One of the perennial questions writers ask is, “Where do you get good ideas?” It’s a fair question because all of us have struggled with finding good ones for our writing. The overriding feeling we have is that we need to do something more, or add some technique, in order to find great ideas. In … Read more
In the fiction-writing community, there are two terms thrown around quite a bit: plotters and pantsers. Plotters are writers who know the whole plot of the story before they start writing. Pantsers are those who write “by the seat of their pants” and prefer to start with a situation, then discover the plot as they … Read more
In the law-enforcement community, a person of interest is a phrase used to describe someone who may be involved in an ongoing investigation or connected with a crime, but they haven’t been formally accused of a crime. This person has created buzz and interest because of their actions. You can do the same thing also. … Read more
There is a fascinating scene in the original 1984 Ghostbuster movie that has an interesting application for writers. The three ghostbusters, played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis are trying to capture a ghost flying around a hotel ballroom. Their proton packs emit a powerful stream of energy that trap the ghost and … Read more
The Disney Imagineers are a group of architects, engineers, designers, and writers known for being one of the most creative think tanks on the planet. The group was originally founded by Walt Disney to oversee the production of Disneyland in California, but today is responsible for designing and building Disney theme parks and attractions all … Read more
In your writing life, you will find that it’s easy to let go of some things, and much harder to let go of others. One of the items it’s difficult to let go of is books. After all, you’re a writer… why would you get rid of books? The reality is that we fill our … Read more
We have been talking about the importance of a growth mindset. If we look at growth as a natural byproduct of good habits we practice on a regular basis, the first habit is preparing the soil of your mind. The second one is planting. We writers deal with thousands of seeds. Those seeds are ideas. … Read more
Everyone who has ever planted anything knows that you can’t just throw seeds on the ground. You must prepare the soil. Otherwise, the soil won’t be ready to receive the seeds. The seeds will die and all the effort and future potential will have been wasted. Your creative mind works the same way. It can’t … Read more
Have you ever sat in a coffee shop and listened to the conversations happening around you? It’s fascinating. 99% of the time, people are only talking about themselves. Almost everyone in every social situation makes a conversation about them. It is rare to hear someone who is listening empathetically to the other person who is … Read more
Has this ever happened to you? You block out time on your calendar, you get your pen or pencil—or computer—ready, and you sit down at your desk, ready to write. You’ve been looking forward to this time and can’t wait to get your creative juices flowing. So, you sit there, patiently waiting for the Muse … Read more