They were all there, ringed around the table and chatting between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes and turkey, all smiling and nodding, but I knew it was there hovering just beneath the surface. One word and everything would shatter…
What is the word? (And who are the people, for that matter)?
Finish this prompt in 500 words or less and email it to thespinningpen@gmail.com – selected prompts will be featured on our blog.
Good luck writers!
You can never stop being a writer.
You can stop writing, but there is a part of your brain that never sleeps, never stops observing, never stops scribing.
This is an unconscious process for many of us, but to write novels that clutch people’s hearts, we must tap into that thought process. Today, I’m going to give you four lenses you can use to observe the world and enrich your writing. So let’s get started!
Amidst the transition from finishing my manuscript to the start of the publication cycle, something shifted in me. “Writing” (that is, doing whatever was necessary to get my manuscript published) became another thing to do on an ever-increasing to-do list. I need to re-write that first scene, build a platform, research agents, and the motivation that has always pushed me through my story has dried up.
And now I know why.
When I was handed back my chapter with two comments and a large smiley face on it, I realized that giving meaningful feedback on writing is a skill.
When I got serious about writing, I knew I had to surround myself with other writers if my interest was going to become anything beyond the terrible disjointed scenes floating on my computer.
You’re serious about writing too, so let’s go through the practical steps in creating your own writing group. But just in case you’re still not sure if you should do a writing group, I’ll throw out a few reasons why it would be fan-freaking-tastic idea.
You can give your character a history, style, idiolect, and driving purpose, but until they have fears they’ll never feel quite real.
You’re writing, speeding through scenes in a gush of inspiration, when your characters reach the town, mountain, forest of _______ and your (metaphorical) feet suddenly sink into the time-sucking swamp of naming.
Choosing which writing tool is going to be the most helpful really comes down to three things: place, time, and purpose. Think of it as a choose your own adventure. Inspiration strikes you as you are:
The Spinning Pen 