9 Ways to Outwit Writer's Block
1. Read a chapter of your WIP aloud to someone other than your cat. Invite feedback, if you’re brave. But mostly, just listen as you read. Do the words flow easily, roll nicely off the tongue? Do you stumble anywhere? Anything sound awkward? How’s the dialogue? Option: Record yourself reading it aloud, then listen to the recording.
2. Write a short story featuring one of your characters, something taking place outside the scope of your book. What did you learn about that character?
3. Go out for some people-watching. Listen closely to conversations of those around you, observe details of body language and facial expressions. Keep a notebook or Word file of your observations.
4. Imagine your main characters in dramatic situations and see what they would do. Your character is on an airplane that has just lost both engines and is plummeting toward the earth; a gun-wielding madman bursts into your character’s home during a family game night; an alien spacecraft lands in the character’s back yard. How do they respond? Do you know how your characters tick? Write it down.
5. Guess what? All your major characters just got laid off and need to look for new jobs. Create resumes for each of them. What kind of jobs might they look for? Are they ready for a career change?
6. Go to one of your favorite places – Starbucks, a ski slope, the gym, your couch – and have an imaginary conversation with your main character. Would they like it here? What would they want to talk about?
7. Record a conversation with a friend or spouse or child. Transcribe that conversation exactly as-is. Then rewrite the conversation so it sounds good on the page. What kinds of things do you have to cut, add, or revise to make it work?
8. Change your writing routine. If you usually write on your computer, grab a pen and notebook for a day. If you usually sit in your den, go out to a coffee shop. If you usually write in the morning, try a midnight writing spree. Forcing your brain to work differently can sometimes spark a new way of thinking.
9. Write a review of your book. Pretend you’re working for Publisher’s Weekly or Booklist or the New York Times and write as honest a review as you can about your WIP. Then heed your own advice to fix the things you noted that were weak.
By Rachelle Gardner
Those who write clearly have readers. Those who write obscurely have commentators.
Albert Camus (via amandaonwriting)
(Source: amandaonwriting)
(Source: honeyforthehomeless)
Retired shirts
I’m retiring some of my clothes tonight.
You know, throwing everything on my bed at 3 a.m. and launching each piece into a categorical pile such as, Keep, Save, Favorites, Can’t Get Rid Of, Will Wear One Day (even thought I’ve never worn it - or just that one time), Throw Away, Salvation Army, Goodwill (T-shirts you love, but are ready to part with - usually because of a boy), and Retire (also known as Keep in a Box at Moms).
For some reason, 3 am feels like the right time to make such decisions.
Luke just folds his clothes and places them in tubs and laundry baskets. He doesn’t ever feel the need to get rid of anything. He has late 90s Abercrombie piled with high school football practice pants. He keeps everything! The tubs and baskets are stacked along the walls in the bedroom. His wardrobe organization consists of putting his older clothes in the tubs stacked on bottom.
I have to constantly go through my clothes and try to get rid of what I can.
But I have this maternal need to save favorites for my future daughters or nieces that one day will ask me if i have anything vintage they can wear. So I choose a few pieces that I have loved and worn long enough to part with - but not part too far away from, just to my mom’s house, and that are in good condition for another generation to wear - and I retire them.
I’ve been saving clothes for these faceless, unborn DNA sharers since I was in junior high. Is that weird?
10 Things Jen Is Not at all Qualified to Ennumerate
A Writer’s Must Read.
I thought this blog post was so well written.
While I’m not at all qualified to write this piece (see point #1), it’s something that needs to be written, and I like to write things I feel need to be written, because it makes me feel like I’m contributing something original to the world. And by “original”, I mean “meaningful”, because everyone knows original shit is meaningful, even if it’s not very good. This is not very good, but you’ll probably read it anyway, because I’m “tumblr famous”. So here’s what sucks about being “tumblr famous”, and why you probably don’t want to be labeled as such.
1. People will call you “tumblr famous”.
Let’s first discuss for a minute (you can time me) what “famous” means. If someone is “famous”, that means they are “known by many people.” You with me so far? Good. So in order to evaluate whether someone is famous, we must first define the population within which we believe them to be famous. Here, that’s done for us. The person is presented as “tumblr famous”. Tumblr has around 120 million users — greater than the population of Mexico, the 11th most populous country in the world. How many followers does it take, then, to actually be “tumblr famous”? I don’t math so I’m just gonna say over a million. Well over. If you ain’t got those numbers, and people are referring to you as “tumblr famous”, they’re either lying or they’re jealous. I’ll lean towards the latter, with assumptions towards ignorance. The term “tumblr famous” is less an honorific than a sneer, because no one calls someone tumblr famous who actually is, and it’s pretty much only ever said derisively.
2. People will assume you have superhuman powers.
This is a fact. People will assume you can simultaneously find a cure for AIDS and all forms of cancer and world hunger, and wonder what the fuck is wrong with you, that someone capable of such things would be loitering about the internet, posting stupid shit about your shoes or your cat. They will assume you are lazy, and are wasting your powers when clearly you could make the world a better place — if only you didn’t waste your life on tumblr.
I don’t want to be somebody’s crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don’t want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me. And if they do something I don’t like, I’ll tell them.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (via fumblingtowardsreality)
Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor convicted in war crimes trial
Taylor was found guilty of aiding Sierra Leone rebels: Charles Taylor, a longtime Liberian leader who resigned in 2003 under heavy international pressure, was convicted by an international court Thursday of helping aid rebel fighters in Sierra Leone, providing them with weaponry and moral support in exchange for “blood diamonds.” While Taylor himself was not responsible for committing war crimes himself, his actions led to war crimes happening. ”The accused knew of atrocities being perpetrated against civlisans in Sierre Leone and of propensity to commit crimes,” said Judge Richard Lussick. “Notwithstanding such knowledge, the accused continued to provide support to the RUF during the period crimes were committed.” Taylor is the first African leader to be convicted in a war crimes trial. (Photo by Peter DeJong/AFP/Getty Images)
(Source: cataclysmicsupernova)
—R.W. Day, A Strong and Sudden Thaw
