inspiration for writers – Word Inventions

Curation Corner: 9 Ways to Chip Away at Writer’s Block

This 2019 Writer’s Digest guest column by Hope Bolinger shares

9 Weird Ways to Beat Writer’s Block

New to me:

— Change your font. (Comic Sans gets some props here.)

Two I’m willing to try tomorrow:

— Change your font

— Take a shower. My wife will appreciate that. In fact, the whole neighborhood will.

By the way, these block-busting ideas are just as valuable as simple kicks in the keister.

Curation Corner: Quotes to inspire writers

Writer’s Digest shares this collection of 185 quotes they featured throughout 2021.

Some of my favorites…

“I wish I’d written more and worried less.” —Meg LaTorre from “Breaking In”

“Don’t live or write in a bubble. My creativity is fueled when I talk with other creative people.” —Melissa Croce from “Breaking In” [I have to work on this one. TH]

“A good twist should never leave the readers feeling tricked.” —Simon Gervais from “Twisty Business”

Challenge: Find at least one quote that can serve as bulletin board material.

Curation Corner: focusmate.com

I just finished a short Getting Our Creative Minds Back for 2022 session hosted by Jill Badonsky.

One resource she shared: focusmate.com–Where life gets done, together™

Here’s a helpful four-minute video overview from the University of Waterloo.

Highlights:

— 3 free sessions per week. No credit card required.

— clear community guidelines

— use of behavioral triggers to achieve a flow state:

Pre-commitment

Implementation intentions

Accountability

Specificity in task definition

If you feel mired in procrastination and self-doubt, why not give it a try?

My first appointment is this coming Friday. Will let you know how it turns out.

Reminder: No affiliate links. Just thought it might be something that might help you crank out the next best seller/mega-corporation/cinematic masterpiece.

Curation Corner: Jane Friedman always delivers value

I was reading Jane Friedman’s weekly Electric Speed and thought to myself, “Self, why haven’t you shared this on your blog?”

And Self said, “Because you’re sometimes a clueless shlub, that’s why.”

Well, the conversation went on and on with back-and-forth accusations of too much time spent baking scones and watching Leave It to Beaver to escape the realities of 2021 and my wife calling a therapist–any therapist available on a Sunday morning–and, well, you get the point. There’s so much useless drivel out there, you surely don’t need any more of it seeping into your already frenzied state…which, by the way, is exactly what I’m doing right now, so you should probably add a pernicious [when’s the last time I used that word?] comment below…

Based on the above ‘departure’, Jane Friedman–publisher of Writer’s Digest, by the way–would probably beg me to never, ever again mention her name on this blog. But hey! ‘The price of fame’, right? And really, if she didn’t share good content, she wouldn’t have been included here, right?**

Good content like:

— Doodle Ipsum (Customize your own doodles and post/share/admire/submit to The Louvre/make NFT’s out of them [I guess.]

— Forvo (“All the words in the world. Pronounced.”)

— Fellow writers’ at-the-desk stretches [reader contributions]

Hope these help. Go sign up for Jane F’s newsletter. No affiliate $$ motive here, no nothing. Just hope you find some value.

**So it’s her fault!

Goodwill words: Veering from letters and notes…

There’s nothing like a friend’s birthday and Canva to inspire a quick and fun detour from putting pen to paper…

In this case, I thought I’d collage it up with photos of my friend’s ‘other beloved grandson’.

As I’ve said before, if goodwill words isn’t fun–whether it’s the writing or the embellishments–I’m probably not as inclined to stay involved.

Thanks for visiting.

A link to the gallery of notes and letters.

Goodwill words: A nod to strength and determination

Joanna [not her real name] is in her mid-20’s and has endured years of uncertainty–her doctors’ and thus, her own– about her health issues.

Combine that with ‘Pandemic Times’ and her perceived inability to live up to her own expectations at work and, well, these are not exactly prime conditions for Joanna.

A reminder: these letters are only a way to share a different avenue for writers to explore, not a ‘you should be doing what I’m doing.”

Thanks for visiting.

A link to the gallery of notes and letters.

Goodwill words: Hoping to revive her spirit

This person–let’s call her Cicely–sounded like someone whose special qualities were flagging in the face of multiple challenges.

As you can see, each letter kind of takes on a life of its own, what with varying added features. Hey, if this isn’t fun–whether it’s the writing or the embellishments–I’m probably not as inclined to stay involved.

Thanks for visiting.

A link to the gallery of notes and letters.

Goodwill words: Admiration for a hero

I decided Mary [not her real name] needed a little reminder of her past contributions as a nurse and how she might still ‘stay in the game’ while she recovers from a serious accident.

Once again, I am reminded how my little annoyances in life–compared to the challenges faced by folks like Mary–are just that: annoyances.

Thanks for visiting.

A link to the gallery of notes and letters.

Curation Corner: Wealth of Writer’s Digest Freebies

As I cruised the Writer’s Digest website for other resources, I came across this page of free downloads. [Signing up for their newsletter is requested, however.]

Some of the topics:

— Cheat Sheets for NaNoWriMo

— Plot Development: Charts and Tips for Outlining and Plotting a Novel 1

— 4 Amateur Mistakes Every Writer Should Avoid

Hope these help.

Goodwill words: Sending a little reassurance

Keeping up with my monthly challenge of eight letters, minimum.

There have been requests for cards, as well, so I’ll be digging into my page-a-day calendars and my photos to doll up those selections a bit.

Challenge for me: Just keeping an organized workspace to make the composition process seamless.

As you can tell by my occasional cross-outs, etc., I’m clearly working from the school of ‘better done than perfect’, but still, if I could remove additional distractions, that would make this an even more enjoyable project.

Thanks for visiting.

A link to the gallery of notes and letters.

This 2019 Writer’s Digest guest column by Hope Bolinger shares

New to me:

— Change your font. (Comic Sans gets some props here.)

Two I’m willing to try tomorrow:

— Change your font

— Take a shower. My wife will appreciate that. In fact, the whole neighborhood will.

By the way, these block-busting ideas are just as valuable as simple kicks in the keister.

Some of my favorites…

“I wish I’d written more and worried less.” —Meg LaTorre from “Breaking In”

“Don’t live or write in a bubble. My creativity is fueled when I talk with other creative people.” —Melissa Croce from “Breaking In” [I have to work on this one. TH]

“A good twist should never leave the readers feeling tricked.” —Simon Gervais from “Twisty Business”

Challenge: Find at least one quote that can serve as bulletin board material.

I just finished a short Getting Our Creative Minds Back for 2022 session hosted by Jill Badonsky.

One resource she shared: focusmate.com–Where life gets done, together™

Here’s a helpful four-minute video overview from the University of Waterloo.

Highlights:

— 3 free sessions per week. No credit card required.

— clear community guidelines

— use of behavioral triggers to achieve a flow state:

Pre-commitment

Implementation intentions

Social pressure

Accountability

Specificity in task definition

If you feel mired in procrastination and self-doubt, why not give it a try?

My first appointment is this coming Friday. Will let you know how it turns out.

Reminder: No affiliate links. Just thought it might be something that might help you crank out the next best seller/mega-corporation/cinematic masterpiece.

I was reading Jane Friedman’s weekly Electric Speed and thought to myself, “Self, why haven’t you shared this on your blog?”

And Self said, “Because you’re sometimes a clueless shlub, that’s why.”

Good content like:

— Doodle Ipsum (Customize your own doodles and post/share/admire/submit to The Louvre/make NFT’s out of them [I guess.]

— Forvo (“All the words in the world. Pronounced.”)

— Fellow writers’ at-the-desk stretches [reader contributions]

Hope these help. Go sign up for Jane F’s newsletter. No affiliate $$ motive here, no nothing. Just hope you find some value.

**So it’s her fault!

There’s nothing like a friend’s birthday and Canva to inspire a quick and fun detour from putting pen to paper…

In this case, I thought I’d collage it up with photos of my friend’s ‘other beloved grandson’.

As I’ve said before, if goodwill words isn’t fun–whether it’s the writing or the embellishments–I’m probably not as inclined to stay involved.

Thanks for visiting.

Joanna [not her real name] is in her mid-20’s and has endured years of uncertainty–her doctors’ and thus, her own– about her health issues.

Combine that with ‘Pandemic Times’ and her perceived inability to live up to her own expectations at work and, well, these are not exactly prime conditions for Joanna.

A reminder: these letters are only a way to share a different avenue for writers to explore, not a ‘you should be doing what I’m doing.”

Thanks for visiting.

This person–let’s call her Cicely–sounded like someone whose special qualities were flagging in the face of multiple challenges.

As you can see, each letter kind of takes on a life of its own, what with varying added features. Hey, if this isn’t fun–whether it’s the writing or the embellishments–I’m probably not as inclined to stay involved.

Thanks for visiting.

I decided Mary [not her real name] needed a little reminder of her past contributions as a nurse and how she might still ‘stay in the game’ while she recovers from a serious accident.

Once again, I am reminded how my little annoyances in life–compared to the challenges faced by folks like Mary–are just that: annoyances.

Thanks for visiting.

As I cruised the Writer’s Digest website for other resources, I came across this page of free downloads. [Signing up for their newsletter is requested, however.]

Some of the topics:

— Cheat Sheets for NaNoWriMo

— Plot Development: Charts and Tips for Outlining and Plotting a Novel 1

— 4 Amateur Mistakes Every Writer Should Avoid

Hope these help.

Keeping up with my monthly challenge of eight letters, minimum.

There have been requests for cards, as well, so I’ll be digging into my page-a-day calendars and my photos to doll up those selections a bit.

Challenge for me: Just keeping an organized workspace to make the composition process seamless.

As you can tell by my occasional cross-outs, etc., I’m clearly working from the school of ‘better done than perfect’, but still, if I could remove additional distractions, that would make this an even more enjoyable project.

Thanks for visiting.