Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Ways to Educate and Motivate the Creative Muse within You


"Ways to Educate and Motivate the Creative Muse within You" by Joan Y. Edwards

Here are ways to educate and motivate the creative muse within you.

1. Experience Life, attend workshops, take courses.

a. Bake cakes.
b. Go on a tour of an Historic house.
c. Attend a weekend workshop.
d. Volunteer at a homeless shelter for children.
e. Take a writing course at a community college or other learning institution.

2. Read three books about the craft of writing.

a. Darcy Pattison: Novel Metamorphosis
b. Donald Maass: The Fire in Fiction
c. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel
d. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
e. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel
f. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II
g. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Mystery
h. James N. Frey The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth
i. Karl Iglesias: Writing for Emotional Impact
j. Margaret Lucke: Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
k. Noah Lukeman: The First Five Pages
l. Jordan E. Rosenfeld: Make a Scene
m. Katharine Sands: Making the Perfect Pitch
n. Remni Browne and Dave King: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

3. Read three best-selling books in your favorite genre.

4. Watch three movies in the genre you write.

5. Study the websites of three best-selling authors.


Here is a list of many to choose from or search for your favorite online.

Best-Selling Authors for Children

James Patterson http://www.jamespatterson.com/

Rick Riordan http://www.rickriordan.com/

Jeff Kinney http://www.wimpykid.com/

Victoria Kann http://www.ilikeart.com/

Jane O'Connor http://www.fancynancyworld.com/

Suzanne Collins http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

J. K. Rowling http://www.jkrowling.com/

Best-Selling Authors for Adults

John Grisham http://www.jgrisham.com/

George R. R. Martin http://georgerrmartin.com/

Catherine Coulter http://www.catherinecoulter.com/

Janet Evanovich http://www.evanovich.com/

6. Study and find three matching three publishers and agents for your manuscripts:

a. Research publishers and agents online. Find ones that match what you write.

b. Visit the Preditors & Editors website to check out the editors and agents you've chosen. It'll tell you if they are legitimate or warn you about them. http://pred-ed.com/

c. Check the submission guidelines of the websites of the publishers and agents of three of your favorite books.

7. Write.

Write. Write. Write.


I hope you find the right experiences to educate and motivate the creative muse in you.

Thank you for reading my article. Please leave a comment. I value your opinion.

6 comments:

  1. Joan,

    I like that you listed baking a cake as a way to motivate writing. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the learning process that we don't take time to "smell the roses."

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  2. Great Advice!

    When I want to really dig deep I gather all the many picture books in our home library and go over each one carefully for content and composition. I must have hundreds, but I am always looking for more.

    I also set aside a good block of time just to read. Books not only motivate, they transport.

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  3. Dear Vivian,
    I'm glad that you thought they were good tips. That means a lot to me.

    Do something to celebrate you today!
    Joan

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  4. Dear Ginger,
    Thanks for writing. I'm glad you thought the blog contained good advice. Your idea of reading over the favorite picture books in your home collection that motivates and transports you to new visions.

    Do something to celebrate you today!
    Joan

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  5. Dear Linda,
    Thanks for writing. I'm glad you liked the suggestion to bake a cake. What you say is true that we sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to do the things we enjoy!
    Do something to celebrate you today!
    Joan

    ReplyDelete