Category: Inspiration

September 18, 2018

Should We Write Manuals in Poetry?

What? Write manuals in poetry? Where on Earth did you come up with that nutty idea? How to Make a Shoe: A Poetic Manual by Jno. P. Headley, Jr. Remember when I introduced Project Gutenberg? Well, I’m a big fan, and I’ve used it many times for work or simply for reading. At one point when searching through it for a...

Categories Humor & Wordplay/Inspiration/Poetry Comments: 0

August 7, 2018

You Can’t Wait For Inspiration: Jack London Was Right!

I might use a hunting dog or a more modern weapon than the club (depending on what inspiration I’m chasing), but otherwise, I have to agree 100% with this Jack London quote. You can’t wait for inspiration to magically appear – that’s a good way to end up not writing. I might’ve said this a time or two (or three),...

Categories Inspiration/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

July 10, 2018

Inspire Your Writing with Fireworks

4th of July is Fireworks time! Fancy mixtures of minerals and explosive that dazzle the eye and shock the ear. Well, how about putting some of that “sound and fury” to work? Inspire your writing with fireworks. Can Fireworks Inspire Writing? Why Not? If you’re expecting a typical writing inspiration (think about the firework: how it looked, how it smelled,...

Categories Inspiration Comments: 0

June 19, 2018

5 Great Stephen King Quotes about Writing

I have yet to read Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, but from all signs, these 5 great Stephen King quotes about writing are just the metaphorical tip of the iceberg. So… I think I’ll have to give it a go.  1. Stephen King Quote “Description begins…” This is something that changed dramatically from my childhood interpretation...

Categories Inspiration/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

July 25, 2017

Breaking Hyperbole as Writing Inspiration

Breaking hyperbole as writing inspiration is one of the mainstays of creative writing. Especially genres like fantasy and science fiction. And since this tactic is so common, I’m guessing it’s not going to be a totally unfamiliar idea for most writers. That’s why this article isn’t meant to be a treasure trove of new ideas. Although that would be cool. ...

Categories Creative Process/Inspiration/Literary Device Exercises/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques/Writing Prompts Comments: 4

July 13, 2017

Ray Bradbury Called You a Sublime Fool

Sorry. I lied. That’s not true. Ray Bradbury actually called you “the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling.” Lol. Burn! Ok. Ok. Technically, he called himself that, too. And me. And anyone who ever wanted to be a writer. Or an artist. Man, what a jerk! Or, you know, a realist about the writing profession...

Categories Humor & Wordplay/Inspiration/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 2

June 8, 2017

The Evolution of Fairytales & Their Purpose

Some friends and I were discussing Disney movies, and one person mentioned that there are certain movies that she can’t stand to watch because of how Disney changed the original stories. Which made me think about the evolution of fairytales and how their purpose has changed over time. Remember the awful things that used to happen in the old fairytales? The...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Inspiration/Theatre & Film Comments: 4

May 18, 2017

The 5 Worst Excuses for Not Writing

You heard me. The 5 worst excuses for not writing. And if you know my opinion of writer’s block, you may be wondering what qualifies as “worst.” (They’re all bad, right?) Well, let’s just say these are the laziest and most self-defeating that I can think of (right now). 5 Lame Excuses for Not Writing (You heard me.)  1. It’s Sunny. Writing...

Categories Creative Process/Humor & Wordplay/Inspiration Comments: 0

April 6, 2017

A Writing Activity for Music and Poetry

This exercise is great for demonstrating how so much of a song’s power and meaning come from how the music and lyrics work together (I may refer to lyrics as poetry and vice versa). Technically, it’s only a writing activity for music and poetry if you do both parts; however, even the first part alone is worth the doing. Both because of...

Categories Inspiration/Literary Device Exercises/Poetry/Writing Prompts Comment: 1

December 8, 2016

Very Different Takes on Fairy Folklore

Maybe it’s all the commercials with not-so-bright Christmas elves (sometimes annoyingly so), but lately, I’ve had faeries on the brain. And, being me, that makes me think of how they’re used in books and how different authors have very different takes on fairy folklore. Have you ever listed all the books you’ve read that used old fairy folklore as inspiration? Well, don’t...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Inspiration/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 0