Creativity

29 Ways to Stay Creative

By Steve Laubeon September 23, 2019

There are times when you feel like you’ve hit a wall. Not writer’s block per se, but feeling like you’ve run out of juice. Burned out maybe?

I suggest you first check your health. Are you sleeping enough? Has there been an abnormal amount of stress recently? Have you changed dosages or added a new medication or changed your diet? I know of one writer who had multiple novels published only to find she suddenly could no longer write. It took her years to figure out it was a change in her medication that caused the problem. Once the balance was restored, she was back on track.

Another might sarcastically suggest sticking your fork in an electric socket. (DO NOT do that.)

Instead, enjoy the short, two-minute video below.

I particularly liked #18 and #25.

Which ones work for you? Do you have any you would add?

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Oxymorons

By Steve Laubeon July 22, 2019

Oxymorons can be fun. Two words that can have contradictory meaning are put together to create a new phrase. Or it can be expanded to mean two separate thoughts or ideas that are in direct conflict with each other but when combined create something new.

For example, if you've ever worked in a cubicle you can see the humor in the description "office space."

Category: Creativity, Grammar, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Grammar, Oxymorons, Writing Craft

Brainstorming: How and With Whom?

By Steve Laubeon August 13, 2018

Brainstorming is one of the fun parts in the development of a book. The key for the author is a willingness to hear other ideas. The second, and most critical key, is discovering those with whom you should brainstorm. Those people need to be willing to have their ideas rejected in the discussions and be willing to let an idea they created to be used by someone else. It takes a special …

Category: Book Proposals, Writing CraftTag: brainstorming, Creativity, Editors, Ideas, Pitching, Writing Craft

Same Message, Different Reader

By Dan Balowon August 7, 2018

When a published book is successful (sells well), the publisher and author begin pondering how to be successful again with the next book. Often times, the solution to the repeat-success puzzle in non-fiction is having a similar message but aimed at a different audience. You’ve seen it happen many times, whether you realized it was intentional or not. Examples of branded book lines which have been …

Category: Book Business, Creativity, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Career, Creativity, Nonfiction, The Writing Life

A Writer’s Beatitudes

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2018

In the famous “Sermon on the Mount” passage in the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presented a series of eight “beatitudes.” Each was a saying that turned conventional wisdom on its head, showing how in God’s eyes the oppressed are blessed and the despised are prized. No one can improve on those inspired beatitudes, of course. But what if we tried to capture their perspective and redirected them …

Category: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Create Magic with Words

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 12, 2018

Years ago, I took my five-year-old daughter to Toys R Us to meet “Barbie.” “Barbie” turned out to be a cute and charming teenager who, yes, looked like the classic blonde image of the doll. She wore a pretty pink gown. I expected a lot more fanfare around this event. Like, maybe some cheap swag, a chance to win a Barbie doll or Barbie convertible, or at least a throne for Barbie. Maybe a stage …

Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Creativity, Marketing, Pitch, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Creativity, Marketing, Writing Craft

Be Careful Little Hands What You Type

By Dan Balowon July 10, 2018

Just as those involved in Christian ministry are committed to serving God as “his hands and feet” on this earth, Christian writers are similarly motivated, giving a voice to God’s work and communicating his grace and love to a hurting world. But just as some ministries can veer off the right path in their work, Christian authors can also wander off-course in an effort to create an engaging book …

Category: TheologyTag: Creativity, Theology

Book Reading in a Social Media World

By Dan Balowon June 5, 2018

At some point every writer confronts the trend of readers who would rather consume 140 characters in social media than 140 pages of words. Social media and smart phones change everything in our world and their impact on book reading and writing is substantial. At the same time social media and smart phones have made people closer and more accessible than ever before, they also allow others to …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Media, Writing Craft

A Title Wave

By Bob Hostetleron May 23, 2018

Some writers find it hard to title their work; others have as much (or more) fun creating titles as they do writing articles, stories, or books. So, just for fun, I asked some of my colleagues and clients: “What title of a nonexistent, imaginary, unwritten, or unpublished work do you love? Or would you love to read if it were available?” For example, some of my “dream” titles are: No Grit, No …

Category: Book Proposals, Creativity, PitchTag: Book Titles, Creativity

Forgotten Words We Ought to Revive

By Bob Hostetleron May 9, 2018

A few weeks ago I asked my friends on social media if they had a favorite word that no one seems to use anymore—and the response was fast and furious (I should make a dozen or so movies about it, right?). While there were far too many replies to list them all, here is a list of some of my favorites (and the person(s) who mentioned each), followed by the one word that got the most mentions and …

Category: Creativity, LanguageTag: Creativity, Language, words