Writer's block, an owner's guide: Amateur Hour
A press release tells us that a new US tv show will focus on many in-depth aspects of becoming a best-selling author and literacy. This kind of literacy: The show is called, The Write Stuff it is geared towards the literary business. And this: The Write Stuff is the place to be if your looking to step into the literary arena.
Just as the release says, in Samuel Johnson’s words, “What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”
Anyway, let’s leave that and find out about the game:
Every week aspiring writers will compete and be judged by some of the most recognizable industry professionals. Each contestant will have the opportunity to “show and prove” that they have the Write Stuff to make it happen and possibly have their dreams come true. Watch contestants as they struggle through writers-block to find inspiration to learn if they have what it takes to make it in the business. During the process, “The Write Stuff” will put the contestants in the faces of those who can make their dreams a reality and give them the tools they will need to be successful. At stake is the ultimate prize for anyone who wants to make their mark on the industry: a ONE-BOOK DEAL provided by Hollygrove Publishing! Along with the book deal and recognition of having “The Write Stuff” comes a prize package worth over $16,000 and more.
Go to the website www.thewritestufftv.webs.com to learn how you can audition for the television show. Once you click on the above link (it wasn’t actually a link but I’ve fixed that for you. Warning: loud music.) you will find tabs that will show you where the auditions will be held in cities such as New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco, just to name a few.
Published on December 27, 2008 at 10:26 am. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/amateur-hour.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Not alone
This
It wasn’t the sex that proved she loved me, it was the first time she slept with me without having sex that I knew she would be the one.
or this
When asked to name the one person absent from her life that she missed the most, she responded, “The person I hoped I’d be by this point in my life.”
or just this
I was only fourteen.
Dozens, hundreds… I lost track of how many… of these are over at One Sentence.
When it’s possible to say so much in one sentence, what on earth excuse is there not to?
Response to this article (1 response)
Published on September 10, 2008 at 7:49 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/not-alone.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Archers Omnibus Listen Again
This has nothing at all to do with the psychology of writer’s block, except of course that the world’s longest running daily episodic drama, BBC Radio’s The Archers, contains some top flight writing. I just thought I’d raise my search engine statistics by posting something here that’s of desperately urgent interest to a lot of BBC listeners around the planet. Here it is:
While the BBC’s “Listen Again” system remains chronically broken, listeners have been searching for other ways to hear their favorite programs… their favourite programmes, online. One backdoor that was found a couple of weeks ago is now closed. However, here’s another address that I found by study and experimentation: the weekly Archers Omnibus can be heard at rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/radio4/1000_sun.ra
The daily episodes can be accessed with similar codes, I’m sure you can figure them out.
Interested in getting more writing done? Try the weekly newsletter. Just try it, that’s all I say. In the box, over there on the left.
Afternote: BBC Radio Scotland’s essential Out of Doors, missing from the official website for three weeks now, is loud and clear at rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/scotland/radioscotland/demand/outofdoors/rs_outofdoors_sat.ra . Now will you sign up for the weekly letter?
Published on September 7, 2008 at 4:44 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/archers-omnibus-listen-again.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: How to keep your day job from killing your writing career
Here’s one of the best things I’ve read in a very long time – so good that I wish I’d written it, and that’s unusual – on the subject of practical survival as a not-well-paid-so-far writer. A long essay in David Anagaxoras’s Screenwriting Manifesto.
There’s certainly an argument that the function of a day job is to support your immortal art with such basic needs as copying and quiet time to think. Whether that’s true or not, it’s a thought that can keep you sane and cheerful during your Dilbert years. I’m not advocating theft, although it’s possible that in another century and another continent, I may have sold angry topical satire to the BBC through a local government authority’s fax machine (really ironic thing to do, now that I think about it!). If it’s only by feeding you, the day job supports your true calling, and you may as well be grateful and polite and take them for as much as you legitimately can.
Published on August 10, 2008 at 10:22 am. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/how-to-keep-your-day-job-from-killing-your-writing-career.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: 911 Lite
As readers of the newsletter know, I have a dangerously high pile of things to write about in this journal. Mostly things that an automated search tool has been turning up for me daily over the past three months. Where have I been? – it’s in the letter, which is still free, and sign-up is over there <---.
But the fact is that now that I review all those things, most of the them are not worth my taking up your time with. Here's one thing, though. I'm not sure how helpful it'll be with your writing, except to pass time and stop you brooding: but that's helpful.
So it's this announcement from last month:
Stumped writers now have a lifeline to resuscitate a flat-lining character or plot. 911 Writer’s Block takes users to a virtual phone booth, where an interactive online pay phone provides writers prompts for any literary quandary at the touch of a phone key. Whether writers or creative writing students are looking for a new character, setting or verb to use in their work, 911 has an idea for the perfect story. 911 Writer’s Block offers dozens of photographic, sound and text prompts for everything from dramatic entrances to clever dialogue.
And there’s more.
“911 Writer’s Block, also available at www.911writersblock.com, takes users to a virtual phone booth, where an interactive online pay phone provides writers prompts for any literary quandary at the touch of a phone key. Whether writers or creative writing students are looking for a new character, setting or verb to use in their work, 911 has an idea for the perfect story. 911 Writer’s Block offers dozens of photographic, sound and text prompts for everything from dramatic entrances to clever dialogue.”
NSFW: The website uses sound. Not safe for work. Thoughtless thing to do on a Friday afternoon play site. I work for myself on Fridays, but many writers can’t afford that luxury.
Published on July 23, 2008 at 5:02 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/911-lite.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Storybase
Storybase.net is apparently “the ultimate online dictionary of story starters and writing prompts – over 3,900 narrative Situations, each involving Characters that can be personalized with names of your choosing. The Situations are indexed in a logical framework derived from two universal vantage points: Mindset and Action.
Situations are comprised of Characters and Keywords. Mindset refers to the mental state of the character in the left-hand box at the top of this page. Action tags refer to the type of action that is happening in a given Situation.”
Can’t say I found it very useful, but then I’m not trying to outline a work of fiction right now, so how would it be? If you are, let me know how this helps.
Published on May 2, 2008 at 6:56 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/storybase.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: La Cucaracha
Well, we haven’t had a writer’s block cartoon here for a while, so here’s a look at the La Cucaracha comic strip.
Where is all the serious writer’s block stuff these days, you ask? It’s all in the weekly newsletter, up for which you can still sign, over there <<— in the sidebar.
Published on February 25, 2008 at 10:03 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/la-cucaracha.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Mortgage statement
Here’s an interesting discussion, hosted by Emmy winner Ken Levine, of the nature and treatment of writer’s block, with contibutions from major comedy wordsmiths. I particularly like Alan (Mork & Mindy) Eisenstock’s method on page two. Take a look around the rest of the site, unless you’re writing.
Published on February 16, 2008 at 10:45 am. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/mortgage-statement.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Write Here, Right Now 2008
BBC Radio Scotland are doing it again! The idea of Write Here, Right Now is to write 28,000 words – or 29,000 this year – in a month (guess which!). This year’s event has a crime theme, and there are daily emails of tips on that. If you want ‘em, don’t delay – go for it, anything that might help anyone get writing and might even help them write 29 kilowords is worth a try.
“Enjoy the experience. If you get it right the book will sing and everyone will love it.”
- writer Mike Ashley, in one of those emails.
Published on February 2, 2008 at 3:35 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/write-here-right-now-2008.html
Writer's block, an owner's guide: Newsletter news
So: the new newsletter is going well – number 5 (“The Not-to-do List”) goes out this weekend. Readership has risen 50% since the start. The absolute numbers are still too small to boast of, but with that kind of growth they won’t always be. There’s a sample issue online at http://www.todayiwrite.com/samplenewsletter.php or you can sign up right now in <—-that box over there. Go on, live dangerously.
Published on February 1, 2008 at 9:34 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/newsletter-news.html
Next Page »
