TIP OF THE DAY
It is my pleasure to welcome my friend Liz Davis to my site today. Lizzy has a tip for all of us….oh, I’m sorry, you can find Liz’s blog here….okay, now for Lizzy’s tip:
“Take time to write on subjects you wouldn’t normally consider. Find a boring subject (like drywall repair or life insurance), and try to spice it up to make it interesting. This opens up new pathways in your brain and gets the creative juices flowing.”
Oh how important is that tip? I have spoken often about finding your writer’s voice. I am convinced that the best way to find your true voice is to step outside of your comfort zone and try other genres of writing. Try a poem. Try a romantic essay. Try, as Liz suggests, writing about an incredibly boring subject and see if you can’t make it interesting. We need to extend ourselves as writers. We need to experiment and spread our wings. To do less than that is to limit ourselves, and limiting will never allow us to be the writer we can truly be.
As much as I dislike doing content work to pay the bills, it has made me a better writer. When I am doing an article about a 1997 Honda Accord, my first goal is to make that article interesting, and believe me, I have to spread my mental wings to do so….but in the end I have, as Liz suggests, opened up new pathways in my brain and allowed my creative juices to flow.
SITE OF THE DAY
Write It Sideways can be found here. This is a nice list of writing sites where you can find help and useful suggestions to follow. I have used it and found it quite helpful.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”~Isaac Asimov
How many can relate to the words of Asimov? I know I can. I love writing. I love finding the perfect combination of verbs and nouns so that a picture forms in the mind of my readers. I love creating emotions in my readers and I love the connection and bond I form with my readers. Yes indeed, I would just type faster. J
WRITER OF THE DAY
Let me introduce you to Shauna Bowling, or Bravewarrior to those who write on HubPages. You can find her work here. What I love about Sha, other than her heart and passion, is her willingness to try new things. She is constantly expanding and attempting new venues. She is the epitome of a serious writer who wants to become an excellent writer. She is also a dear friend of mine, and I hope you take a moment to go visit her.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
Yes, another picture from Yellowstone National Park. What does it do for you? I don’t know about you, but put me out in nature and I am like a sponge, soaking up the sights and sounds…..and my mind reacts immediately and then articles are born.
BOOK OF THE DAY
“Two Minutes A Day For A Greener Planet” by Marjorie Lamb.
I admit it, I’m a Greener. I have serious concerns about our planet, and I believe each one of us can do more to help this beautiful home of ours. This book is filled with ideas that you can do daily that will make a difference in this world. It’s a small book and easy to read; you can probably pick it up used on ebay for a couple bucks if interested.
MY THOUGHTS OF THE DAY
I’m sure some of you know that I just started writing my novel “The Vision: Humanity One World.” I’m excited about it and loving the process. I decided to make this a fiction instead of non-fiction. Because of the nature of this topic, namely making this world a better place to live, I feared that a non-fiction approach would be too dry and possibly boring. I think, by telling a story, I can drive home the central theme in an entertaining way.
It is, I guess, a fantasy, but it is based on today’s world and the realities we all live with. The inspiration for the book came from a book I read decades ago by Og Mandino called “The Greatest Miracle In The World.” I borrowed the spirit of that book to write my own and I hope, when all is said and done, that you all enjoy it. When you read it…if you read it…you will hear John Lennon’s “Imagine” playing in the background. J
UNTIL TOMORROW
Yes, provided there is a tomorrow, I will be back with more thoughts and tips for you to read and hopefully enjoy. Thanks for the visit on this 25th day of May, 2013.
Bill
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Wonderful insight as always and very much agree with the tip of the day. I have always try to put as much of an interesting spin on any content work or sponsored posts that I do. So, yes I can truly relate and try my best on this one!!
Janine, it shows in your writing. You have a very comfortable style that readers can relate to. Keep working and you will find the rewards that you seek. Thank you as always for taking the time to visit me.
I like the quote of Asimov.
Life is too short to brood over anything. Let’s march along and do what we best do. Expectations lead to disappointment. Writing is our job thus, marching along is the quote!
I like how you highlighted a writer. Will check her out.
Thanks Ruchira! I hope you like the highlighted writer…she is a good person and an up and coming writer.
Bill, this is a great edition today. And not just because you gave me kudos. Tee hee! Thank you, by the way. It helps the creative juices to continue the flow when you are appreciated. I love you, my friend!
For those of you who are not engaged in SEO or content writing, I strongly suggest you pay heed to Lizzy’s tip. More often than not, content writing entails tackling a dry subject with finesse and interest. That in itself is a challenge!
Bill, I can’t wait to read your book. John Lennon’s Imagine is my personal philosophy and my all-time favorite song in the world.
I will add today’s prompt to my ever-growing collection. My goodness, you keep me busy! 🙂
Thanks Sha! You deserve some recognition for all the hard work you do. I’m enjoying writing this book. It will take awhile to deliver but I think the message will be worth the wait. 🙂
What a brilliant tip of the day! LOL Seriously, though, I’m glad you could relate. I’ve found that writing about subjects outside my niche is definitely more challenging, but pays off in the long run.
I’m lovin’ the new blog, my friend. Keep up the good work 🙂
It was brilliant, wasn’t it Lizzy? LOL Glad you’re liking this…not sure yet whether I’m going to start the other blog….I might bring back Living Simple and just fine-tune it a bit. So many decisions and such a small brain. 🙂
Wow. Where to start. That picture reminds me of survival. Survival to stand out, to live, to fight the daily battles, to be happy, to protect our family. All of that. I agree with you about content writing. I also don’t like it – and I haven’t done it in a while…which might change if things don’t improve soon – but it did make me a better writer and push my writing abilities to places I never thought they could go. Your book sounds amazing and I really can’t wait to purchase it. I haven’t forgotten about my promise to buy your other book…sorry friend, I guess I did for a while but I’ve remembered now and have a post it on my screen to buy it at the end of the month. Can’t wait! 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!!
Mel, you always leave the best comments. Thank you for that and I love your reflections on the picture. The fox could care less that we were taking his picture. He sat still for a good five minutes while we moved nearby taking shots of him. Then he slowly turned around and walked away…not a care in the world. 🙂
Thanks for your kind words about my book. Have a great weekend, Mel.
So, this is the one that struck me hard. This article made me think about how I can expand my mind by not only writing on things that I know but on things that I have to research to know. I asked my daughters what topics they think I should write about and they told me about dogs, hunting, black lights, and current politics. I say yuck to all of those, but I will do it just to follow your inspiration from that tip of the day.
You did fine, Rodric. It was a good exercise for you and you rose to the occasion. I like that you are willing to try new things.
Too bad it takes me so long to get back to the things I try when I get away from them. You are a great inspiration, Bill. I thank God that I found you words. You are credit to all teachers.
Very kind of you, Rodric! I love your determination to be a good writer.