I
haven’t talked about The Practical Writer for a while, so I thought I would include
a full chapter here for you. If you are new to my blog, you can read more about
why I wrote this guide on the post dated 1/1/17. I also included details about each
chapter on the 1/31/17 entry. Chapter 12 is titled “Just For Fun,” and includes
some writing exercises you may want to try to help with writer’s block or simply
to give yourself some ideas for future stories. You’ll also find some links to sites
for unusual words, meaning of phrases, and inspirational quotes. I hope you will
find some help with the information. Here is the link to the print and E versions
> https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00U0KSQCO
Chapter 12 -- Just For Fun
For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds
of happiness. ~~ Author unknown
Even if writing is your main job,
as with any profession, you need a break from time to time. Maybe you don’t
feel like working on your manuscript or perhaps you’re in the middle of a
writer’s block. Of course, there are the usual choices of going for a walk,
watching a movie, reading, tackling that closet. How about doing an activity
that keeps you writing and even improving on your writing skill set? A few things you can do:
Make a random list of items in
your house or yard. Walk through each room or outside around your house and jot
down those items.
Ø birdhouse
and/or birdfeeder
Ø car
keys
Ø stuffed
animal
Ø jewelry
box
Ø decorative
pillow
Ø rocking
chair
Ø jar
of peanut butter
Ø cookbook
Ø painting
Ø hair
brush
Ø golf
club
Ø basket
Now take one item or as many as
you like and write a short story. It could be a mystery or something humorous,
even something romantic. This could turn into a novella or even an entire
novel. If you’re not sure where to start, jot down some notes in your notebook
and come back to it later. Write down any idea that comes to mind, even if you
think it sounds silly or not plausible. That’s the beauty of writing—anything
is possible. If you have ever watched a soap opera, you know how true that is!
Another way to create a story is
to make a list of experiences. Include things you have done, things you would
like to do but never have, and maybe an event you know you would never do.
Ø visited
a foreign country
Ø climbed
a mountain
Ø been
scuba diving
Ø met
a famous person
Ø made
a speech
Ø shot
a gun
Ø taught
a class
Ø contacted
an old friend
Ø flew
in a private jet
Ø been
on television or in a Hollywood movie
Ø gave
a eulogy
Ø had
a paranormal experience
Do the same as with the list
above. Create a story with any of the items on your list. Perhaps write a story
about something you would never do, but in your story you do that activity.
Write another story about something you have done. You could write it exactly
how the incident took place or expand on it, bringing in different people or
different outcomes. The possibilities are endless.
If you still want to work on a
writing exercise, create yet another list of things relating to your
personality or feelings on certain subjects.
ü Two
or three pet peeves
ü Something
you might say to an ex-spouse or ex-friend
ü Your
thoughts on aging
ü A
fear you can’t face
ü An
usual trait or habit you have
ü Your
earliest childhood memory
ü A
regret
ü A
book or movie you love and would read/watch many times
ü Your
life three years ago; your life three years from now
ü Something
or someone you miss
ü If
you could live anywhere, where would it be
ü Living
in a mansion or small cottage
Imagine the stories you could
write with a list like this one! You can probably think up other lists as well
as these examples, make some notes, and once you finish your current project,
you may very well find a long catalog of ideas for your next project and even
beyond when experimenting with this type of writing exercise.
Here are some fun facts about the English
and/or medical language. I would love to know who thinks up these things. They
must have a lot of time on their hands, yes?
Strengths is the longest word with only 1 vowel.
Here
are samples of 9-letter English words of a single syllable:
broughams
crunched
scratched
screeched
straights
troughed
Words
that have no rhyming word:
depth
orange
purple
silver
The Oxford English Dictionary lists
an astonishing 76 definitions for the word run. Some other samples include:
set
(63)
point
(49)
strike
(48)
light
(47)
round
(46)
cast
(45)
draw
(45)
One common word in English with 5 vowels in a row: queueing
Words with all 5 regular vowels in alphabetical order: abstemious,
facetious, caesious
Common words with the 5 vowels in reverse order: subcontinental, uncomplimentary
Shortest words containing the 5 regular vowels: eunoia
and sequoia
Longest common word containing none of the 5 regular vowels:
rhythms
Very long
words alternating consonants and vowels:
honorificabilitudinitatibus, hepatoperitonitis,
mesobilirubinogen
Serving as the longest English
word—drum roll please…
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (also spelled -koniosis). Lung
disease caused by inhalation of very fine silica dust found in volcanoes. Fortunately, it is more commonly known as
pneumoconiosis, but still, if you are writing a medical thriller, this might be
a good term to throw in just for the fun of it!
Here is a wonderful site for obscure words, including phobias, lost
words, and even unusual facts about numbers. Check it out here: http://phrontistery.info/
Ever wonder about the origin of “caught red-handed?” This site lists 25
common phrases and their origins: http://list25.com/25-common-sayings-and-where-they-came-from/2/. If you know of a phrase you want to use in
your manuscript but not sure of its meaning or origin, type in the phrase at
your search engine to verify you do have the correct usage.
