The New Year's here and while most are already back to the grind, some of you are getting ready to make some new habits, routine changes and incorporate some more willingness to achieve. The start of the year tends to do that. But what are we going to really do about it?
Showing posts with label excercises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label excercises. Show all posts
The Doorway : All Trapped In Your Mind
The most interesting thing about the written word is that it originates from running thought – uncontrollable, unforced – and often un-trigger-able at the time of intent. While we may choose to lose out on writing down that something that seems to be formulating in our heads - fact remains that the words are still being thought. And you may do all you want to try and hold onto them for later, but we all know how that ends.
How many times have you found yourself waking up from a dream and thinking “Wow, that would be an awesome story!” or how many perfect moments have you visualized while staring into space? There is no paper to scribble on, no rock to carve – just another piece of visual you hope you can store in your pensieve to reproduce at a later time. But can you find it that easily? The perfect paragraph : word for word?
So how about reversing the process of thoughts being lost? What can you do to hold onto the sand that keeps flowing through your eyes – and you don’t find yourself motivated enough to move the pen to paper, forget finger to keyboard to stop it from running through you?! Of course you think you can save a text in your drafts and it'll solve all your problems...but will it really?
A few minutes and a couple of really funny jokes later, your potent thought remains all but buried under all that fun - then the phone dies.What if you forced yourself to prevent the feeling that causes this mind freeze - nothing short of the glory following a hard disk wipe out?
What if , every time you thought of something, you decided you were not going to let it flow away – you do something about it - you run and load an application, or grab a post-it and scribble out your idea and stick it right there – on your screen to force yourself to come back to the idea at a later point. Who knows what that scene you create can expand into? a premise for a whodunit? or the climax point of a story you think you’ve always wanted to write but needed a moment to bring it all together?
Think about it..
And while you're reading read this piece, silhouettes of your previous ideas have started to come to you- hazy and blurred- you’ve remembered things you wished you’d made note of – and you want to kick yourself, since you remember the key frame and can’t for the life of you remember how you reached that scene or what it’s plot point was.
You know what would really work right now? Fire up that word processor and write about all that you think.
Then do that Everytime you have an idea or a thought.
Everytime. Every single time.
You’ll thank yourself later!
-The Ed
How many times have you found yourself waking up from a dream and thinking “Wow, that would be an awesome story!” or how many perfect moments have you visualized while staring into space? There is no paper to scribble on, no rock to carve – just another piece of visual you hope you can store in your pensieve to reproduce at a later time. But can you find it that easily? The perfect paragraph : word for word?
So how about reversing the process of thoughts being lost? What can you do to hold onto the sand that keeps flowing through your eyes – and you don’t find yourself motivated enough to move the pen to paper, forget finger to keyboard to stop it from running through you?! Of course you think you can save a text in your drafts and it'll solve all your problems...but will it really?
A few minutes and a couple of really funny jokes later, your potent thought remains all but buried under all that fun - then the phone dies.What if you forced yourself to prevent the feeling that causes this mind freeze - nothing short of the glory following a hard disk wipe out?
What if , every time you thought of something, you decided you were not going to let it flow away – you do something about it - you run and load an application, or grab a post-it and scribble out your idea and stick it right there – on your screen to force yourself to come back to the idea at a later point. Who knows what that scene you create can expand into? a premise for a whodunit? or the climax point of a story you think you’ve always wanted to write but needed a moment to bring it all together?
Think about it..
And while you're reading read this piece, silhouettes of your previous ideas have started to come to you- hazy and blurred- you’ve remembered things you wished you’d made note of – and you want to kick yourself, since you remember the key frame and can’t for the life of you remember how you reached that scene or what it’s plot point was.
You know what would really work right now? Fire up that word processor and write about all that you think.
Then do that Everytime you have an idea or a thought.
Everytime. Every single time.
You’ll thank yourself later!
-The Ed
The Doorway : Finding The Core
Among the many things I've said in the past, the one that I always talk about is ridding yourself of the biggest holder of your written work: "What will they Think?"
So then you think, you start to falter, you construct, deconstruct, start to reconstruct - you bring out the danger signs and you begin to try walking backward with your eyes closed, on a slimy road.
Don't do it.
Write as you please. Two times a day. Two times a week. Two times a Month. Maybe all the time. Just don't think about the outcome - don't think about where the piece should be going. Write, and keep on going until you find yourself coming to a place in your story that you never imagined you'd find.
You might find your story actually beginning where you stumble upon its turning point. And suddenly you'll have uncovered a whole new level.
Take a Character, place him/her somewhere and write. Take them places, build a core, define nuances - you'll find yourself walking down some very strong conflicts to empower.
You don't always have to force it.
Once you have your core, nothing can stop you from going back and bringing out some core elements of the story, while continuing to build on some more. Just Start to Write and watch it happen !
Try it.
So then you think, you start to falter, you construct, deconstruct, start to reconstruct - you bring out the danger signs and you begin to try walking backward with your eyes closed, on a slimy road.
Don't do it.
Write as you please. Two times a day. Two times a week. Two times a Month. Maybe all the time. Just don't think about the outcome - don't think about where the piece should be going. Write, and keep on going until you find yourself coming to a place in your story that you never imagined you'd find.
You might find your story actually beginning where you stumble upon its turning point. And suddenly you'll have uncovered a whole new level.
Take a Character, place him/her somewhere and write. Take them places, build a core, define nuances - you'll find yourself walking down some very strong conflicts to empower.
You don't always have to force it.
Once you have your core, nothing can stop you from going back and bringing out some core elements of the story, while continuing to build on some more. Just Start to Write and watch it happen !
Try it.
Submissions almost closing, Featured Artist to be unveiled soon !
Hey all, just wanted to quickly update!
After the weekend dot com migration, we're up and running again! Just wanted to apologize if you visited the site and it wasn't loading ! All should be fine now. And hopefully everything here works like it should.
Our First ever Featured Artist is going to be unveiled very very soon, so come back to find out who it is (and how you can get your hands on some goodies) ! The magazine also goes into layout this week...A few more hours until we're accepting last minute submissions - so get on them if you've got something ready to send us !
Writing exercise of the week : If you were to mix up personality traits between your friends, or absolutely turn them around - how interesting would that be? Would the geeky guy turn out to be the hidden rock star? Would Ms. popular turn into ashes at the thought of having to make a big speech? What do you think? How can you come up with a story that wont end up as a cliché?
After the weekend dot com migration, we're up and running again! Just wanted to apologize if you visited the site and it wasn't loading ! All should be fine now. And hopefully everything here works like it should.
Our First ever Featured Artist is going to be unveiled very very soon, so come back to find out who it is (and how you can get your hands on some goodies) ! The magazine also goes into layout this week...A few more hours until we're accepting last minute submissions - so get on them if you've got something ready to send us !
Writing exercise of the week : If you were to mix up personality traits between your friends, or absolutely turn them around - how interesting would that be? Would the geeky guy turn out to be the hidden rock star? Would Ms. popular turn into ashes at the thought of having to make a big speech? What do you think? How can you come up with a story that wont end up as a cliché?
The Doorway : What's Your Story ?
Just a quick note today....it's pretty interesting, this contest thing, no?
By that I mean, I'm just here to quietly remind you that the entries are due soon. Not to rush you or anything, just to tell you that I'm looking forward to see pieces from those of you that are giving this project a shot ! Those just swinging by to track us - you'll probably have something interesting to read when we have all of this come together !
Downright Fiction is also on facebook now, so find us and add us to your friend list !
Hope the summer's treating you all well !!
Watch out for those interesting people on the street you encounter everyday !
Stories are waiting to be told....
....and some, just waiting to be written.
By that I mean, I'm just here to quietly remind you that the entries are due soon. Not to rush you or anything, just to tell you that I'm looking forward to see pieces from those of you that are giving this project a shot ! Those just swinging by to track us - you'll probably have something interesting to read when we have all of this come together !
Downright Fiction is also on facebook now, so find us and add us to your friend list !
Hope the summer's treating you all well !!
Watch out for those interesting people on the street you encounter everyday !
Stories are waiting to be told....
....and some, just waiting to be written.
The Doorway : From Reading to Writing
Alright.
This is one of those days where we just sit back and wonder, with you.
We look back at all the things and all the moments , and all those diary entries ago, when we used to believe in ourselves in a way that didn't revolve around how we looked or behaved, and steered from the heights of the career paths we climbed.
We used to be able to imagine all those things that we would once achieve. That one day we would show those who doubted us, show those who didn't know what they were talking about, those who knew we would become something someday- show them the real world.
But then something happened and we got trapped.
Click "Read more" to read the rest of this article !
We stepped into others' wants, others' needs, others' ideas, their philosophies and were so busy fulfilling the requirements of others, that we often forgot that we lay way beyond the ceiling everyone else was trying to match up to.
We forgot the things we loved and those little things we really enjoyed, because we didn't have the life to do our own things, we were always on the get go ! Move, move, move.
Art lessons that we really enjoyed, skateboarding in the park that was once our freedom sport, dancing in the rain, and reading under the tree by the beach was something that we looked forward to doing in the summer. And then we forgot everything.
All those things that set us free.
Dreams, thoughts, ideas, questions, answers, worries, and doubt.
Doubt?
Have you ever wondered how easy it is just to read something that triggers a string of thoughts and emotions inside of you? A sense of Deja Vu, if you will, from these words that unravel something that you did not have on your mind in the first place? We are reminded of people, events and thoughts and dreams that we once had , but now can't seem to associate with, connect to or think of !
Words have the power to teach us what we need to learn. We find the most direct messages in places we least expect. But we must be willing to learn from them !
Every other day, we read books, online material, ideas, opinions, we discuss things with our friends, sometimes we empathize with, and sometimes refuse to accept these ideas that are brought out.
We let our minds create pictures for us. Characters are visualized, worlds created and we thoroughly enjoy going through the remote experience of being there, doing that and perhaps living that. Things stir up inside us that make the existence of magic almost a hidden truth.
But why are we immensely petrified when looking at a blinking word processor screen ?
Why do we scare of what we're about to put down on the written word?
It's just words !
Sometimes we bring together worlds that others gather messages from, sometimes we bring together words to release, to let go of those things we wished we had said, wished we had done.
We might revisit , or run into thoughts we didn't even know we were thinking ! We mould characters and events to reflect some of our idealistic events, that we perhaps might not ever go through.... or perhaps went through, a lot more differently.
We have the power to inspire, to trigger someone else's solution.
Words can create worlds. Words can let us live even after.
Then, Why won't we?
This is one of those days where we just sit back and wonder, with you.
We look back at all the things and all the moments , and all those diary entries ago, when we used to believe in ourselves in a way that didn't revolve around how we looked or behaved, and steered from the heights of the career paths we climbed.
We used to be able to imagine all those things that we would once achieve. That one day we would show those who doubted us, show those who didn't know what they were talking about, those who knew we would become something someday- show them the real world.
But then something happened and we got trapped.
Click "Read more" to read the rest of this article !
We stepped into others' wants, others' needs, others' ideas, their philosophies and were so busy fulfilling the requirements of others, that we often forgot that we lay way beyond the ceiling everyone else was trying to match up to.
We forgot the things we loved and those little things we really enjoyed, because we didn't have the life to do our own things, we were always on the get go ! Move, move, move.
Art lessons that we really enjoyed, skateboarding in the park that was once our freedom sport, dancing in the rain, and reading under the tree by the beach was something that we looked forward to doing in the summer. And then we forgot everything.
All those things that set us free.
Dreams, thoughts, ideas, questions, answers, worries, and doubt.
Doubt?
Have you ever wondered how easy it is just to read something that triggers a string of thoughts and emotions inside of you? A sense of Deja Vu, if you will, from these words that unravel something that you did not have on your mind in the first place? We are reminded of people, events and thoughts and dreams that we once had , but now can't seem to associate with, connect to or think of !
Words have the power to teach us what we need to learn. We find the most direct messages in places we least expect. But we must be willing to learn from them !
Every other day, we read books, online material, ideas, opinions, we discuss things with our friends, sometimes we empathize with, and sometimes refuse to accept these ideas that are brought out.
We let our minds create pictures for us. Characters are visualized, worlds created and we thoroughly enjoy going through the remote experience of being there, doing that and perhaps living that. Things stir up inside us that make the existence of magic almost a hidden truth.
But why are we immensely petrified when looking at a blinking word processor screen ?
Why do we scare of what we're about to put down on the written word?
It's just words !
Sometimes we bring together worlds that others gather messages from, sometimes we bring together words to release, to let go of those things we wished we had said, wished we had done.
We might revisit , or run into thoughts we didn't even know we were thinking ! We mould characters and events to reflect some of our idealistic events, that we perhaps might not ever go through.... or perhaps went through, a lot more differently.
We have the power to inspire, to trigger someone else's solution.
Words can create worlds. Words can let us live even after.
Then, Why won't we?
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