My Novels

Friday, January 26, 2018

Chapter 12 - The Practical Writer



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.


If you are looking for a quote about any particular subject, you can find many sites for listing of quotes from authors and other well known people, but http://quotegarden.com/ is a site I often use, especially on a day when I might need a little inspiration. If the quote you find has a link included, it’s a good idea to click on the link. I have come across a few where the site stated the quote could not be used without permission of the author, so always better to be safe than sorry.

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