IWSG: What inspires you?

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.

MAY QUESTION - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

MY ANSWER - So many things - music, emotion, conversation, nature, daydreaming, food... If you feel like you have "Writer's Block" - Exercise, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to great music, travel – anything that gets me away from the work and relaxed. Then I can return with a fresh mind and renewed energy.

How about you? What inspires your stories?

IWSG: Struggle to the End

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.

JUNE QUESTION - When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?

MY ANSWER - Many people refer to this experience as writer's block. They lose momentum, stamina, drive, or they flat out can't decide where to go next, or what to do with the story. When this happens, I recommend exercise, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to great music, travel – anything that gets me away from the work and relaxed. Then I can return with a fresh mind and renewed energy. If I'm still stuck after a break, then I need to reevaluate my story plan. I start most projects as a pantser, but once I get my initial thoughts, emotions, or scenes down I go back and plot the whole story out. 

How about you? What is your process like? What do you do when you struggle to write to the end?

IWSG: Major Life Events

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.

OCTOBER QUESTION: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

MY ANSWER: There have been times when major events interfered with my writing, causing me to go months at a time without producing any new content other than for work. Other times, my writing has served to help heal from and proceed through major events. Here are a few examples:

To Get Creative Juices Flowing, Prevent Writers Block, or to Deal With Rejection and other major events:

Six Words Are the Way In
Leaving Out the Dull Bits
Take A Chance
New Experiences
First Writing
Science Fiction Challenge
Feeling Overwhelmed
Writing
Reborn
Year-End Review of Your Writing
Audience of None
Dealing With Worry
5 Reasons for Vacation
Reevaluatingthe Plan
7 Things Successful Authors Don't Do
New Year, New You
Four Lessons From NaNoWriMo
5 Writer Faults
Starter Kit for Writers
To Write or Not to Write
7 Common Fears and Advice for Writers
Curing Blogging Blahs
20 Quotes of Inspiration
More Quotes
7 Tips for Overcoming Writers Block
Never Give Up
10 Tips for a Better Writing Environment
5 Keys to Unleashing Your Imagination
Writing Through Adversity
Title Tricks
The Art of Chaos
Zen Writing
The Empty Pages
Creativity Chips and Four Other Exercises
Inspiring Authors
Interview Exercise
Jung, Carl
Loglines
Universal Themes and Concepts
Rejection Infection
Inspiring Daily Rituals
Status Seekers vs Storytellers
Fresh or Frazzled
To Whom Shall I Tell My Grief
Holiday Writer
Elusive Ending
Don't Stop
Creativity, Inc.
I QUIT!

Story Starter Card Game

One of the hardest things for students, and many writers in general, is just "getting started." I see it frequently in the classes I teach. They freeze up, sometimes their eyes just glaze over, and others get that 'deer caught in the headlights' look. This is usually the point where we talk briefly about writers block... and then we play the Story Starter Card Game.

The game is simple:

There are seven decks of cards. Each card has one suggestion to be used in a story.

In deck one each card has a dynamic character listed on it such as Ebeneezer Scrooge, Scout, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Hamlet, Katniss Everdeen, Aladdin, Jean Valjean, Edmund Dantes, Buzz Lightyear, etc.

In deck two each card reflects a fatal flaw such as pride, excessive trust, rage, blind ambition, inferiority complex, etc.

Deck three lists suggested opponents, deck four has external conflicts such as physical and environmental, deck five is a set of interpersonal conflicts (brought on by others), deck six is internal conflicts (brought on by self), and deck seven is a goal to be reached or a loss to avoid.

The rules are even simpler:

1) Pick one card from each deck.
2) Use at least three of the suggestions on your cards in a story.

I find this gives them enough guidance that they feel like they have a safety net. It also allows enough freedom for creativity.

Alternatives:

If you'd like to play, but don't have the time or inclination to create your own cards, consider using a deck of Tarot, Dungeons and Dragons, or such... pull out a few random cards and see what ideas arise.

Have you tried anything like this? What kind of cards would you use? What would you add to your own deck?