A Fun Writing Excercise

 

We thought it might be fun to take a break

 this week and do a writing exercise.

Here are 3 words. All you have to do is choose one of the words to begin your paragraph and then use the other two words somewhere in the paragraph. Make it a short paragraph in the comment section.

Don't be shy. It's fun! 

Which word will be used the most to begin the paragraph?

Lighting is Everything

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


"A change is as good as a rest," my grandmother used to say.  I thought she came up with that one herself until I grew up and heard that other people's grandparents said the same thing.  It took me almost that long to appreciate the truth of that proverb.

A musician friend of mine jokes that when he starts to feel songwriter's block, it's time to buy a new instrument. (This fellow, for the record, has more guitars than songs he's actually written.) There is, however, validity to that concept.  If you're a songwriter who plays keyboard, just noodling around on a new synthesizer and having a different variety of sounds at your fingertips will get fresh ideas rolling around.  It inspires chords and progressions you simply never thought to try before.

The same image in black & white and in color

Professional photographers know that the difference between a good photo and a great photo is often in the lighting. You can be as keen and adventurous as you like with the angle, aperture settings and all the rest, but in the end, the proper illumination is critical to capture a classic shot. 

As writers, we seek to capture our vision through the lens of our pens.  When we find it hard to see what that vision is, it can help to see it in a different light, by taking in a change of scenery or trying a different approach.  If you write at your desk all the time, you're attached to the same keyboard, desk, walls, pictures on those walls, etc.  Certainly there's a lot to be said for familiarity, and the quiet environment of our office can be far more preferable to a busy coffee shop (unless you're Sandra Balzo and you're crafting Coffeehouse Mysteries).

But sometimes a bustling, noisy environment can be just the ticket to wake up your muse.  Has your mind ever taken a path less traveled while sitting on a mall bench, observing the madding crowd?  When you're away on vacation, aren't you itching to get back to your computer because of all the new ideas you can't wait to write?

If you write nonfiction exclusively, try your hand at a fiction piece; and vice versa.  If you write all your stories starting at the beginning, try writing the ending first and see what new inspiration comes. If you outline your novels, try writing your next one free form. You're guaranteed to see your familiar craft in a new light. 

Creativity finds its nucleus in change. We can emulate something that's gone before, but to make it something our own requires taking it in a different direction. Once in a while that begins with us trying something new ourselves. As the saying goes, "If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've never done before."

When she told us that a change is as good as a rest, my grandma merely sought to convey that a change of pace can restore peace of mind.  In truth, change can be the spark that ignites the fire that helps us get our writing down.  That's the kind of peace we're always looking for.

What An Author NEADS is Change

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

As we continue to share Tom Hopkins’ NEADS acronym found in his book Low Profile Selling, Act like a Lamb…Sell like a Lion, let’s return to the short explanation of the letters.

N – NOW E – ENJOY A – ALTER D – DECISION S – SOLUTION

I have used it not only as the fantastic sales tool Tom intended it to be, but as a problem solving tool as well. We have addressed the first letter N, the second letter E which is for ENJOY. This week we will address the third letter A. What is it we would ALTER or change?

In marketing we must find what the customers’ current situation is, what they like about it and what they would change. What they like is their “Hot Button” or why they buy. When we ask what you would Alter or change we find what their problem or concerns are. This could be called their “Cold Button” or what turns them off about a product. We then make sure we are able to meet their concerns with our product.

In life, change can be a hard thing for some of us. Customers are usually eager to make a change once it is presented and it is their choice to do so. But many times the changes are not of our choosing. Dr. Spencer Johnson wrote about the difficulties of dealing with change in his bestseller Who Moved My Cheese? The change he spoke of was indeed not change being sought but change being forced upon us. The change we want to deal with in the NEADS acronym is the change of choice.

We have identified where we are, what we like about it and now what we would change. This change, which will be of our choosing, will have two positive outcomes. One will be the identification of what we do not like and will leave behind. The other will be the positive direction we will move in the absence of those things we do not like while seeking more of what we do like. This can be very liberating.

Ask yourself what is it you would change at this point in your writing or your life for that matter? Could you see yourself without this thing you would change? Can you see yourself in a better position? Take some time to consider what it is you would change and the benefits of that change.  

As we continue to move into the remaining steps, prepare yourself by having an honest evaluation of where you are now, what you enjoy and what you have chosen to change. The next letter is D. Our next post will be about who will be making the Decision!