IWSG: Creativity

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

NOVEMBER Question - What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

MY ANSWER - Photography, travel, crochet, etc.

How about you? What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

Autumn Writing

It's finally Fall, and we just had our first big cool front here in southeast Texas. Although, highs are still near 80, we are getting into the 50's at night. Just a few weeks ago temperatures were still hitting near 100 degrees. I'm glad to see the changing season. 

I'm also hoping to change and increase my writing output as I've been too busy to write as much as I would like lately. I'm teaching both high school and college classes, and my kids are involved in a lot of extracurriculars which require a lot of travel. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for everything we have and share. It can all just be overwhelming at times and writing continually takes a backseat when it isn't directly related to work. In that vein, I thought I would share some writing prompts - not all of them are season related, but you can make them such if you wish. I hope they inspire some wickedly wonderful Autumn tales!

1) Write a Fall or Halloween special for your favorite television show.

2) Design your own school of magic: what does it look like? what subjects are taught? Who are the teachers? What are some of the back-to-school traditions?

3) Create a legend about your city.

4) Write an acrostic poem.

5) Write about a Thanksgiving dinner attended by your favorite fictional character.

6) Write a scene from the POV of Alexa or Siri.

7) Create a fake news report.

8) Write a retelling of your favorite Shakespeare play.

9) Write a scene that takes place in your favorite bookstore or coffee shop.

10) Write about a character who has terrible luck.

11) Write a Fall scene without using the word pumpkin.

12) Write about the worst possible break up you could imagine.

13) Make up your own conspiracy theory.

14) Write a story that takes place in a corn maze.

15) Write a ghost story.

16) Take a favorite Christmas song and rewrite the words to be about Halloween, or Thanksgiving.

What are you writing? Are you trying any of these? Any other prompts you want to share?

Fall Writing

It's finally Fall! Although, you wouldn't know it in southeast Texas with temperatures hitting near 100 degrees as I'm writing this. I'm looking forward to the changing season. I'm also hoping to increase my writing output as I've been too distracted to write as much as I would like lately. I'm working full time, going to school full time, my kids are involved in a lot of extracurriculars which require a lot of travel, and we've had several family and friend losses lately. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for everything we have and share. It can all just be overwhelming at times and writing continually takes a backseat when it isn't directly related to a school or work assignment. In that vein, I thought I would share some writing prompts - not all of them are season related, but you can make them such if you wish. I hope they inspire some wickedly wonderful Autumn tales!

1) Write a Fall or Halloween special for your favorite television show.

2) Design your own school of magic: what does it look like? what subjects are taught? Who are the teachers? What are some of the back-to-school traditions?

3) Create a legend about your city.

4) Write an acrostic poem.

5) Write about a Thanksgiving dinner attended by your favorite fictional character.

6) Write a scene from the POV of Alexa or Siri.

7) Create a fake news report.

8) Write a retelling of your favorite Shakespeare play.

9) Write a scene that takes place in your favorite bookstore or coffee shop.

10) Write about a character who has terrible luck.

11) Write a Fall scene without using the word pumpkin.

12) Write about the worst possible break up you could imagine.

13) Make up your own conspiracy theory.

14) Write a story that takes place in a corn maze.

15) Write a ghost story.

16) Take a favorite Christmas song and rewrite the words to be about Halloween, or Thanksgiving.

What are you writing? Are you trying any of these? Any other prompts you want to share?

Revisiting 11 Things I Love

In honor of the month of love and my upcoming release of "Paper Faces" in the First Love anthology, I'm revisiting some old loves. 

1) Love is in the Air - Time to spread some love... a few of the authors of FIRST LOVE, IWSG Anthology #7 would like to share some lovely thoughts about how they and/or their characters romanticise Valentine's Day!

2) Scribbler - This is a monthly subscription service I briefly enjoyed but canceled because I didn't feel the monthly benefits outweighed the cost. However, in honor of the month of love and the upcoming romance anthology (see the ad in the bar to the right) I decided to renew for one month since the February box dealt with the theme of romance. I will share more news about this later.

3) These are a Few of My Favorite Weird Things - a few things about myself that readers found interesting or funny.

4) 5 Step Formula for Plot Structure - a quick and reliable formula to help plot or revise a story of any length or genre.

5) When God Says Wait - a good read for anyone struggling with patience.

6) Loving Castle - a favorite television series that I'm enjoying rewatching.

7) Creativity, Inc - a great book on creativity and leadership.

8) Bernard Pivot Blogfest - one of my favorite questionnaires of all time.

9) Loving a Great Character - some of my favorite characters of all time.

10) Dulcinea and New Links - my dogs favorite questionnaires of all time.

11) Show, Don't Tell - a favorite exercise I use with students when teaching inferences and the concept of Show, Don't Tell.

Bonus: Summer Literary Trips

How about you? Did you revisit any old loves this month?

15 Fall Writing Prompts

It's finally Fall! I'm looking forward to the changing season. I'm also hoping to increase my writing output as I've been too distracted to write as much as I would like lately. In that vein, I thought I would share some writing prompts - not all of them are season related, but you can make them such if you wish. I hope they inspire some wickedly wonderful Autumn tales!

1) Write a Fall or Halloween special for your favorite television show.

2) Design your own school of magic: what does it look like? what subjects are taught? Who are the teachers? What are the back to school traditions?

3) Create a legend about your city.

4) Write an acrostic poem.

5) Write about a Thanksgiving dinner attended by your favorite fictional character.

6) Write a scene from the POV of Alexa or Siri.

7) Create a fake news report.

8) Write a retelling of your favorite Shakespeare play.

9) Write a scene that takes place in your favorite bookstore or coffee shop.

10) Write about a character who has terrible luck.

11) Write a Fall scene without using the word pumpkin.

12) Write about the worst possible break up you could imagine.

13) Make up your own conspiracy theory.

14) Write a story that takes place in a corn maze.

15) Write a ghost story.

What are you writing? Are you trying any of these? Any other prompts you want to share?

IWSG: Creative Outlets

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

FEBRUARY QUESTION: Besides writing, what other creative outlets do you have?

MY ANSWER: I enjoy various creative outlets at different times: Photography, Sewing (clothes and mouse ear headbands), Crochet (most often blankets, but some clothing items), Cross Stitch, Painting, Coloring, Drawing, Crafting, and Scrapbooking.

How about you? Besides writing, what other creative outlets do you enjoy?

IWSG: Creativity

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

NOVEMBER QUESTION: How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

MY ANSWER: I feel like my creative abilities are in a constant state of flux. A lot of that has to do with how busy I am and what trials I am enduring. I feel like the more emotional periods of my life (pregnancy, divorce, losing my house in a flood, death in the family, etc.) have elicited more creative and emotional pieces from me. During the tamer periods, I seem to lean more towards nonfiction. I've only recently realized and lamented this fact. It will be interesting to see if that pattern holds. I'm also curious to see if I will be more creative during the holidays this year. 

How about you? How has your creativity evolved?