writing group!Creating a writing group is the easy part, but creating a functioning and beneficial writing group can be quite a task. Local Knowledge: Background and Historical Setting in Novels You're writing a story set in your local city, but one hundred years in the past. How can you recreate the feel of the past in your words of the present? Local knowledge, that's how. Knock-Out Writers Block: Listening To Your Inner Voice When I was young, I used to talk to myself. Long, drawn out, one-sided conversations. Bird by Bird It's easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there's so much to learn: What works? What's a waste of your time? Where should you invest your energy and money?Then you have to prioritize: Where should you start? What's the ONE THING that, if you don't do anything else for a while, is your best first step?Next, you've got to figure out how to get it all done. The Top Five Mistakes That Companies Make with Regard to Technical Documentation I've seen it time and again. One of the most common weaknesses that I've seen in engineering companies-indeed, an almost universal fault-is the lack of proper technical documentation. Writing Business Letters That Get The Job Done Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional business letters are still the main way that the majority of businesses officially communicate with their customers and other businesses.This is especially true when businesses want to formalize an agreement or an understanding. Why Researching Is Good, And A Failure To Do So Is Not What a lack of research could do to you.When creating an ebook how well do you research the topic before hand?It's absolutely crucial that you research what problems your target market is having and what they're spending money on. Prolific Writers Prolific authors write; they don't just dream about it. A good example is Georges Simenon of Inspector Maigret fame. Turbo Charge Your Career! Write And Produce Your Own Stage Play! Have you ever wondered how you can adapt your screenplay or novel into a stage play? Do you have a story that you yearn to see on stage? Or, maybe you're an actor frustrated by the barrage of fruitless auditions and dream of performing before a live audience. If so, writing and producing your own stage play just may be the ticket to turbo charging your career. 3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas There are many ways you can generate ideas you can use for your stories, articles and other creative pieces. Start with the three ways given below:1. Increase Your Chances Of Winning Writing Contests Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For starters it's a great way to get your name in print and in front of potential readers. Open a Vein If you want to be a writer, you must write and that requires sitting at your typewriter or computer and writing although it may not be easy. That also means avoiding all distractions that will keep one from writing-visitors, friends, relatives, television, radio, and anything that will keep the writer from concentrating on the task. Authors-Stop Expensive Mistakes Before you Spend on Professional Services So many clients come to me as a book or marketing coach telling me how they spent and wasted a lot of money and time following different well-known gurus in the book and publicity fields. Debbie's Story A recent client, Debbie, already got her books printed--over 900 left to sell from the 1000 at too much cost. Dont Rely on Your Spellchecker - or - The Importance of Good Proof Reading Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter to a customer, or submitting an article for publication, it is extremely important to demonstrate how professional you are. Not only does a series of spelling and grammatical errors show a discourtesy to your readers, it makes you look amateurish. Starting a Local Writers Group My husband is no poet, so when I offer my carefully pruned poetry for him to review, I get the usual and unsatisfying reply: "That' nice sweetie." Furthermore, he could care less about whom the Poet Laureate is and why I love his smoke pit conversation type poems. To Outline Or Not To Outline Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline?Outlines have proven quite effective for a lot of writers, and many of the famous stories we know and love--such as Star Wars--were outlined before they were fleshed out into a living, breathing story. (Well, metaphorically living and breathing, anyway. Using Technology to Improve Your Final Draft One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room with about 150 other would be writers, listening to a conference instructor tell us the keys to self-editing our manuscripts. The number of people in the room spoke to how important it is to make sure your work is crisp, and as close to publishable as possible. Mama Dont Allow No Fighting in Your Writing When you sit down to write a steamy romance, a spine-tingling horror story, or an action-packed adventure, lock the door. The last thing you need is your mother, father, coach, English teacher or pastor reading over your shoulder and giving you advice.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 www.Info-StoreHouse.com |
