A WRITERS BLOCK

I have a writers block right now and that's why I'm writing an entry about it. I've tried two different ideas for an entry but can't write anything that sounds halfway intelligent. I'm so aggravated with myself that I have no motivation to write a blog post. But it's been nearly a week, so I have to write something.
I had a chronic case of writers block in 2008. The affliction just kept getting worse until the end of '09. Happily, this year it is mostly gone.
Sometimes the products of a frustrating writer's block turn out to be popular articles. Read A Revolting Week for a great example of a success story.
I listen to music to not only calm my rattled nerves, but to help me write. Most writers agree that some types of music are helpful when you write. I recommend Yanni's Nightingale unless you're writing a fast- paced action scene.



If you try to begin a short story, but don't write a skeleton first, you may suffer a writers block. I experience this all the time because I often sit down at the computer with the intention of writing a story for no reason other than I just feel like it.

Sometimes it's hard to be patient with a writers block. I nearly gave up writing during my chronic writers block. If you just persist the writers block will go away. If you have true ardor for writing, you can beat the block.

Short Story Skeleton

A ghostly white form with craters for eyes is walking toward you. All you did was decide to start a short story, and this bony humanoid is telling you it's a necessary part of your writing experience. Don't scream in horror, it's only the skeleton of your short story.

Everything substantial has a skeleton, and a short story is one of them. A story's "skeleton" is merely the fundamental beginnings of your story. Every good writer thinks and plans their story before actually starting to write. Before you write the first sentence, you'll need to make out a blueprint for your story. Here are some rules and tips:

1. Your passion for your story is crucial. If you don't have a deep, burning desire to write your story, it'll never get done. How the writer feels about a book really shows. Think about your story all the time, and have faith in it. Don't ever make the fatal mistake of letting yourself think a perfectly fine idea is wrong because you don't have enough experience, or because your last story was rejected. 
2. An idea journal is also important. Buy a small notepad and whenever you have an idea for your book, write it down. Here are a few examples of how you should do this:

4.20.10
I was reading a book last night and thought of something. My heroine is going to be the daughter of a lawyer and his wife is a cashier at the local grocery.
4.22.10
This morning I realized my heroine's name. It will be Vicki. 
4.23.10
I think in the end Vicki will be in a field, beginning her first novel. I just feel it seems right....my thoughts may change later in the writing. 
4.25.10
I thought of a name for my story. It will be The Precaution. 

 3. Be patient, because creating your skeleton is a process which will make you quite eager to begin your manuscript. A tip to remember is not to start writing until you can tell the story of your characters life beginning to end; even what happens after the curtains are closed to the reader.

4.  If you are interested in art, you might want to draw pictures of incidents in your character's life. The visual experience may help you to gain insight into your characters and also to make you more motivated. If you don't like drawing, you can just write mini-stories about your character. I'm pretty sure you like to write!

These were just some ideas for creating a skeleton for your short story. Just remember, if you're afraid of it, you can scare the skeleton itself. When your short story's skeleton is afraid it collapses. Those brittle bones just might break if you don't do it right. Be brave and enjoy!

Write a Short Story

Short stories are my expertise. They're quick, easy, and the plot is easily and speedily developed.  A short story is any story under 7500 words in length. My story Goodbye Earth is 1700 words long, and is a very short story. If you enjoy writing and don't feel like writing a 200,000+ word epic novel, maybe you should try writing a short story. Anyway if it gets rejected by publishers you might not feel as bad. I only type at 38 wpm (errors deducted), so it would take me a long time to write a long story. I was astonished at how quickly people write long novels. I take about a month to write 25 pages. That's pretty sad.
So, if you're sick of trying to write a long novel, try writing short fiction.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself before attempting to write a short story.
Have I written numerous very short stories?
Am I comfortable with typing?
Do I love to write?
Am I ready to edit my short story honestly?

If you answered yes to all those questions, then the answer to the question "Can I write a short story?" is YES! Also I recommend taking a test to see how many words per minute you can type. Leave me a comment about your results!
http://www.typingtest.com/

If you want to get your start in magazines, it's good to know how to keep your first draft short. Isn't it horrible to leave your story frail and dying from page removal just to get it short enough to enter into a magazine or contest?

Dream Diary

The other night, I had a dream which kept pestering me. I couldn't get the thought out of my head and it was driving me batty! I tossed and turned in a half-awake state for about an hour. I decided that maybe this was "inspiration knocking", so I pulled out my journal and wrote it down. The dream disappeared. A lot of my short stories started out as dreams, and scenes in some of my stories are extracted from dreams.
Stephenie Meyers dreamed up Twilight, and Mary Shelley dreamed the idea for Frankenstein. Both of these novels were huge successes and later, movie franchises.
 The wonderful thing is that when you're young, you'll dream more than your grandparents do! At the age of 19-30 years old, one has their peak percentage of REM sleep. Guess what? Mary Shelley was 19 years old when she dreamed about Frankenstein, and Stephenie Meyers was 30 when she dreamed of Twilight.
I read that people should keep a tape recorder next to their bed and record their dreams vocally. This way that inspiration can be preserved. Often, you think that you'll remember the dream all night and when you wake up you can't remember it.
The sleeping state really helps to get your mind working. As soon as you wake up, write random things, and surprise yourself at what amazing things you thought of.
I'll leave you with  five common dreams and their interpretations.

1. Being chased means that you are afraid of something in your real life, and that you're trying to escape a consequence or something that is happening.
2. Help!!!! You're in the middle of the grocery store, look down and realize you're not wearing clothes. Being naked in a dream means you're afraid of being seen for who you really are. Also it could mean that you want to be seen for who you really are.
3. Water is a common symbol in dreams. A few drops of water signifies forgiveness. Murky water signals problems ahead. Waterfalls mean abundance in your future. Calm smooth water is a good omen.
4. Dreams of your teeth falling out reflects a lack of self esteem and a bad body image. People who fear of getting old and ugly may dream that their teeth are falling out, or crumbling in their hands.