Nine Ways to Improve Your Writing When You're Not Writing.

1.Get some Reference

2.Expand Your Vocabulary

3.Improve Your Spelling

4. Read

5.Take a Class

6.Eavesdrop

7.Research

8.Write in Your Head

9.Choose a Time and Place

1.Get some Reference - Not sure what this means, Lilith. Please clarify.

2.Expand Your Vocabulary- Yup!

3.Improve Your Spelling- Good in itself but I'm not sure -especially in these spellcheck days - whether it helps yr writing. Dyslexics can write well too!

4. Read - Yup!

5.Take a Class - but with the right teacher. Has to be a writer herself and one whose work you know, enjoy and appreciate.

6.Eavesdrop - Oh yes! Can't understand how  folk who write can ever drive anywhere. Buses and trains are inspirational!

7.Research - Yup

8.Write in Your Head - And carry a notebook or a palm pilot in case you forget it!

9.Choose a Time and Place - Not sure about this one. Please clarify!

David W.

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sorry for the late answer but I have not been so well  but here are the answers.

1. Get some Reference - Not sure what this means, Lilith. Please clarify.~Meaning like dictionary ,like  a writers handbook, like a book over writing from other writers.

3. Improve Your Spelling- Good in itself but I'm not sure -especially in these spell-check days - whether it helps yr writing. Dyslexics can write well too!~ Meaning to improve your spelling go over longer and more complicated words. And I never said that Dyslexics can’t write .

5. Take a Class - but with the right teacher. Has to be a writer herself and one whose work you know, enjoy and appreciate. ~Like in everything you want to learn sure you need the right teacher, But a good (interested) student can even learn of a bad teacher and if it is only not to make the same mistakes.

6. Eavesdrop - Oh yes! Can't understand how folk who write can ever drive anywhere. Buses and trains are inspirational! ~A car  or boat  or walking (I like to walk to our market place and drink coffee and just watch people that helps me often with a writers block).or just looking out that window or go shopping or to a movie  can do the same .

8. Write in Your Head - And carry a notebook or a palm pilot in case you forget it! ~Or take your Digit-or (I take mine always with me no matter where I go)

9. Choose a Time and Place - Not sure about this one. Please clarify! ~Meaning to choose a time (that is not to busy and you mind is on the writing) and a Place where you can write in peace (and none will keep interrupting).

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I like the evesdroping idea, I sort of do that, but I cannot help it, my ears are tuned into LOUD people taking...and I cannot help it, then instead of getting annoyed I listen to see if I can hear a STORY there somewhere, usually I wind up butting in to HELP, you know with people who cannot find something in a store and it is RIGHT there in front of me, I cannot just walk away.

ALSO photos all kinds of photos. STORIES are everywhere!

Not only ones we take, but old photos. SOMETIMES at thrift shops or flea markets I find OLD photos or postals for sale, I look through and if something clicks in my head for a story or poem, I buy it.

Black and whites are my favorite, YOU can add the colors with your WORDS!

Let's not forget Used book stores and Libraries!

The energy and USED book smell  in them is inspiring!

Touch a POPULAR used or OLD book and tell me you do not FEEL the energy of reader's of the past...

YES! Taking a trip on a METRO train, or BUS, is wonderful source of writing energy! Faces expressions situations! Sometimes I take a few and just get off randomly anywhere and spend a few hours walking around obsorbing stories in the SIGHTS!

Millions of stories everywhere!

Thanks for this listing! 

    P.S. does anyone know why iespell check does not work on these forums! ??? OR why Care2

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P.S. does anyone know why iespell check does not work on these forums! ??? OR why Care2

sorry I got lost...

OR WHY CARE2 does not provide a spell check on the tool bar?

My goodness, I sound spoiled! lol!

Just pondering...

Thanks

Dora

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Thanks for the advice Lilith.  Right now I'm going through writer's block..any advice on how to get through that?  It's so frustrating!

Tempest

thank you and you might want to check this out http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=7031&pst=559544&archival= if after that you are still blocked let me know and I will see if I can't help more

Thank you for the link, Lilith.  There's a lot of good ideas there.  I've bookmarked your list and will try some of your suggestions!

Hello Karen,

Personally I have found that I write best in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep. The night and silence seems to unclutter my brain,

It sounds ridiculous I no – but I believe there are less energies in the night, enabling me to think clearly

It is a bad habit - but it is the one that really works the best for me.

I used to write pen to paper, but I find that I make so many alterations that it really is best to write directly onto word in the computer, copy and pasting alterations if you change your mind about something And the more you practice on a computer the quicker you will become.

I also use a different font colour, and a large capital font to highlight things. So if I am confused or can't seem to find the right words I need I will leave it, and my attention is drawn to it when i go back to it. You can also jot words or thoughts down this way, erasing them once you are satisfied that you have When the words don’t come to me then I will go through a phase of doing research, and I will  make notes in scrap books, or save it to disc. It is surprising how research can inspire you with new words emotions and BINGO the light comes on again in your head and there is no stopping you for a few days solid.

Best wishes & good luck from Lorraine

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dear lorraine,

I have to add an observation to support your statement.   But It has nothing to do with writing stories.

anyway..

back in 1964 the beatles wanted to go on a retreat with a real holy man. His name escapes me.  but in order to get the full extent of the retreat they had to go in the mountains of peru.  There were no phones,no tv, no cars,no way of contacting anyone on the mountain unless you hired a messenger to ride a donky  up the mountain to give the person a letter.

this isolation opened a flood gate of creative inspiration. that is why we have the white album. all the songs and music were born in the mountains of peru.

i am a firm beliver in meditation ,fresh air and being alone because of this story.

love zelda    

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Hello All

I am Sean, the new kid on the block so to speak. I have had RPG books published , but now I am going to the novel area and I would say I am having a little more problems then I thought.

These suggestions that are here are great.I am looking foreward to using them myself in trying to improve my writing for my novel.

• I always carry a notebook that is journal style (both a lined and unlined side for quick sketching)
• My cell phone allows 30-60 dictation allowing for the quick blurb.
• I have taken english in community college level from 060- 131 (basic english to technical writing).
• I have a copy of "The Little, brown Handbook" by Fowler Eigth edition
• I also have a little tablet notebook
• I rely to much on the pc to do my grammar and spell check
• I take eavsdroping to a different angle I think. I interview people in the field and write what they say as well as sounds I hear.

Sorry I babled but this is a really good topic and I thank you for allowing me in.

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I don't know. I have learned languages at high school somewhat. For the radio stories tolds in English. Ver moving books also in other languages. I like more this implicit way.

It's like also a child learns a language. Also wiothout a vocabulary but with many examples. And later some grammar and a spell check.

ASnd then when I want a meaning then I can use vocabulary but then I can understand people already and also translate poems.

And my problem with English is it has more than 60 dialects. Do I have to learn them all? Dialects that mainly differ in speach, but also in words and even in word order. While I am also a language lover.

I have always paper and pencil and an aquarelle set with me

I like to sleep lomng and in the end I know a solution for a problem I have had. That is waht do while I sleep. In my unconsiousness.

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Thank you so much for posting this.  There are some great ideas here as I am currently stuck in a block myself.

Thank you.

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Early my grandmother told me marvelous stories also fairy tales, with all those horror in it. I was younger than 6 then

Then we moved on the river Rhine. Water. water water. And also sailor captain told me storuies from the sea. He introduced me also to gypsies in the summertime. More great stories from pain and love. And I can remember them very well. Became a bookreader.

Learning from styles from other famous writers.

That was my way. The active use of language. The spontaneous way. Poems also. In different languages. And real literacy books for learning more writing styles.

Just ronald, messenger

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When I still lived in a house we have had language feasts. And now I write each day poems in more languages, and write a lot for the New ERA we are promoting outside care2.

just ronald. messenger

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