Use sounds to help you write Today’s writing tip is a little unusual. I recently read an article somewhere about trying to control the sounds you listen to while you write. While on one hand this concept isn’t new at all. Writers talk about the music they listen to while they write all the time. I have even recently seen some writers post their favorite play lists online. For me, music really can...

As a writer, new ideas are critical for your success. Everyday I wake up at six am and try to come up with something that I can write for this blog, for example. But how do you keep the ideas coming? Here is a quick list of sources of inspiration for your writing: Scan the newspaper for current events Watch TV or advertisements (too much of this has the opposite effect) Take a walk (don’t take anything...

Writer’s “Cheat Sheets” I recently found an awesome writing tip over at inkalicious. Read below for the content, and a link. For those of you who are analytical and need a pattern or formula to help get you going, inkalicious has come up with some great writing tips that I have relsited below. PLOTTING: Polti’s 36 Dramatic Situations •01. Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, Authority...

There are writing tools out there for those who look for them. If you are a Windows Vista user, this may be a great writing tool for you. I just recently started using a sidebar tool called Activity Tracker. You download the widget into your Windows Sidebar and it allows you to “punch in” and “punch out” of a particular activity. Think of it in the traditional sense of clocking in and...

So, you want to write. That is a noble thought. However, have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to write? Do you know what you are getting yourself into? You might think that is a silly question, but really, it isn’t. For example, think of the last time you went camping. Did you just jump in the car and go? You may have approached it this way, but not likely. You probably realized you were...

One great way to help you through writer’s block is to try to mind map, or cluster. In this effort youare trying to write down a word that is important to your story, or to your writing in general. Then, you associate the various factors that touch that key word. This should aid you in writing thoroughly. For example, let’s say I am starting a novel about a haunted house. I might start the mind...

Are you looking for a way to improve your writing? Sometimes having a good writing tool can help. I recently discovered a neat little tool for the Window’s Vista sidebar. Merely download the egg timer, and it goes right on your Windows Vista sidebar. The sidebar is present while you are writing, so its always there. You merely click and drag the egg timer just like you do in real life, and the timer...