How to Write a Good Story

Interlude: Joy on overcoming writer's block

This is my own list of things to do when you need inspiration, perhaps more tuned in to our Wattpad community, or the online community in general, or maybe just me. This may also be an excuse for me to share some great resources with you. *shrugs*

1. OneWord.com - Someone (I can't remember who) reccommended this site to me, and since then it has helped countelss times to get me out of writer's block. You get a random word (one for each day) and you get a minute to write as much as you can with that word as inspiration. When the minute is over, you've got what could be a drabble (a story that's only 100 words long), or the start of another story, or inspiration for one of the books you're writing, or maybe a chunk of dialogue. Whichever it may be, it'll get the words flowing in your frozen brain again.

2. Critique - By this I mean two things. First, get someone to read what you've written thus far and give you feedback. Some of the things they say may inspire ideas that can get you moving forward with your writing again. Secondly, I mean that you should read and give feedback to other aspiring authors. Reading and commenting on someone else's work gives you perspective. It's easier to see where a story goes off the rails if it isn't your own story, and then you can apply the wisdom you glean from your criticisms to your own work. I am particularly referring to constructive feedback, for example plot, character, setting related feedback, or something about the story arc, not things you think the person should change to become a better writer.

3. Short Stories - When I'm really in a rut, I'll read something amazing, something by an author whose work I KNOW will be good. Short stories are my favourite. At the moment, it's "Songs of Love and Death" - a great anthology. In fact, I'm loving anthologies more and more. These I find useful for inspiring me to continue writing, giving me new ideas, expandfing my vocabulary. Giving me the ol' shove off the cliff. 

4. Emotional Splurge - When you're feeling a strong emotion, whether grief or anger or boredom, or whatever it is, whip out your ipad or notebook or whatever you write on, and just say how you feel (I mean WRITE what you feel). Later on, this emotional rampage of thought will be useful in expressing your own character's emotions, and may even become a pivotal part of your writing. After all, emotional connection is vital for readers to connect with characters and thus your book.

5. Late Night / Early Morning Writing - I suppose this fits in with the previous article somewhat. By breaking your routine and writing at a time which is not natural for you, you put yourself into another frame of mind. Late at night or early in the morning, the world is quiet and things look and sound different. I dare you to go sit under the stars for thirty minutes and then write. Or go to your porch (or window) with a mug of coffee and watch the sunrise. Maybe its the fresh air and the quiet that sucks new ideas and inspirations out, or maybe it's using your mind at a time which is unconventional. Who knows.

6. Freewriting - Set yourself a timer, and determine to write as much as you can, but give yourself a number of words as a target. Say, for example, 1000 words in 30 minutes. Then write. Time and volume is what's important, not accuracy or content. This really helps with getting over writer's block in particular. The advice I read over and over is that the more you write, the better you get. So even if what you write ends up in the bin, consider it a step forward. You're developing your talent.

7. Headline kickstarters - Search for one word, or a headline on google or a book or a magazine or pinterest. Wherever you feel like looking. When you find a headline you think is inspirational, or maybe you think is so random. Whatever. Choose a headline, and write an article, or a story. Write about the heading you found. The point isn't to get the most amazing content out there, but to get the creative juices flowing. Many times our problem is that we're all out of ideas, or that our ideas feel stale, or that the words just seem stuck in another dimension we can't quite reach and we end up staring blankly at the wall for an hour instead of typing. What we want is for those fingers to start moving.

8. Quotes and opening lines - Readers like characters who say amazing things. Glean quotes from whatever source you can find, and use the quote as inspiration. For example, say you find a quote online that says, "Trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped is like running into a wall over and over... pointless and painful. "

That's a great quote! Now, write a piece with the idea of getting one of your characters to say this. 

Maybe Ann bumps into Joe who is depressed again. Again. She's tried to help him hundreds of time but he always has a reason to be depressed. She's fed up. She thinks that trying trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped is like running into a wall over and over... pointless and painful. She calls him a headache and says he needs to get over himself. Of course this doesn't help the situation, but she is fed up. Joe stops talking to her.

Catch the drift? Great, it's your turn.