You Don't Need Inspiration!
BY SHERY MA BELLE ARRIETA-RUSS
Or do you?
Writers write. You shouldn't wait
around for inspiration to come. But sometimes, there are days you can't
get anything written down. Or you're at a loss for words. You can't
think of anything to write. You don't have any idea what to write about.
And then you end up believing you're
having writer's block.
You end up believing it too much, you
stop writing altogether. You might even think of yourself as not a real
writer.
And all because of what? You think your
muse deserted you? You think you have writer's block?
Think again! You don't need inspiration
to write! What you do need are prompts to help get your writer's mind
working and your hands writing or typing.
These prompts are your beginnings; the
glimmer; the little sparks that you can shape and fashion into stories,
articles, essays and features.
You don't need inspiration. All you
need is an idea.
And here are a dozen seeds you can try
out for yourself:
1. The first typewriter was patented on
July 23, 1829. Interview some of the writers in your group and find out
how they write. You can develop this into a light-hearted articles about
writers.
2. Many fictional characters are not
fictional at all. Write about one real person who has been
fictionalized.
3. Electricity is a recent discovery.
Think of 10 things to do when there's no power.
4. Pirates no longer just refer to the
highwaymen of the seas. There are different breeds of pirates today.
Write about today's pirates and what they're pirating.
5. Many words in the English language
come from the names of people — such as mesmerize (from Mesmer, a
hypnotist). Find out more words from people's names and write the story
behind the words.
6. The US Declaration of Independence
begins with this line: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal..." Write your own Declaration of Independence
by using the same line as your starting point.
7. How do you start a fan club? Write a
how-to on organizing a fan club for a favorite author, singer, actor or
sports figure.
8. How do planets die?
9. Expound or dispute this: "Where
science ends, religion begins."
10. Take a look at your bookshelf. Pick
one book and write a review of it.
11. How is privacy invaded on the
Internet?
12. Write an article on how to choose a
pet. Target your piece for kids aged 7-10.
Shery is the creator of
Ebook Pizzazz™,
over 100 MS Word templates that help you create eye-catching PDF ebooks.
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