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Inspiration & Motivation
Inspiring or motivating a writer involves a blend of practical strategies, emotional support, and self-care. Key approaches include setting clear goals, building a supportive community, and incorporating various sources of inspiration.
- Practical Strategies and Mindset: Set Clear, Manageable Goals: Break down large projects into smaller, short-term and long-term goals. Celebrate each milestone to maintain momentum and a sense of progress.
- Establish a Routine/Discipline: Writing consistently, even for short periods daily, builds the habit and keeps the project top-of-mind. As the saying goes, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work”.
- Change Scenery: If feeling stuck, a change of location—a different room, a café, or a walk in nature—can provide a fresh perspective and spark creativity.
- Experiment with the Process: Break from a formulaic process to reinvigorate creativity. Try writing the ending first, using a visual prompt instead of a headline, or just free-writing a “stream of consciousness” without judgment.
- Embrace Self-Care: A healthy balance between writing and overall well-being is vital to avoid burnout. Encourage activities like exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones to recharge.
- Seek Inspiration and Connection: Read Widely: Immersing oneself in excellent literature, across different genres and styles, can provide fresh ideas and remind the writer of the power of storytelling.
- Engage with Other Arts & the World: Music, paintings, movies, and simply observing the world and people around you can provide an endless well of ideas for characters and storylines.Overcoming Obstacles
- Acknowledge and Tackle Self-Doubt: Self-doubt and the “inner critic” are common enemies of creativity. Using techniques like the “This is Shit” technique (typing critical thoughts in brackets and moving on) can help manage these voices.
- Remember the “Why“: Reconnecting with the initial passion and purpose for writing provides a driving force through difficult patches.
- Research and Exploration: Deep diving into research about a subject, setting, or characters can transform a feeling of being stuck into a new avenue for inspiration.
Ultimately, the goal is to help the writer cultivate an environment that fosters creativity and discipline while being kind to themselves during the challenging yet rewarding writing journey.
Mud Pies
Teraisa J. Goldman
There is something magical about writing fiction stories for children. When you write, you are transformed into a child again, and you hear your own words as if for the first time — as a child would.
Write Diaries for Your Children 05
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
This summer I spent of a lot of time in my father’s garden, gratefully picking the lettuce, tomatoes, acorn squash and other delicious vegetables he grows in super abundance there. Often, I would visit his garden just before dinner, to see what I would have for dinner, when the birds were noisy, the sun was still hot on my shoulders and a slight breeze would blow up to cool me down. One of my daughters would very likely be with me.
Write Diaries for Your Children 04
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
Often we encounter obstacles when we’re working to achieve something we want very much. Tell your future child the story about an obstacle you encountered in working toward bringing this baby into your life.
Write Diaries for Your Children 03
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed. The Wishing Well: Sit down in a comfortable place, open your child’s diary, write the date, and imagine yourself pitching 3 pennies into your magic wishing well. What three wishes would you wish for the child coming into your life? If they are metaphorical or symbolic rather than real or concrete things, that’s fine – imaginative language can be revealing and inspirational. Do these wishes have to do with the present, the near future, or the distant future? Write to your child about the three wishes and reflect on why you wish these things.
Write Diaries for Your Children 02
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
As a mother in a recent workshop shared, sometimes the child we are expecting is not our first, but our second or third. Perhaps the enthusiasm about welcoming this new baby is dimmed by the moment-to-moment care taking requirements of the children already very actively in your life at home.
Write Diaries for Your Children 01
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
Have you ever longed to ask your parents, “What was I really like as a child?” Some day, your children will ask this question of you. If you write diaries for your children as they grow, you will be preserving memories and saving your child’s unique stories to treasure for many years to come.
The 8 Habits of Highly Successful Young-Adult Fiction Authors
Best-selling writers including John Green and Veronica Roth share their strategies for crafting authentic, relatable teen characters — even in fantasy worlds.
You Can Write A Short Story: Part 1 The Story Idea
Linda S. Dupie
So, you want to write a short story. There is more to writing it, than just telling a story. Have you heard the phrase “Show, don’t tell?” If you haven’t, then remember it. Show; don’t tell means to use your characters to convey the story through their actions and dialogue.
You Can Write A Short Story: Part 2 The Meat of the Story
Linda S. Dupie
Many writers call the middle the meat of the story, but I like to think of it as an OREO cookie. The creme filling is what holds the ends together, just as the middle of your story should bring the beginning and ending of your story together.
You Can Write A Short Story: Part 3 The Climax
Linda S. Dupie
You’ve worked hard on your story, now it’s time to round out the story with your ending. This is the time to exit your story gracefully.
Various Types of Writing for Young Writers
Mary Ellen Allen
So often we or our students think of writing as composing poetry and fiction stories. Usually we don’t consider non-fiction pieces, interviews, reports, essays, letters, and other similar forms. When youngsters say, “I can’t think of a story,” suggest other types of writing which might dispel their “writer’s block.”
Keeping an Idea Book
Mary Emma Allen
Youngsters often are intimidated by the idea of writing, whether it’s a story, poem, book report, non-fiction article. However, there are a number of ways to take away some of the dread of writing.
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