MBToolBox
Monday Nov 21, 2005

Write Angry. Or Nosy. Or Wet.

thatcatismad.jpgNote: I did completely forget that I had a cat picture left from Friday. It should be known that I am not a "cat person."

Don't piss C. Hope Clark at Writers Weekly, because she'll write about you. As far as inspiration, anger can be a pretty good motivator, although I would think that over and over again, it would more establish you as the crank who writes regular letters to the paper than an accomplished author.

Of course, I am skeptical a lot of times when it comes to many writing prompts. Sit in nature and breathe deeply and just observe? Please. I don't even know where I can find some nature to sit in.

An oldie but a goodie is listening to conversation and utilizing it. Don't use the conversation, however. Take the train, sit in a park and write down a sentence or one exchange, and then completely forget the context. And use it.

Another source of inspiration for me is the faucet. That's because I think about the dumbest things in the shower. The little strange trains of thought that a $30 bottle of shampoo will do to you. But often, that's the kind of stuff that makes someone write in a strong voice, and gets readers to say "You read my mind!"

Of course, another tack would be to write a thinly veiled account of somebody you know. It could make you a New York Times bestseller. It could get you sued. Whatever.


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