3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas

There are many ways you can generate ideas you can use for your stories, articles and other creative pieces. Start with the three ways given below:

1. Put Your 5 Senses to Work

A simple but effective way to generate fresh ideas from a single concept, idea or object is to describe or illustrate it using the 5 senses -- sight, smell, touch, taste, sound.

For you to do: Generate 5 specific images or concrete examples (one example for each sense) for the following:

vindication (what's the smell of vindication? how does it taste? how does it sound? what does it look like? how does it feel?)
hesitation
celebration

2. Take Advantage of Your Conflicts

Conflict is a part of life. It's also a source of creativity. You only need to look at yourself and examine your experiences to come up with ideas based on conflicts.

For you to do: What's stopping you from doing something? Who is in the way of you getting what you want? What's stopping you from taking a career leap? Brainstorm for conflicts in your life and come up with at least 15 in your list.

3. It's OK to Call People Names

Generate nicknames or terms that capture the lifestyles, attitudes or characteristics of certain groups of people.

For example, the nicknames I came up for the kind of people I encountered on the bus when I used to commute to work and back were: space-hog, slumper, fidgeter and refined. The terms described how the people on the bus behaved as they sat. [They were useful because I was able to avoid the space-hogs and the fidgeters when choosing a seat. Sitting beside a slumper was all right, since most slumpers kept their slumps within their space ;o)]

For you to do: Generate nicknames or terms for the following groups of people:

cashiers
waiters
teachers
employees
actors

Begin using these 3 simple ways of generating ideas today. Before long, you'll be churning out one idea after another with ease. That's creativity at work!

About The Author

Shery is the developer of creative, motivating and fun e-mail courses for writers. Sign up and take an e-mail course today...free! http://writingbliss.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Course shows companies what NOT to put in writing - Reuters

Coens nominated for writing prize - BBC News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8PZADrpEJzYr-6ByMf2Uf0rfx2gD95J6AMO0cid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNEkTmc6f1eMZN9YyJ59BLIDO6sS_wimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=xkmoBYE_yJcJimgurl=www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5ik-3Jzog8UNM6apF5Wt3txHWN9Fg width=59 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Associated Press/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7817304.stmcid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFGVBCqzLBMZDVu4nJVNg67GfFHrACoens nominated for bwriting/b prize/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBBC News,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen have been nominated for a prize at the Writers Guild of America awards for their movie Burn After Reading. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8PZADrpEJzYr-6ByMf2Uf0rfx2gD95J6AMO0cid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNEkTmc6f1eMZN9YyJ59BLIDO6sS_wNolan nabs directing nomination for `Dark Knight#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/9411cid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNH1Bs399QmrjpZBy4EbP9b1XQOQbwWGA Nominates Bashir, Chicago 10, Dark Knight/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAnimation Magazine/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/burn-milk-up-wga-screenplay/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B4B251FC1-2BEF-474F-8C29-F0D30CA43027%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGiJkFdSIi7Hm0pRjk2ppotEJ8lyQ#39;Burn,#39; #39;Milk#39; up for WGA screenplay award/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp%3Farticle%3D7385cid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNHQ_uHCauhSwSy2ixwcpxh6802WEwnobriFMagazine/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-5fd=Rurl=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090108.BUZZ08-1/TPStory/Entertainmentcid=1287788727ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGtpyCD_lvjpYaTTTVNXtYuZhMuNAnobrGlobe and Mail/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287788727hl=ennobrall 565 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Gonzales writing book on years in Bush administration - Austin American-Statesman

Children#39;s creative writing class is Saturday at Writers#39; Gallery - Yucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.newsmirror.net/articles/2009/01/08/news/07news.txtcid=1287879816ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNHcMlFIBOQY9iYBBoKqczpht1H7PQChildren#39;s creative bwriting/b class is Saturday at Writers#39; Gallery/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fYucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Writers#39; Gallery in Yucaipa will present a Children#39;s Creative bWriting/b Class on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 am to noon. This class will be taught by b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/leisure/Writers-with-murder-in-mind.4851777.jpcid=1287879816ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGaTxiOEJXcZ6AmAQnJ-Of_73ZS4QWriters with murder in mind/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBerwick Today/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287879816hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, writing, and learning ... - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFXCzWyGoXnUeMA9xP4sqGwnu1Rrgimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=Nj8BWNePNEUJimgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img530michelle_kerns_photo.jpg width=80 height=67 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Examiner.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFXCzWyGoXnUeMA9xP4sqGwnu1RrgThe Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, bwriting/b, and learning b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b could scarcely have imagined that decades later his quirky creation would be used in bwriting/b and geography projects for schoolchildren around the globe. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Ex-broker guilty of writing bad check - Billings Gazette

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/08/news/state/55-badcheck.txtcid=1287866693ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNH7aOv1aB1bgqQNv6TJczq1XoyG6wEx-broker guilty of bwriting/b bad check/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBillings Gazette,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA Jeanne Rizzotto, a former Red Lodge real estate broker, pled guilty Wednesday in District Court in Red Lodge to bwriting/b a bad b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-1fd=Rurl=http://www.kxmb.com/News/317363.aspcid=1287866693ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFpJr1OCsDp2bTio_v8_owZlV19EgRed Lodge woman pleads guilty in bad check case | KXNet.com North b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReiten Television KXMB Bismarck/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287866693hl=ennobrall 5 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Russia says will restore gas when monitors in place - guardian.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010700618.htmlcid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNF9A3oN12lVwUSx37lBh4czOT-xdgimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=_vmFIRXwrCMJimgurl=media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/01/07/PH2009010700620.jpg width=80 height=61 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Washington Post/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8216731cid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNG1O7FNgUnDSlwBlHzOMjmIsadXewRussia says will restore gas when monitors in place/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fguardian.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b Faulconbridge in Kiev, Marcin Grajewski in Brussels; Martin Santa in Bratislava; Jan Lopatka in Prague; bWriting/b by Jon Boyle; editing by Ralph Boulton)/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D9QQGXDfC8LAcid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNHbuvrddRRdiRtSiWjmloUE6qA9VgVideo: Ukraine leaves Europe without gas - Gazprom/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrRussiaToday/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/9QQGXDfC8LA/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/9QQGXDfC8LAtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-2fd=Rurl=http://www.kyivpost.com/world/32802cid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGTDD36HHN6pKzAAwaFGxLFUANJXQGazprom: Yushchenko should work instead of bwriting/b letters/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKyiv Post (subscription)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-3fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSBRU00715620090108cid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGcactqh_zlSvZcdW-R7_jy8e1KKQGazprom refuses to agree to EU gas monitoring plan/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-4fd=Rurl=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKPRA00230820090108cid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNH3M0-AQy4kh1bc2xUCUbqKgkvw2gnobrReuters/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-5fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL84569920090108cid=1287643687ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGVjqFfanSOCTxQA5kbxBz9_vI2_gnobrReuters/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287643687hl=ennobrall 6,876 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Israel’s Vicious Circle: Ten Years of Writing on Israel and Palestine - Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2984931/Israel-Hamas-agree-to-temporarily-hold-their-fire.htmlcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNH7zL0l9PguQ20EcDvA9khtFMSMtgimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=ti2N4zrgCJgJimgurl=www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/00729/eng_gaza_gbs_BM_Bay_729479g.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2WELT ONLINE/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.wrmea.com/archives/December_2008/0812072.htmlcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFcpSbOCVj8hLYUv0-RVqu_oACN_wIsrael’s Vicious Circle: Ten Years of bWriting/b on Israel and Palestine/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Report on Middle East Affairs,nbsp;DCnbsp;-/font nobrJan 6, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1His bwriting/b exudes urgency, provokes debate, seeks doorways in the darkness. As the situation in the region has deteriorated over the past decade, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D1KSDbxn6uOQcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGueuD2k3ffvfd56rVs5wNK3PQ_3QVideo: Israel responds to rockets fired from Lebanon - 08 Jan 09/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAlJazeeraEnglish/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/1KSDbxn6uOQ/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/1KSDbxn6uOQtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://ashahed.blogs.finalcall.com/2009/01/mass-murder-in-gaza.htmlcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFrqTWVwcZdXHYvnBSwAodGjBz4AAAnother Look at Israel#39;s Assault on Gaza/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrFinalCall.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-3fd=Rurl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010801937.htmlcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNEP3LwMCpCgayvVEDJa46Ix5f7SUwCouncil on Foreign Relations/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWashington Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-4fd=Rurl=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/06/iftikhar.gaza/cid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFWackzbcWZ-j4Sra94RO78s1qJEgnobrCNN/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-5fd=Rurl=http://baltimorechronicle.com/2009/010709Ring.shtmlcid=1286705204ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGnDaJUcT_StbV6mr9YmhkLn2U2KQnobrThe Baltimore Chronicle/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1286705204hl=ennobrall 32,206 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The business press: The horror of writing your own obit - BloggingStocks

Manhattan Public Library holding art and writing contest for MLK ... - KTKA.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/news.php%3FviewStory%3D14791cid=1287567128ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGynAoyBPrzyxg-avBoSE1ixHEhkQimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=-gjAoq-wUKAJimgurl=www.murfreesboropost.com/files/image/article/full_14791.JPG width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Murfreesboro Post/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ktka.com/news/2009/jan/07/manhattan_public_library_holding_art_and_writing_c/cid=1287567128ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNE2ULTdOUK1ejVmCnKVMmRRGX39wgManhattan Public Library holding art and bwriting/b contest for MLK b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKTKA.com,nbsp;KSnbsp;-/font nobrJan 7, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Write down your experience or the story of someone you know and submit it to the annual Manhattan Community Martin Luther King Jr. Art and bWriting/b Contest. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/901080321cid=1287567128ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNFOiMNlHpODSKI4CdKk4aqVRukBjwKing#39;s #39;Peace#39; theme puts youths#39; skills on display/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarion Star/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S23/13/67G96/index.xml%3Fsection%3Dannouncementscid=1287567128ei=DnpmScOlE8KPmAfat43GBAusg=AFQjCNGM5mhA9GDzOM0pEbiznqtfpPEOuwAmerican presidential transition is theme of King Day event/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrPrinceton University/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287567128hl=ennobrall 162 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Writing - Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Writer's Web Resources
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide. Now you can work for publishers, corporations and a whole range of other clients on a truly global scale.

Timer Magic for Writers
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel may seem like a sheer, unscalable cliff. ("Gee, I don't think I can write today.

Writing Tips for your Journey
Tips for your writing journeySo, you'd like to be a writer? Congrats! Writing not only is a great way to express yourself, but can provide an income. Keep in mind not all writers make a fortune, some still cant quit their day job.

The Author Within
Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be the best around and would have you believe that no one else knows as much or can teach you as quickly and thoroughly as they can. It would seem that they erroneously assume that by admiring someone else's teachings they will lessen their marketability as the "great persuader" in salesmanship.

Sell More Books With a Powerful Back Cover
Did you know that your back cover information is, after the cover, the best way to sell more books? And, that most authors, emerging and experienced, miss this opportunity to engage more potential buyers?Your book's front cover and sizzling title must impress your buyers in four-eight seconds. If they like it, they will spend ten or so seconds on your back cover-a great opportunity to convince them that your book is necessary for their success.

Advice for New Writers
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's not uncommon to exchange dozens of messages daily. Sometimes, I sense a writer's "voice" in such messages.

Where to Look for Your Next Project when You're Writing for Profit
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published way back in 1995, I thought that was it. I reckoned I'd never write another one.

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (3)
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance and rejection by a publisher's commissioning editor. In this article, I'll look at just one small, but often bothersome, piece of punctuation: the apostrophe.

New Year Resolutions for Writers - The Best Kind to Make and How to Keep Them
On the first day of a bright and shiny new year, stretching out ahead of us full of possibilities, it's so easy to feel a sense of determination. ("This year I'm DOING it! I'm going to write a book / lose weight / take more time for myself.

Piecing It All Together
There's a little known secret we writers like to keep to ourselves, because we fear that if word got out, readers would immediately become disillusioned and abandon us. It's not as bad as a reviewer spoiling a twist in the plot of a book, I suppose.

How to Write Bad Poetry
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that a million other people (just like you (yes, just like you!)) give themselves every day. Some people believe giving yourself such a title is equivalent to, and just as beneficial monetarily, as naming yourself Queen of England.

Imagine The Imagination
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's mind before it was poured out onto the pages of the book.Imagine all those words are words we all know and use but one person takes those words and arranges them in a certain way in the mind; the person fuses these words to form a story.

How To Become a Freelance Grant Writer
What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a lot of power in their hands. When they work for companies, they are essentially trying to help gain free money for that company to help the company expand, do research, or to stay in business.

How to Pitch a Story
Ever wonder why we refer to convincing an editor a story is worthy by "pitching a story?" I have. I'm a baseball enthusiast, and it makes a lot of sense to me.

Top 10 Tips to Complete a Creative Writing Project Without Losing Your Creativity
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great excitement, only to have your interest dwindle as the process, itself, interfere with your creativity? How do you keep the momentum going and continue to enjoy the creative process? Follow these tips for high creativity, fun and success!1. Create a writing environment that inspires you.

Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas
A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about.

Are You a Freelance Writer? - Then You Need a Website
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself to your clients in a highly effective way. One of the most effective methods that freelancers use is a website.

How to Write a Holiday Tale that Isn't a Turkey
When we write stories, with the purpose of sharing them with others, we enter into an agreement where we allow our reader to see a glimpse of our heart, our souls and our memories. If we truly want them to be immersed in the tale, we actively immerse ourselves in those memories so that a glimmer of what we saw, heard and felt comes through.

Help! I Cant Write!
Writer's Block can strike like a King Cobra, paralyzing every little golden nugget you try to create. What can you do to lick it? Below are some fun suggestions to crack the nut! (write about each prompt for twenty minutes)1) Take yourself to the local coffee shop and eavesdrop.

How to Outline your Book and Chapters with Mindmapping
Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use flexible thinking and relativity in writing their book. One can add and subtract a thought or phrase from a mindmap easily.