Phrases to Use as Writing Prompts (from an Unlikely Source)

If you’re looking for a writing prompt to spark some new output, here’s an exercise to try. Inspired by doing newspaper blackout poetry, which I wrote about here, it involves isolating words and phrases from a newspaper or magazine article. You can then use them to trigger some writing.

Recently, I was doing this with the sports section of our paper (there seem to be good phrases there). I circled “Not really, Kyle” because that’s my husband’s name, so it made me chuckle. The article was referring to Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, in case you were wondering.

Here are some of the sentence fragments I circled from a few issues. Any of these could be used as a writing spark:

Nagging questions                         This season

Unless, of course                           A good chance

What to expect                              Most striking aspect

At least one                                   Appeared

Played a key role                          Has morphed into

The possibility                              Probably too early

Right now                                     Last week

But there remain                           The right mentality

Anything could happen                Going to develop

A decent idea                                But it’s fair to wonder about           

Combined with                             One of them just happened to be

Always have                                 Still time

Find a way                                    Most of the concern is about                       

Best of today’s                              Surprised  

What appears to be a                    It’s not a sure thing that

An encouraging sign                    Sadness because

On a regular basis                        Always going to appreciate that

Not unlike                                    It’s shortcomings were spotlighted

Peek back a layer                         Reason for optimism


So what do you do with this list? You could pick one randomly, or one that seems to be calling out to you.

You could pick one but turn it into a full sentence of some sort, then use that as your prompt.

You could combine two of the fragments (or three) to make a prompt.

From there, you could do a timed freewrite, start an essay or a flash fiction piece, or create a poem. Maybe something will come of this effort, or maybe it will just be fun. You will get your creativity going, and that’s always a good thing.

-Marcia Peterson

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Leave a Comment Creativity, generating new ideas, Marcia Peterson, writer inspiration, writing ideas, writing prompts

Friday Speak Out!: Staying Alive

by Carolyn Lochhead

Sometimes, I think I am dead.

It’s all Neil Gaiman’s fault.

It comes from an interview I read, in which Gaiman was asked, “How do you get your ideas?” He replied,

“Everyone has ideas. If you don’t have ideas you are dead.”

Because sometimes, I don’t. For days and sometimes months at a time, not a single notion pops into my head. It makes me feel flat. Empty. Disconnected. Quite possibly, dead.

It usually happens when I’m in a groove. Going to work, looking after the children, doing things I know, broadly speaking, how to do. Not encouraging the creative side of my brain to wake up, poke its head out and take a look around.

But last week, I had a day off work. And it was a revelation.

I:

- Went to a modern art gallery


- Read the music section of the paper


- Wrote in a cosy basement library


- Attended a lunchtime performance of Mendhellson.

In the morning, a couple of ideas came to me, and I noted them on my phone. During the concert I thought of several more. By late afternoon, I was whipping out my phone every few minutes. In the six weeks preceding my day off, I’d come up with maybe two or three prompts for writing. On that one day, I wrote down fifteen.

Although my activities that day were enjoyable, they weren’t novel. I had been to the library, the gallery and the concert hall before. So what was different? I’ve been thinking about that a lot, because I don’t want my newfound creativity to disappear.

The answer is, I stopped. I existed in the moment, not projecting my brain forward to my next task, appointment or intention. I noticed what was going on and let my mind chew it over, whether it appeared significant or not. And because my mind was less agitated, there was space for curiousity. Without an endless marching band of tasks crashing through my brain, it dared to turn its attention to minor details, to conjecture, fancy and just a little bit of nonsense.

So how to maintain this pleasing productivity? I can’t take every day off work, and I can’t - and wouldn’t want to - put the kids into nursery at the weekend. But I’m trying to build in peaceful moments. My youngest daughter is almost three: old enough to be left to her own devices for moments at a time: moments when I could notice the birds in the back garden, instead of snatching up a broom and sweeping the floor. And my husband is a perfectly competent parent, so there is no reason why me and my iPad can’t nip to our local coffee shop for an hour on a Sunday - as, indeed, I have done to write this blog.

Everyday life is not going anywhere. But if I make a few moments for myself in amongst the tasks and the duties, my mind may blossom still further. And at the very least, I will know I am not dead.

* * *

Carolyn Lochhead’s writing credits include Mothers Always Write, Mamalode and Hippocampus. She recently published her first essay collection, Three Toothbrushes And Other Essays on Motherhood, Mindfulness and Making Sense of it All. She lives in Scotland and works in mental health. Follow her @theshooglypeg and read her blog on Medium.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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8 comments Carolyn Lochhead, Friday Speak Out, generating new ideas, productivity, tips to boost creativity, writer inspiration, writing ideas

When Freelancing, No Idea is Too Small

Don't you want to write an article about us?

While I love the beauty of being my own boss, I sometimes feel as if I’m the worst boss ever. I have a regular set of clients I work for, but I rarely follow the advice of continuing to prospect for more work in case one of the regular sources of income dries up. This happened to me recently, and instead of immediately prospecting my tail off to replace that income, I gave myself a (much needed) mental break, finished up some projects already in the pipeline, and caught up on my reading (some was for work, so . . .)

In addition to my freelance work, I also have two YA novels I should be revising and getting ready for submission, but I’m having a hard time staying motivated with those. Luckily in all my reading I came across an article that got me excited about generating some new ideas, and encouraged writers to be more courageous when querying. Courage has never been my strong suit, so I immediately perked up and the wheels began turning.

One of my obsessions is pop culture, and believe me, I spend a LOT of time reading entertainment blogs and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix. I’m not exactly proud of these particular interests. But what if I was able to turn them into a profit? For example, when was the last time I put together an article query on something like “How Watching Old Episodes of Dawson’s Creek Helps Me Write Young Adult Fiction.” Never. With so many entertainment publications and blogs odds are I could find a home for something along those lines. And wouldn’t it be nice to sell an article based on something I watched on Investigation Discovery (Southern Fried Homicide, anyone?) If I made a list, I could brainstorm plenty of topics for magazines and other online publications, such as these:

• All things pet related
• Entertainment/movies
• Celebrity Trivia
• Travel and tourism
• Parenting upper elementary and middle schoolers
• Pop culture of the 1980s
• Women’s history
• Health and Fitness
• Book Reviews

Some of these I’ve written about, but many I haven’t. This list is only the beginning.

Do you have passions and interests you have yet to explore in your writing? What are they?

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who also works as a Blog Tour Manager for WOW! Women on Writing. Visit her blog at Renee’s Pages.

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2 comments encouragement for writers, freelance writing, generating new ideas, Renee Roberson

Friday Speak Out!: Fight Back Against Stalled Brain Syndrome (SBS)

by Terry Cobb

Stalled brain syndrome, or SBS, will kill a writer’s career. SBS occurs when a writer opens a new, blank document on her computer only to find her mind is just as blank as that new document. The harder she tries to think of a subject, a sentence, or even a single word, the more despair she feels. Instead of writing, she checks Facebook or watches YouTube cat videos. An opportunity to write, to publish, is wasted.

I had fallen victim to SBS too many times before I decided to fight back. I bought a dirt-cheap spiral notebook and divided it into two categories: Fiction and Non-Fiction. I wrote a story, article, or blog idea in one of those sections every day for the past year. At the end of 2014, I had created my own remedy for SBS, a notebook with 365 customized story ideas and prompts.

This is not a revolutionary idea. Throughout history, writers such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Wolf have kept notebooks. But why not just Google “daily writing prompts” and find a website to provide inspiration? Although that works for many writers, my brain remains stalled until I find a prompt that is customized to my interests and experiences.

By investing less than two minutes every day to write in my notebook, I created my own muse. My notes weren’t lengthy, just enough to let my imagination fly. For the fiction list, I jotted down snippets of conversation I’d heard in the grocery store, weird news I’d heard on the radio, and old wives’ tales my hair stylist loves to share. Childhood memories, gardening issues, and insights from Bible readings filled my non-fiction section. I soon discovered that my writing prompts didn’t stay locked in their respective sections, they jumped around and even multiplied. Many of the non-fiction prompts that I had planned to write as memoir pieces worked better as flash fiction or as scenes in my novel or both.

Beside many of my entries, I scribbled notations such as “blog” or “devotional” to make them easy to locate later. To an outsider, my notebook looks as messy as my desk (okay, not that messy) but that’s the beauty of it: personalization.

Now that I have over 365 writing ideas, have I stopped? No way. This notebook has provided inspiration for far too many published stories and articles for me to kick the habit. John Steinbeck, another notebook user, said, “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” I respectfully disagree, Mr. Steinbeck. Pretty soon you’ll have hundreds.

Stalled brain syndrome never stops stalking me. At least now when it threatens, I’m not a victim. I know how to fight back. When my mind goes blank, instead of opening Facebook, I open my notebook and scan its pages for writing ideas customized just for me. No more wasted opportunities to write. No more stalled brain.

* * *

Terry Cobb resides with her husband on a farm in north central Missouri where she writes short stories, devotionals, and novels. She also blogs about gardening, her other love and challenge, at www.whatsinyourgarden.wordpress.com.


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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Leave a Comment daily writing, Friday Speak Out, generating new ideas, notebooks, Terry Cobb

Write In Season

Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. Story ideas are fresh 'in season.'

You've probably read the advice that most writers live by: pitch an article at least six months ahead of time. And for the most part, that's good advice to live by.

But it also got me thinking.

Why do I need to think about Christmas in July when I can be thinking about Fourth of July or BBQ and picnics or my birthday (wait, it isn't a national holiday) in July?

And now that August is here, why can't I be thinking about back-to-school ideas and football games and...

You get the point.

If you don't, here it is: why not be gathering ideas when an event or holiday is 'in season'? The idea is fresh in your mind, waiting to be fleshed out. If you're organized, you've been snapping pictures and gathering additional research for the idea. It makes perfect sense if you think about it. Here's an example.

Where I live - and most likely, it's the same where you reside - summertime means small-town festivals and community celebrations. One major trend I've noticed at all of these events is food. Some offer local, home-grown fare. A lot incorporate a cooking contest - rib-fests seem to be extremely popular here in the Beef State - and they draw a lot of people from outside the community.

I've been accumulating a list of the best food contests and have marketable piece, along with photos, ready to submit to local and regional publications when it's time to submit summer story pitches.

Okay, need another example? We take a lot of family pictures during the holidays. I mean A LOT. Last January, I was working on an article procrastinating and flipping through the digital photo album of 100+ images. Inspiration struck! We have a large family; 57 if everyone is at the gathering, ranging in age from 2 to 80-something. Organizing the family photo session isn't easy! So, I assembled a list of 5 tips for organizing holiday family photos, including ideas for pictures that show more than rows of people in ugly Christmas sweaters.

Catching on? All right. One more idea. Back to school isn't a holiday, but it is an economic impact no matter where you live. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2011 (last year data is available), $7.7 million was spent at family clothing stores during August, the back-to-school boon. And that's just clothing! Don't forget about shoes and school supplies and computers.

While fashion may change, basic school supplies don't. Why not plan a back-to-school shopping trip and turn it into an article? I did! My pitch is different though. It's the b-2-s bonanza for teachers. That sets my article apart from others that may be pitched.

While it's generally true that a writer needs to pitch a story proposal in advance, it's never too early to generate story ideas.

Especially when a story is in season.

by LuAnn Schindler. To read more of LuAnn's work, visit her website. She'd like to thank her grandsons for always providing photo  and story material, as seen above. 

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4 comments article ideas, article writing, develop ideas, generating new ideas, LuAnn Schindler, seasonal writing, write in season, write stories in season

Take a Literary Tour and Find Stories

Spring arrived in my home state - Nebraska - about two weeks ago. (We experienced snow and ice on May 1. Yikes!) Spring means rebirth, a fresh start, and. . . vacation time!

Our state tourism commission conducts a summer travel program known as the Nebraska Passport. It runs for five months, featuring 80 stops and 10 themed tours.

Here's why I'm excited: one of this year's tours is titled "Turn the Page." Yup! A literary tour around the state showcasing eight of the top spots, including libraries, book stores, and author sites.

I'm doubly excited because I can already sense the wide range of stories I'll be able to market after completing this particular tour. I envision travel, historical, culinary, business, features, and sports stories to come to fruition, and I'm betting I will be able to sell to local, regional and national markets!

Travel and writing = win/win for me!

Need an example? I'll start with the first stop: The Sisters Grimm, an old barn-turned-bookstore-photo gallery-coffee shop. Located in the state's panhandle, this business is located in a village with a population of 125. I will write stories about:

• Regional History. It's a railroad town and the historic Lincoln Highway runs through it. Since it's the anniversary of the Highway, regional publications are printing stories featuring spots along the route. A horrific train accident occurred here in 1916. I've already sent a query to both a railway and history publication about the possibility of a story based on the incident.
• Business. How does a book store survive, let alone thrive, in a small town? I'm going to discover their secret for success.
• Food/Travel. I've heard from friends that the coffee shop serves some of the best pie they've ever been served. I located a publication that is interested in a desserts feature based along a particular stretch of road. Looks like I'll be ordering strawberry rhubarb, sour cream raisin, and fresh peach pie!
• Agriculture. A local farmer and his family milk sheep. (At our place, we milk cows. 250 of them.) This would make a great story about diversifying a farm.

Plus, I'm bound to find other story ideas while I'm there!

If I can generate this many stories from one stop, just think about the number of articles I could write and sell if I hit all 80 stops!

"Turn the Page" also visits five sites associated with Nebraska's "Big Six" authors : Willa Cather, Mari Sandoz, Wright Morris, John G. Neihardt, and Bess Streeter Aldrich. I can only imagine the possible stories that will spring from my visits.

One of the reasons I'm most excited about the tour is simple; I hope a whole new generation and group of readers discover the literary treasures we have in our own backyard.

Selling stories won't hurt either. :)

Does your state tourism commission offer a similar program? Have you visited and/or written about the literary treasures in your state?

by LuAnn Schindler

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3 comments author sites, generating new ideas, literary tours, LuAnn Schindler, travel, travel and tourism, travel writing

Create Your Own Opportunities: Thinking Outside the Box

Use What You Know to Land a Column and Generate Extra Income

While I was leading a workshop called “See My Byline: Writing for Newspapers and Websites” for a St. Louis writing group, a workshop attendee came up with the perfect example of thinking outside the box and creating her own opportunity in a specialized newspaper. It was almost as if I'd planted her in the audience.

This hockey mom, Linda, who is also an early childhood teacher and writer, sat through her son’s hockey practices a few times each week at the local ice skating rink. She often flipped through a free hockey newspaper at the rink, and then one day got a brilliant idea. She noticed that many of the other hockey parents were also bringing young children to the rink and might like tips on parenting or how to entertain these preschoolers. So, Linda contacted the editor of the hockey newspaper, pitched a monthly column on tips for parents with preschoolers, explained how many parents she had seen at her local rink pick up the newspaper. . .and guess what? She got the column and is paid for it!

I interviewed another writer, Sara, who is a stay-at-home mom of two and is also a coupon queen. She’s one of these people who buys $400 worth of groceries for $5 due to coupons and rebates. She decided to pitch a money-saving column to her local newspaper. She told the editor that she could write one column a week, pictured it in the Wednesday Food section, and would be able to include several money-saving tips and local deals each week. She explained to the editor that when people bought the Wednesday paper and followed her tips, they would make back the money they spent on the paper and more with their savings. Guess what? She has that weekly column now.

Neither one of these ladies waited for an opportunity to come to them. They didn’t see these openings on craigslist or on job boards. They had an idea, and they ran with it.  You can, too.

Be creative with what you know. Linda knew hockey, parenting, and early childhood. Sara knew coupons and newspaper readers. They both took ideas for their columns from their daily lives. Look around you. What are you doing that other people could benefit from? Who would want to read these tips or musings you could provide? What publications are you currently reading that you could contribute to? Ask yourself these questions, and write down the answers! It’s not enough just to think about them in the shower or while driving to work. This is the time for action. Make your ideas concrete by writing them down (or typing them—that will do, too). 

Take fifteen minutes every day for an entire week (or maybe even two weeks) while you’re waiting in the kitchen for dinner to finish cooking or after the kids have gone to bed, and write down some ideas for a regular column, blog posts, or series of articles. You might have to explore your ideas further once you make your list, or even investigate the places you frequent to see if there are any publications you’ve been missing. But that’s okay—you know, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be observant of your surroundings, and what’s being offered in your community. Take notes, brainstorm, and give yourself time to think if nothing pops into your mind immediately.

Thinking outside the box can be scary—I agree. Someone might not like your idea and reject it. Someone might read your column and disagree with you. Do you think Linda or Sara were worried about these concerns? Nope, and that's why they're columnists. 

----

Margo L. Dill is an instructor for WOW! Women On Writing as well as a writing workshop leader  for both adults and children. You can find out more about her at her blog, http://margodill.com/blog/.
 

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3 comments columns, freelance writing, generating new ideas, Margo L. Dill

My Not-So-Secret Writing Tool for Generating Picture Book Ideas

by Lynne Garner

A friend recently asked me where I got my ideas. "Everywhere," was my reply.  She looked a little confused so I explained about the three picture books I’ve had published. The first A Book For Bramble evolved from my work with a not-for-profit organization that rescues sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs. I began to wonder what (if any) dreams hedgehogs have whilst they  hibernate. Slowly the story of Bramble the hedgehog and his friend Teasel the mouse evolved.

My second book The Best Jumper grew from a conversation with a friend. We were discussing putting on weight and no longer being able to wear that favourite garment. We agreed at least we had the chance to lose the weight and squeeze back into that garment. Unlike a child who would never be able to squeeze back into their favourite piece of clothing because they’d grown out of it. From that conversation came Spindle and his shrinking jumper.

My last book Dog Did It came from owning a dog. Anyone who lives with a canine friend will know they can sometimes suffer from flatulence. This aromatic problem can sometimes result in a statement along the lines of “the dog did it!”

So my three books have come from:

·         An idle question

·         A conversation

·         A life experience

Now, although I have taught myself to ask questions my secret tool as a writer is my notepad and a pen which I take everywhere with me. In this way, when I see, hear, read or am told something I feel I could use in a story I write it down. Now that small spark of possible inspiration is not lost. So, if you want to be a writer, arm yourself with that secret tool. Pop it into your bag and get into the habit of jotting down all those little things that pass everyone else by.

P.S.

Whilst you are buying one notepad buy yourself a second and place it beside your bed. So next time you wake up with a dream still fresh in your mind you can quickly jot it down before it retreats and is lost forever.

P.P.S

My family and friends have become so accustomed to seeing me reaching for my not-so-secret tool that each birthday and Christmas I receive the most gorgeous notepads, which will one day be full of notes, ready to become part of a new story.

***

 
Lynne Garner has been a freelance writer and author since 1998. Since that time she has written for a large number of magazines both in the UK and the US. She has 21 books published; this includes three picture books, with a fourth to follow shortly. Her first title ‘The Best Jumper’ was recorded for the CBeeBies children’s radio channel (part of the BBC) whilst ‘A Book For Bramble’ has been translated into five languages including Korean and Indonesian.

Lynne is also a WOW! Women on Writing Classroom instructor. Her interactive workshop HOW TO WRITE CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS AND GET PUBLISHED starts Friday, June 24th. Click here for more information and to sign up!

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6 comments children's books, generating new ideas, getting ideas, Lynne Garner, online writing classes, WOW Classes, WOW instructor, writing children's picture book, writing class

Friday Speak Out!: Really? That’s a Story Idea!, Guest Post by Juliann Wetz

Really? That’s a Story Idea!

by Juliann Wetz

For years, I always ate lunch with my co-workers on Mondays. That was our time to connect and share what we’d done over the weekend. On one particular Monday I didn’t have anything special to share -- or so I thought. But as I recounted the shift I’d worked at my part-time job as a domestic violence counselor, I realized that my story might be of interest to more people than just the co-workers sitting around our table.

One of the males in our group, Scott, asked me what I actually did at the shelter. I told him that I managed the shelter during my shift, making sure that everyone was safe and doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether it was household chores or getting to social service appointments. I did intakes on women coming into the shelter, or departure interviews on those who were leaving. And sometimes I answered the crisis hotline, which I’d done over the weekend. But I hadn’t had an actual crisis call, just another obscene phone caller.

“Really?” he asked. His mouth hung open and his eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. Apparently this was news to him.

I nodded. “We get prank calls and obscene phone calls all the time.”

Scott sat back in his chair, a look of astonishment fixed to his face. “Really?” he repeated. And that’s when I knew – here was a story I needed to write. A tale that needed to be told.

Somewhere in my reading past a writer gave this advice: when you are recounting a story and someone interjects the word “Really?” you know you have a story.
That word should be a writer’s cue that the statement he/she has just made sparked interest in the listener. The speaker has just relayed something incredible, incongruous, new or provocative that the listener wants to know more about. Like the sad fact that crisis line workers often get pranked with obscene phone calls. It’s part of the job, but I hadn’t realized that there was a story in that until I heard Scott’s reaction to something I’d taken as routine.

Now I often use the word "really" as my litmus test. If I begin a story or tell the premise of a story and hear that goldmine of a word, I know I’ve got a story idea and a potential audience. Really!

* * *

In addition to raising a family and working many different jobs (including one as a domestic violence counselor), Juliann Wetz has been writing for more than 20 years. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Boys' Life, Cappers, Good Old Days, Child Life, Reading Today, Dog Fancy, and 50+. In addition, she wrote restaurant and book reviews for the Cox Newspapers of southwestern Ohio.

She is currently working on two novels and keeps her writing skills sharp by blogging daily. Read more at http://juliewetz-dailysnapshot.blogspot.com/
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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2 comments Friday Speak Out, generating new ideas, getting ideas, Juliann Wetz, writer inspiration

Spanning the Globe: Turning Local Ideas Into National and International Stories

As I freelance writer, I devour the newspaper when it lands in my mailbox. Yes, I read the entire newspaper, but I pay special attention to the regional and business sections. Why? Because the local stories sometimes make great articles for national - and even international -publications.

What type of story works best? Unfortunately there's not a magic formula. It's a matter of hard work and thinking outside the box. For example, a business page story featured a short piece about a woman who makes fishing lures. I pitched the idea to a fishing magazine. Another regional story highlighted technology use at a local school. I took that idea and expanded it into a feature article. A book by an area author turned into a $400 paycheck from a Canadian publication.

Consider it an additional way to re-slant a story.

When approaching an editor, be sure you've done your homework. Plus, offer to supply photographs, illustrations or infographics, sidebars, and need-to-knows (recommended reading, expert websites, etc.).

Freelance writers need to always be on the lookout for great - and profitable - story ideas. Using regional or local newspapers adds another tool to a freelancer's toolbox.

by LuAnn Schindler. Visit LuAnn's website for more of her articles, columns, and ideas.

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1 comment generating new ideas, getting ideas, infographics, international sales, local stories, LuAnn Schindler, national sales, need-to-knows, photographs, repurposing ideas, reslanting an article