104 – Getting Your Mojo Back

In Week 2 of StoryADay May 2018 we’re working on craft-based writing prompts (character desires, conflict, structures, openings and endings). Picking up skills and putting down words.

But now that the novelty has worn off, what can you do to rekindle your excitement about writing every day for a month?

Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

085 – Refilling The Well

This month’s theme at StoryADay is “Refilling The Well”, in which I encourage you to find many ways of rebooting your creativity…largely by taking a break from your writing.

 

Links:

Bookriot’s Best Books of 2017, So Far

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams (af)

 

Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

[Writing Prompt] Seek Beauty

Following this month’s theme of Refilling The Well, I’ve thrown some pretty unusual writing prompts at you, including Don’t Write Anything and Rip Off Another Writer.

In that vein, I’m bowing down to Julia Cameron today, and borrowing her concept of Artist’s Dates, popularized in her book The Artist’s Way.

The Prompt

Seek out something beautiful/inspiring today.

Tips

  • You don’t have to write a story inspired by the thing you find. Just seek it out. View the world with curiosity and try to find something that makes you go ‘wow’.
  • You might want to take a trip to an art gallery or a movie theater, or you might simply want to lie under a tree and look up at the sky through the leaves.
  • You might want to listen to live or recorded music. Or watch your baby for half an hour while she sleeps.
  • Breathe. Soak it in. Notice all the details of the Thing and of your reaction to it.
  • Wallow.
  • Then go back to life, refreshed.

Go!

[Writing Prompt] Inspired By…

This week, make sure you’re reading some writing you really love; writing that inspires you. It’ll help with all your writing, and especially with this writing prompt.

The Prompt

Write a story inspired by, or in-the-style-of a piece of writing you love

Tips

  • Don’t try to impress me. Pick something you really, really love (something that gets you excited) whether or not you think anyone else would respect it. If you love it, pick it (in the immortal words of this century’s new bard: “And love is love is love is love is love is love is love“)
  • Analyze the heck out of a piece of writing you love, and recreate it with new characters and a new setting. Or just pick a character/author you love and write a loving fanfic tribute.
  • Don’t worry about making it good. Just try to recapture, for your potential reader, the emotions you felt when reading the piece that inspired you.
  • It doesn’t have to be a short story. Write anything. Perform something. Just get creative. Focus on the excitement of creating something.

Go!

[Writing Prompt] Don’t Write A Story

In honor of this month’s theme, here at StoryADay, of Refilling The Well, I’m issuing a very odd writing prompt:

The Prompt

Don’t write/watch/read any stories today

Tips

  • You’re probably a writer because you love stories/reading/storytelling.
  • Since you decided to become a writer, your ‘work’ is storytelling, and so everything related to stories is now tinged with a different color.
  • You used to relax by reading a good book, or watching a good show, but now those things make your subconscious go “oy, my character development isn’t as good as this” or “oo, I could do that in my third act…”
  • You need to find, and indulge in, activities that are completely unrelated to writing/storytelling.
  • Think about things you used to love to do as a kid (yes, I know, I know. I mean *apart from reading*). Did you like to roller-skate? Dance? Skip? Play tennis? Play piano? Sing? Knit? Paint? Build things? Garden? Hang out with friends? Lip synch?
  • Pick one and try it. Clear 30 minutes out of your schedule and do something completely unrelated to storytelling.

Go!

 

P. S. Leave a comment to let us know what you picked and whether or not you felt rejuvenated afterwards.