Notes from One Writer to Another
If you write fantasy or books for children, here’s a treasure trove of information. It lists the categories of folktales. You can plug the descriptions into Google and find examples in a wink.
Aarne–Thompson classification system – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
When setting goals for the new year, inspiration can be helpful. Here’s some advice from John Cleese about creativity.
John Cleese, Monty Python Icon, on How to Be Creative | Open Culture.
I found this wonderful site through the Picture Book Idea Month Facebook page. It is from a summer challenge that lasted eight weeks. That means you can check out seven more of these delightful idea machines! If you are in need of wild fiction inspiration, click on the link below and you are sure to find help.
Susanna Leonard Hill: Welcome To Summer Short And Sweets!!!.
Truby discusses the art of combining genres to create hits. This can be useful even if you don’t write screenplays.
There’s a treasure trove of terrific free downloads for novelists on this blog. You can reap the benefits even if you dropped out of NaNoWriMo or never signed up! Zip over there and collect.
We are nearing the end of the Poem a Day challenge on Robert Lee Brewer’s blog. It has been an interesting experience. I will either continue with my own prompts or find another community. You are certainly welcome to join me by posting in the comments.
Today’s prompt at PAD is to write a poem about giving birth. Click on the link to add your own. You can join in any time.
2012 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 29 | Birth Poem | Experience | WritersDigest.com.
Here’s mine:
I kept telling
myself that
the Queens of England
did this
as I lay on the table
under blazing lights
coming undone
the most
private places
in full view
of strangers,
And then, the doctor
said, “He’s going
to be smart.”
A nurse said,
“What a pretty
little face.”
It was like
the blessing
in a fairy tale,
especially when
eyes still blue
as heaven
cast their
virgin gaze
on me.
Linda Armstrong, 11/29/2012, All rights reserved.
Click on the link below for a terrific method to generate story ideas. It works best for children’s books, but it could work for adult trade authors too. It’s simple, fun, and very effective! I encountered it on the Picture Book Idea Month Facebook page.
News.
If you write books for kids, here’s a list you won’t want to be without. It is sure to inspire a million ideas (and memories). It’s from author and Picture Book Idea Month maven Tara Lazar.
450+ Things That Kids Like « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).
From picture book author Marsha Diane Arnold, here’s an exercise to warm up your story-telling engines. She challenges writers to read four picture books and write new endings for them. She offers some suggestions, but you can choose your own. Be sure to use recent books. Your local librarian can offer suggestions.
If you need some inspiration from the greats, take a look at this article about authors and their editors. I have worked with some amazing editors in the educational publishing business. (I’d like to find an article about the relationship between some famous authors and their agents, too.)
Flavorwire » The Artist and the Critic: 8 Famous Author/Editor Relationships.
One Way to Wonder 