More Sources for Creative Writing Prompts

So my first post was about creative writing notebooks, which I think is probably the most useful prompt source a writer can have at their fingertips. However, there are lots of other very good ways to give you the creative spark when you need it, and here a few that have helped me:

Pictures

When your stuck, one way to get things going again is to look through old photos. Look for details you haven't noticed before. Look for expressions on peoples faces, and try and remember what was said right before the camera clicked. Here's a photo to get you started.

A statue I saw once in Germany. See what you can do with it.

The news

The news is a good way to find real life plots and characters. Maybe something you hear about in the news is exactly what needs to happen next in your novel. Perhaps there's a detail about someone who committed a crime that is exactly what you need to fill out your antagonist, or even your main character. It depends. Check the news wherever you live, and here are a few big ones that might help:

The New York Times
L.A. Times
CNN
Fox News
Google News (a good combobulation of news from all over)
Al Jazeera English (a great source for a different perspective, which is what we writers are looking for, right?)
London Times (stories from our friends across the pond. Always fun.)

Web comics/humor strips

This one is fun. I like these because often they provide poignant glimpses into human nature, not to mention hilarious situations, that may give you back some of the enjoyment you're missing in your writing. Here's some of the ones I like:

MyLifeIsAverage (If you don't know this one, you are missing out, and probably haven't been online since Easter)
A Softer World(Unique and artistic)
xkcd (hilarious and intellectual)

Hope those help. Just remember not to spend more time browsing then you do actually writing.

Sarah Allen

Why I am not doing National Novel Writing Month, even though I probably should

On November first, I figure any writing blog must address the phenomenon of National Novel Writing Month. Thousands and thousands of writers will be furiously scribbling and typing away, creating an entire work in less then one month. Unfortunately, I will not be one of them.

Two of my roommates are doing NaNo this year, and though I will be writing with them, I won't actually be doing NaNo. See, I have a novel already started that I have been working on for quite a while now, and even though I'm only just over 10,000 words into it, I don't want to put it on the back burner quite yet. And I don't want to use that particular novel for NaNo, because I feel like I need to take it at a more relaxed, intimate pace then I could if I was doing it.

However, NaNo is a great opportunity to learn how to get your butt in the chair and actually produce something. I will try to glean that from the frantically writing aura of all you NaNo-ers all over the world, and make myself write along with you, though not quite as hectically. As always, whatever I learn in my journey that may help you in yours during this crazy month, I will be sure to help in any way I can.

Good luck NaNoing!
Sarah Allen