Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Finding a writing group, or writing partner is sometimes necessary depending on the individual author.  Whether it is frequent or on a need-to-do basis, sharing has its many benefits.  And if you've run into trouble, and haven't tried it yet, you should give it a shot!


     Socializing with others always gives an extra edge to the subject, may it be the inspiration, another take on the matter, an insight otherwise not seen, or only the satisfaction of your voice being heard, a writing friend is full of surprises, and the list could go on.  Many authors have gone through this process.  Some seek writing groups, others go from one writing group or one individual to another to share their work, and still others simply read their work to a family member.


     You don't even have to speak of your current work.  The process of "speaking about writing" is soothing in itself.  Some writers develop a whole new idea that would not have come up if they hadn't used both of their heads to do it.  Some people join to write a book together.  You never know where writing may take you if you pull yourself up to your greatest ability.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Poems based on books enlighten the world around us.  If you need a writing exercise or even some inspiration pull out your favorite book and write a poem describing it.  Since songs are so much like poems, I like to pick a song that reminds me of the story and listen to it before I begin my poem.  This is so fun!  While writing you remember all the memories of reading this book and now you are describing that joy in writing.  Don't worry about not doing justice to the novel, just go with it.  It actually brings more popularity to the novel, and it puts you in writing mode.  Think of it as a book review.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Find out how books or movies are balanced.  Think of all the climatic points and weigh their importance.  You can think of good versus bad outcomes.  If you do this enough you'll notice trends relating to certain genres.  Sometimes it begs the question, "Is their an ideal pattern to genres?"

     A story usually satisfies both needs for problems and solutions so that there is a clear and defined ending.  On occasion, horror books or movies have one bad thing happen after another and leave the conclusion with another bad happening.  Some movies and books end on a happier note and seem to lean the total balance that way also.  Others are equal in presenting both life's trials and satisfying outcomes.  Can you feel the balance in your own book?  As you add things on both sides of the scale, eventually you have picked apart your novel and the weight is either equal on both sides or leaning toward one.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Have you ever tried using symbols in your story?  Whether you choose to or not, it can be fun thinking about it.  If you are having a slow day, thinking of one thing to symbolize another idea, emotion, meaning, person, etc. can help you define your piece a little more and point you in the direction that you need to be taking when you begin writing for the day.  Among the many possible examples, here's one:  Say someone remembers a lost loved one by her favorite color, they wake to an early morning sky with that color all around them.  (further meaning)  They feel like that person has spoken to them, painting the sky to say hello.  If you don't use the piece, it's still an uplifting thinking process to put you into the writing mode when needed.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Sometimes writing a poem for your story can help bring out the details you must focus on.  What I call a "writer's block" poem takes apart what you know of your novel and the keys that your character holds to it all.  Find the most important set back that a character experiences and his/her adoration and link the two together.  Basically, tell the characters story in summary, focusing on key details, and let it be in their psychological world, if you will.  For example, a problem should be symbolized  by something, or by the setting (dark, gloomy, etc.).  The long term goal or happiness that the character experiences everyday can be symbolized by many things; usually it's best to have it go along with the setting and other symbols.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Expanding your vocabulary to include terms that describe your character, a chapter, book, scene, or genre opens up the door for new ideas to come flowing in.  You may never use any of them, but they inspire you to write with that defined tone.  I decided to search "horror vocabulary" to see what comes up and defined horror with a few words of my own also.  Here is a link to some horror vocabulary words:

Vocabulary list #1

Vocabulary list #2

     Notice how there are always contrasting tones to the one that you choose.  In a horror book there will be "scary words", and there will be words that make you calm; and unprepared for what is to come.  In a romance there will be words of love and words of conflict.  We already know this as writers, but it put me in a writing mood!

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Has writer's block struck again?  Relax, your story is not going anywhere- hand it over to the pros!  Try letting a character from your book write the story.


     The character is in a climax, he's at the edge of that cliff, and actually feels much like you right now- frustrated, exhausted, and challenged.  They'd laugh if you told them that they could write the rest of the story.  But then they would realize, it's no joke.  Imagine their emotions, and the outcomes they make for themselves.


     Did the character create an even better story?  Has this new author written you over?  Ha!  By the time this is finished, you might feel like the character yourself!

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     We have all experienced Writer's Block at one time or another, but what about when it's the other way around- too many ideas leave us cycling off a cliff to a dead end (to our death...)?  Just today I had too many expectations, wound up with a migraine, and what did I do?  After getting rid of the migraine, I wrote this post.  Going back to #1 on my list of ways to cope with writer's block I realized I could apply the same techniques to this situation.  I'm looking back on these activities to smooth out my writing- and my mind.


I revisited this post about 6 fun ways to cope as well as the newer activities that I have listed in the past. Don't forget: making a list of small adorations, bringing a poetic sense into the picture, the trash book, character group meetings, physical stimulation, and gift cards.

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     Thinking about writing?- Just do it!  Write greetings for gift cards in your spare time.  Hey,- give them out to friends; at their birthday party, for christmas greetings, mother's day, etc.  What better a gift for them to receive?  You may start a trend and have people asking you for your cards.  Have copies saved to your computer in case that happens.  With today's advancements, having the proper materials to make and print cards is easily attainable and inexpensive.

Writing Ideas- Activities for Your Book

     Food inspires me to write.  As odd as it is, around super time I suddenly feel like writing.  It doesn't usually work, though, because I'm too hungry.  The point is food stimulates your brain.  Make sure you eat appropriately.  I also find that ideas come to me when I'm in the shower and when I'm going to sleep at night.  I'm glad that they come to me, but it's a hassle to write them down or remember them at that time.

     Then I realized; what correlates these circumstances is the physical stimulation to the brain.  You're either thinking nothing, or doing something, i.e. getting the brain going.  If you make a list of what usually gets you into your writing mood, you could maybe find a way to boost your writing time by doing similar activities.  Easy, right?  It makes you think back to when you had writer's block; it must have been like putting your brain into one of those cry rooms- wow- how did we believe there would be any results?  Poor brain....

Writing Ideas- Activities For Your Book

     It's never too late to get to know your character.  If you're having trouble writing, your time could be better spent catching up with these guys.  That's why I say, I love it when I have writer's block, because it gives me an excuse to slack off, in a good way.  One comical way to do this, is to put the characters in a group.  I choose a plain room, with dim lights and a circle of chairs, with one chair for you.


     Record what order everyone is sitting in and have everyone introduce themselves, starting with you.  Think about what everyone's body language looks like, what they are feeling; thinking, and what they think of you.  Ask yourself, who knows each other already, when is this taking place in respect to my novel, did some of them have to change their schedule to be here, and depending on the time it takes place, would meeting each other today somehow change their relationships and the outcomes that are featured in the book?

Writing Ideas- Activities for Your Book

     What if everything you wrote was trash?  (Raising of hands.  Murmurs, "That's happened to me before.")  Okay, that's horrible to call any writing trash, I know, but us writers set such high expectations for our work that sometimes that's exactly how we feel.  High expectations are great; don't get me wrong, but often the expectation of 'better work' puts us in a block.  Here's a helpful tip: don't always force your writing to work.


     I always think, this isn't good enough!  But I think that is partly due to my insisting that it should be.  So I create a trash book.  Yes, - a trash book.  I write on my trash book, knowing that whatever comes out is trash anyways, and actually end up using the material a lot of the time.  I do love my trash book! : )