Slide 1 : Welcome to the Virtual Classroom
This presentation includes a number of useful planning ideas.
It also provides some useful information that will help you to become better organised.
Slide 2 : PLANNING THE WRITING PROJECT
Have you ever started a creative writing project pumped up with excitement, only to run out of steam?
Have you been really excited about your project, only to find your enthusiasm takes a dive and your creativity dissolves?
How do you keep the momentum going and continue to enjoy the creative process?
Follow these tips for high creativity, fun and success!
Slide 3 : Create a writing environment that inspires you.
Create a place in your home, or outdoors, that is conducive to writing.
It needs to be somewhere that is quiet, comfortable and a pleasant place to be.
It is essential that you can be alone and not constantly disturbed.
Prepare a Writing Timetable and put a copy of it on the fridge and on the door of the room you work in.
It’s a good idea to also hang a pad and pen on the door. That way people can leave a note and you can call them later.
Slide 4 : ALWAYS START by BRAINSTORMING the writing project to decide what your story will be about.
Remember it is important to write about what you know; or at least write about something that you can research well.
You need to know a lot about your topic to write in a convincing way and with authority.
You readers will not take your seriously if your work doesn’t sound convincing.
Slide 5 : Be enthusiastic about your writing.
If you’re not exciting about the work you can’t expect your readers to be excited about it.
When choosing a writing project, let it come from your heart - not your head.
Be playful. You must enjoy writing.
Readers will know if writing is a chore for you. The work will be dull and not at all creative.
Slide 6 : Create an R&D Team for your project. Contact a number of your friends, colleagues, and readers.
Invite them to join your R&D Team.
Send them snippets of what you write, questions you have about the process, or anything else you want input on – do this regularly.
The input from the R&D Team will keep you going.
And they will make you stick to your strict timeline.
The important thing about your R&D Team is that it should be made up of people who know something about writing, are great readers themselves, and people who will not just flatter you.
You need people who will give you harsh criticism and guidance.
Be careful here, because most non-writers will usually be impressed by everything you write.
You don’t need people to tell you how good you are, you need them to tell you how to be a better writer.
Slide 7 : Find a mentor.
Ask someone who is a good writer to be your primary mentor.
Send your mentor stacks of material as you develop it.
Your mentor will give you honest feedback and he/she will often point out things that just don’t work.
Slide 8 : Keep Creating & Editing times separate.
If you edit while you write, the process can become boring.
When you are starting out, set aside blocks of time for EDITING and much more time for writing. These time allocations will change when you finish the work.
Then it will be a huge amount of time spent EDITING and a little less time rewriting.
Don’t let editing interfere with your creative writing time!
Many writers leave all the editing until they have completely finished their work.
Slide 9 : You often hear the term Writer’s Block.
Don’t allow yourself to use this term as an excuse for not writing.
Most writers can write if they discipline themselves to plan the project, do the research and then spend regular blocks of time actually writing.
Some people take years to write their book because they only work sporadically.
You have to train yourself to write every day. If you don’t write every day you will find weeks/months go by, and your productivity will be zero.
Self discipline is important for all writers.
Slide 10 : NOW FOR SOME PRACTICAL WORK.
EXERCISE 1.
Read all the instructions carefully.
Then write a short story and email your completed work to me at:
contact.suzanne@bigpond.com
See next slide for more details
Slide 11 : EXERCISE 1.
EXERCISE OBJECTIVE:
Study the three photographs provided in the next slides, select one (1) of them and then write a short story of
not less than 200 words and not more then 50 words, about the image you have selected.
Your story must have a powerful name that relates to the image.
Your story MUST have three characters in it, and each of them must have a name.
You are to bring your story to life and to build the character’s personality through the effective use of dialogue.
Before you begin writing watch the PowerPoint presentation called Believable Characters and plan
the project carefully.
Try to apply the material from the presentation and the lecture to the story you write.
eMail your completed exercise to me at: contact.suzanne@bigpond.com
I will comment on the work, suggest ways it might be strengthened, apply a mark and return it to
you within five working days.
Please be sure to include the following information on each page of your completed work.
1. Your Name 2. The name of the image you are writing about. 3. The exercise code
If you need any assistance please email me and I will be happy to help.
Slide 12 : Image # 1 Image # 2 Image # 3
Slide 13 : EXERCISE 1.
Don’t stress over the project.
Just do the best you can, I will give you feed-back and suggest ways you may be able to improve the work.
Remember writing should be fun.
If you enjoy writing, it will shine through in your work.