Fairy Tales and Fantasy
I’ve made an astounding discovery, word nerds: human beings are friendly creatures.
No, really! Throw a group of strangers together and they’ll (generally) make an effort to befriend each other. This is especially true if those people already have something in common, like an internship at the same company.
Still, I was more than a little nervous when I went in for my first day as an intern.
Every week, I find myself running through the same train of thought: It’s Tuesday. I’m supposed to blog today. Crap, what should I blog about?!
So I’m using that panic as an out. My chosen topic today is coming up with ideas! Here are three ways I generate ideas, for blogs or stories.
1. Play the “What If” game. This is more for stories than for blog posts, but I suppose it could work in a pinch. Take an everyday occurrence, a common cliche, or a random event. Turn it on it’s head by asking “What if…?” For example, I got the idea for the book I’m working on by asking “What if Cinderella didn’t want to be at the ball?”
2. Ask friends. Now, every writer is different in this respect. Some hate being told what to write, preferring to rely on their own muse. But most writers tend to (and in my opinion, definitely should) cultivate a group of writer friends, or at least friends who understand their creative processes. So if you’re stuck, ask them for input. Whether they give you ideas, or just let you run through your thoughts out loud to organize them, they often help spark a new topic or story.
3. Observe. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: writers observe. Watch and analyze what goes on around you. People watch and give people back-stories. Make up conversations. If something catches your eye, observe. Follow any train of thought that pops into your head. (But don’t be creepy about watching people.)
These are just a few ways to spark ideas. How do you find things to write about?
Until next time, word nerds!
Imagine my surprise when I got on my blog today only to see a nice little message from WordPress. I created this blog two years ago!
Another reason to celebrate: I’M DONE WITH SCHOOL! Well, for the next three months. BUT I’M DONE!
And in the vein of exciting news: In one week, I will be flying out to Colorado to begin my summer internship!
I love summer.
With the arrival of summer come a few changes here on my blog. I’ll still post every Tuesday. However, I won’t be putting up videos every Saturday. (I won’t say that I won’t make any videos, just not every week.) And starting in June, I’ll be posting a short story every week on Fridays (and by that, I mean I’ll be posting one story, in parts. Not a new story every week.).
So thank you, dear readers, for putting up with my ramblings. It’s because of you that I post each week. Here’s to another year!
Until next time, word nerds!
Finals week is in full swing here at school and I, like so many college students, am battling exhaustion, stress, and not wanting to be here. But we must push through, so I’ve compiled a list of what I’ve found to be the essentials of surviving the last week of school.
Continue reading “A College Student’s Guide to Surviving Finals”
A new type of word and some thoughts on the end of school.
Until next time, word nerds!
For the majority of my life, I wanted to be a writer. But never once, in all those years, did I want to be a romance writer.
I was that kid growing up who would rather read adventure books, watch war movies, and live vicariously through fantasy stories. I would even go so far as to say that I kind of hated romance. I mean, as late as high school, I could be seen looking away from screens if the characters were kissing.
A special video honoring some of the best fictional mothers I can think of.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Until next time, word nerds!
I’M ALIVE!
There’s something about emerging from what feels like an actual ton of work that makes me feel like I’ve come back from the dead. Let me sum up my thoughts from the past week:
Continue reading “Back from the Dead (Or 5 Ways to get Stuff Done)”
Hey all!
As I mentioned in my latest video, I have been extremely busy the last few days. And it turns out that this week is only busier! I have three major writing projects due this week on top of my homework, so I’m going to take the week off. No post tomorrow, no video Saturday.
I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll survive. I’m not entirely convinced I will, on the other hand.
Until next time, word nerds!
I was a little tired when I made this video.
Until next time, word nerds!
Kate G. Jameson