Photo Prompt: Weathered Barn

"Weathered Barn" by Rodney Campbell via CC 2.0

Try this as a setting for your next poem or short story. How does it inspire you? 

7 Ways to Boost Creativity

Ever get stuck in a writing rut? I know there are times when I just cannot get the creative juices flowing. Sometimes it helps to step out and try something different. Next time you need a creativity boost, try some of these on for size.

1. People watch. Go out somewhere in public and just observe those around you. A park, the mall, a coffee shop. It doesn't matter. Find a place you are drawn to and park it. You see so many things when you take a minute to stop and pay attention. Inspiration can be found all around you.
2. Pick up a book. I love to read, and sometimes it helps me to just let go and read someone's work. Choose poetry, short fiction, or even non-fiction and take a break to let your mind stretch and recharge.
3. Listen to music. Put on your favorite tunes and just jam! Research indicates that listening to music makes us happier, which helps improve cognitive performance. I can definitely say that I seem to be much more inspired while I'm listening to music, and I write much more than normal. Give it a shot!
4. Daydream. Studies say it works! Let your mind drift and see where it takes you.
5. Get tired. As I wrote in a previous post, you are much more creative when you're tired. Stay up late, let your mind get fuzzy, then put that pen to paper.
6. Move your eyes bilaterally. According to one study, subjects who moved their eyes bilaterally from left to right were much more creative than those who stared straight ahead. The movement is said to increase communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thereby increasing creativity. 
7. Write while emotional.  A study in 2007 revealed that creativity receives a significant boost when emotions are running high. Next time you are very happy, angry, sad, etc, try to write and those emotions just might pay off.

What are some ways you boost your creativity?  Feel free to share in the comments!

Set Designer

Using 250-400 words, become the set designer for an invented character.  Describe a space related to the character: office, bedroom, living room, bathroom, etc.  Be detailed.  Are they messy or tidy?  What kind of clothes are in their closet? Do they have an office or cubicle?  Start big and then become more detailed.



Here's the key: the narrator must be someone other than the character in question, and he or she must look at the setting through their own eyes to tell the reader something about the owner of the space.

See mine after the jump!

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The Beginning of the End!

Today I am beginning one of my last three courses for my Master's degree. My last three courses will focus on fiction fundamentals, and I'll really be buckling down to work heavily on my thesis. I'm really torn on my thesis. The original idea that I applied to the program with is still hanging around in my head, but during my last class, an idea struck me that has stuck. I have a vision yet I'm completely nerve-wrecked that I can't pull it off.



The original idea was a dramatic love story. No glitz, no creatures of the night, etc. Humans with human problems, though not ones experienced in everyone's lives. My new idea is quite the opposite. I've always gravitated toward paranormal works, and I have a clear vision of this paranormal world where although the human population knows about other beings, they don't realize their complicit role in this underworld's corruption. Of course, it's more clear and detailed than that. Do I have the talent to fully create this other world for my readers? Can I write a decent fight scene? I have so many doubts about writing something that I love to read yet have never attempted myself.

I guess my question is this: should I stick with what I know and write the love story, or should I stretch my comfort zone and write my paranormal piece? Decisions, decisions!

Photo Prompt: Welcome to Hell

Is this what hell looks like? (Hell, Grand Cayman Islands)

Photo Prompt: The Falls

Some visual inspiration.

First Lines Challenge: Day 13

Two prancing goats dented the roof of my car.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

Photo Prompt: At the Lake

Use a photo to inspire your writing.

The Writing Journal: Practice, Practice, Practice!

When teaching and developing literacy in children, the most important tool at a teacher's or parent's disposal is practice.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.  The more students practice writing, the better their writing becomes because they learn what works and what doesn't through hands-on assignments, especially with the proper guidance.  Journaling provides vital practice to young students, and it should become apart of your daily routine as well.  

The best tool at an aspiring writer's disposal is a journal.  Electronic or paper, whatever.  Write about your day, express your feelings, complain about the jerk who cut you off in traffic.  Write down ideas as they come, brainstorm for something you're currently writing, create simple poetry.  Write short stories, complete writing exercises, describe that character or scene you just can't get out of your head.  It doesn't matter what you write, just that you write.  Pick a certain time of the day and write as little or as much as you like but make sure that you write consistently.


I have a notebook at work and at home, but I also use features on my iPhone when I don't have a pen or have a thought I'd like to remember later.  My tendency to think of things when lying in bed at night has made this essential; after all, I can't write very legibly without a light (especially if it's long), so my phone is the perfect solution.  I cannot begin to count the number of ideas, sentences, characters, etc, that were lost due to the dark midnight hour.  What can I say? My muse is a night owl!

When you get to the point that you're writing creatively on a daily basis, I suggest "upgrading" to a writer's journal.  While there's no requirement to completely abandon the original journal, a writer's journal is important because it focuses on what you're writing.  Specifically, it provides a special place to document your journey and keep ideas, notes, and research that you can refer to as long as you write.  Explore thoughts and feelings related to characters, scenes, or plots.  React to your own work.  Flesh out histories, settings, or descriptions.  Create a journal entry as the character you're working on.  Make notes on where to pick up tomorrow.  Ultimately, the way you use your writing journal is up to you.  Use it to the fullest extent because you never know when something old might complement and infuse energy into something new.

A Spark of Inspiration

As a teenager I coddled her, fearful her shining smile and passionate presence would fade until I could no longer remember the outline of her face.  We used to ponder and whisper well into the night, laughing, quarreling, and reminiscing like old friends until sleep finally won its battle.  Eventually every day life came between us as often happens when friends age and leave the simplicities of youth behind. Years later, I found myself missing the beauty of our friendship, so I began a journey to reconnect with my old friend, the missing muse that once plagued my waking hours with endless chatter and enthusiasm.

After five years of mind-numbing work, I finally began the creative writing courses for a M.A. in English and Creative Writing.  Two weeks into the course we began writing poetry.  Initially, I panicked.  My muse was long gone!  She took the first train out in the face of years of academics she knew would steal our time together.  Hours passed.  Days flew by.  Although it always flowed freely in the past, my riverbed was dry, and I dug until my fingers bled to find a source of nourishment to lead me from the Sahara.  It was me and the tumbleweeds watching the clouds pass by without a drop of thirst-quenching rain.


A week later I got a call from an unknown number.  So busy with work and class, I didn't answer; however, I knew the voice as soon as the message played.  A few days later she was at my doorstep.  Sure, she'd aged a little just like me-a frown line, a couple of bags under her eyes, and maybe even a grey hair or two-but she was as familiar as I remembered.  With age came knowledge and wisdom we lacked in our youth, and despite our time apart, we drifted off that evening just like old times.

I don't mean to insinuate that there haven't been any bumps in the road.  We're still learning from each other and that will never change.  We're steadily rebuilding our relationship, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have my muse by my side once more.  This is our journey, and I hope it serves as inspiration when you fear your muse has said goodbye.