IDEAS FOR WRITING

Art begins with "What if?" One day, Georgia O'Keefe must have said to herself, "What if I paint the most intimate detail of a flower, only I paint it huge so everyone can see it."

I seem to remember reading she actually did intend to make the average person, bustling down the street in New York, stop and see the beauty inside that flower as she saw it.

Her brainstorm was so new and unique, that even busy New Yorker's stopped to enjoy her paintings.

This is what you need to do with your writing. You need to say, "What if---."

You take the genre of novel or non-fiction that you enjoy and you find the "What if--" that is your unique take on the subject. Do not just write about the flower, but write about that flower, or vampire, or fantasy character from your own unique perspective.

If you do that, you can make the world stop and take notice.

FACE THAT BLANK PAGE

Blank pages do not bother me. I do not believe I have ever had the proverbial 'writer's block' either. (Fingers crossed here!) I think this is because I apply my art training to my writing. In painting, I take a pencil and lightly begin my first line. That line is rarely apparent in the final work because there are so many lines-so much editing over it. Once that line is down however, your paper is marked and your creative juices can flow.

So, when you sit down in the morning, do not panic over that blank slate, just write. Write about what you did yesterday. Write about any section of your book you envision. Just start writing.

Ideas for Your Writing

Words and sentences from Moon Tree Brothers