Monday, June 18, 2018

Ideas and Inspiration for Writers on the Go

 


Ideas can hit you at the most inconvenient time, if you don't have paper or pen at hand it can often lead to writer's block later on which is so frustrating.

There are a few simple writing hacks you can do to keep a steady flow of inspiration in your own daily life.

So what options do you have to capture those fleeting thoughts?

1. Sticky Notes

The sticky pad you can scribble anything on, and a favourite for many writer's.  Keep a pad on your desk or by your bedside.  Gather all your sticky notes together at the end of the day and organise them into into useful projects, blog posts, and book ideas for another day.

2. Memo Board

A great place to start brainstorming or go to during the day.  The memo board can be put in the kitchen or study to scribble down ideas that pop into your head during the day.

3. Napkin

When inspiration strikes write it down, using a napkin.  Sounds really crazy but not that far-fetched.  Authors such as J.K Rowling, Stephen King, all had moments of inspiration that were written down on a napkin.

4. Index Cards

Before computers writer's used index cards an under used and simple item that can easily be slipped into any pocket or bag.  Can be used to write outlines for stories, research for articles, and the great thing is no batteries needed.

5.  Idea Journal

Your in good company if you write your ideas in a journal, writer's such as Beatrix Potter, inventor Thomas Edison and painter Leonardo da Vinci all kept a journal.

6. Voice Capture Technology

There are lots of different way to capture your thoughts through speech.  From simple voice recorderssmart pens and Dragon Naturally Speaking software.

7. Notebook

The humble notebook has changed a lot in recent years and comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes.  You can even write your notes in the shower with Aqua notes or if you want to go all sci-fi you can use Rocketbook Wave Smart notebook, download the app and send all of your notes to Google Drive, Evernote, iCloud etc.

Or you could just stick to the more traditional method of carrying a reporters pad and pen around with you.

Either way writing down thoughts stimulates ideas, increases brain activity and boosts inspiration. The most important thing is that you're consistent in your capturing of ideas.

Inspiration for Writer's on the Go

Read the First Line of a Novel

Grab a pile of your favourite novels and start reading and writing the first sentence of each one:

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee -"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow".

The Invisible Man, H.G. Wells - "The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking as it seemed from Bramblehurst railway station, and carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand".

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë -"1801 - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be trouble with".

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald - "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since".

The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas - "On February 24, 1815, the lookout at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the arrival of the three-master Pharaon, coming from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples".

Moby Dick, Herman Melville - "Call me Ishamel".

You can open any novel randomly and choose any line from it, but the real is usually found in the first line, because this is where the author makes the greatest impact and sets the stage for you.  When you start writing ask yourself "what is it about the story I'm writing that will draw in the reader?".

First Line Story Starters

Try Copying the first line then continue the story in your own words, for five minutes.

Word Association

Think of a word write it down, then another word that relates to the first word until you've created a chain of single words or phrases in this way.

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Read more:

The Complete to Google Docs for Writers

7 Tools to Create Images and Book Covers

Everyday Tools for Writers

The Benefits of Touch Typing for Writers

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