Writing Ideas and Where They Come From

Summer has finally arrived. We skipped through spring after a cold winter.

Summer is always busy around here. Yard work. Garden work.

I am still writing, though I don't post a lot.

I write (and rewrite) a lot. I am a perfectionist and try to get every word just right.

I haven't sent anything to a publisher all year - until a few days ago.

I sent in a PB manuscript to a publisher.

This manuscript started out as a poem, but the more I looked at it the more I realized it had great potential for a picture book.

So, a poem that was inspired by a craft I had my Crazy Crafters at the local senior center do, is getting sent off to publishers.

What was the craft? This cute egg holder made from an egg carton.

I had this craft on my mind for so long, I woke up early one morning and the words flowed onto the paper. I sat there in the dark on the edge of my bed scribbling down words about this ornery rooster.

If anything ever comes of it, I will have my Crazy Crafters to thank for it.


My MG, Duck and Cover, came from a small childhood memory.
My historical novel (which I am still editing and reediting) was inspired by my grandparents. 
Using a few known facts about my grandparents as a starter, I stirred in a large amount of imagination and this fictional story was born.


Do you ever come up with ideas out of nowhere or on the spur of the moment?
Have any of those ideas every gotten published?

A B C's of Writing

If you notice, I have a picture of a booklet I wrote on my sidebar.
I had fun putting it together.
The Table of Contents consist of: A B C's of Writing, Specific Words, Find Button, Tips on Writing ABC Books, Tips on Writing Articles, Prompts, What If's, Sites for Writers, Last, But Not Least - Helpful Tidbits and Author Info.

I thought I would share a little of the A to Z Book on Writing
If you are a freelance writer, or would like to give writing a try, there are times when you are at a loss as to what to write about. Below are a few ideas.

A

ABC BOOKS.*

Pick a topic and write a unique ABC book for small children.

ADVERTISEMENTS

ANTHOLOGY Gather stories and put together an anthology

ARTICLES.*

There is always a need for someone to write articles.

ASSEMBLE YOUR TOOLS.

Dictionary, Thesaurus, Pens, Pencils, Computer, Books, The Elements of Style Handbook, Writing Tablets (keep small one at your bedside and with you at all times for whenever an idea pops into your head)

 B

BIOGRAPHIES Pick a favorite person, research and write a biography

BITS OF WISDOM Share bits of wisdom with others

BLOGS Start a blog and write daily or weekly posts. Write about your passion, your craft, your day to day life.

BOOKMARKS Make bookmarks with your info, books, etc. printed on them to give out.

BORROWED STARTERS When you are at a loss for an idea, pick up a book and borrow the first sentence. Write your own manuscript, article, poem or prose starting with that first sentence.

BROCHURES Write brocures. Focus on a topic, be specific and mix writing styles (Bullet points, numbers and lists). Add photos.

BUSINESS CARDS Always have business cards to give out

C

CHAPBOOKS Write a collection of poems or short stories and put them together in a chapbook. Stay to a certain theme.

CHARACTERS Collect unique, quirky, fun characters. Write them down and give them a home in your writing.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL They are always asking for submissions. Check their site often for new topics

COLLECTIBLES Collectibles are very popular. Write about a group of collectibles or a single collectible.

COLUMNS Write columns for newspapers or magazines

CONTESTS Enter Please!

COOKBOOKS Who doesn't love cookbooks? Put together a family cookbook, school cookbook, workplace cookbook or a specialty cookbook. There are publishers who deal specifically with printing of cookbooks. 

COUNTING BOOKS As with ABC books, there is always room on the bookshelf for one more. Pick a topic and make yours unique. Put the counting into a storyline such as ... One day one little puppy walked down the road. A kitty joined him and then there were two.

CRAFT BOOKS If you are good at a certain craft, write a book about it. Blog about it.

CRITIQUE GROUPS Join at least one!

The subjects with an * beside of it, means there is more about that topic later in the booklet. 

I hope you enjoyed this small peek into my booklet. In the ABC section, I go through the entire alphabet - even finding an entry for Z!

I know I am quite often at a loss as to what to write about. This booklet helps spark my imagination when I need a little nudge.

Do you need a little nudge? Just let me know and I will email you a free PDF copy of the booklet.

Posted by Janet Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.