Time to Write

Capture your ideas quickly or else!

"You have about ten minutes to act on an idea before it recedes back into dreamland so when  you're excited about an idea, start writing about it immediately." -- Buckminster Fuller

This is especially important if you have an idea just as you are waking up or falling asleep. Often those ideas are the most creative because they carry a little of your dreaming self. 

If you keep a notepad by your bedside you'll be less likely to let an idea escape. Some people prefer to use their phone to record their thoughts, either in a notes app or by recording a voice memo. 

Remember not to judge your idea as soon as it pops up--that stops the flow. Sure, many of these ideas will not be worth pursuing, but if even one out of ten has value, that makes the process worthwhile.

PS: If you're not familiar with Buckminster Fuller, check out his Wikipedia profile. Born in 1895, he was an inventor and visionary. Long before most people gave it much thought, he advocated using renewable energy and doing more with less. He hoped for an age of "omni-successful education and sustenance of all humanity."

If you're having trouble creating a character, try the Fellini method

How do you get to know your characters well enough to feel confident writing what they do and say?

The great director Federico Fellini had a particular method. He said, "Some people get a quick handle on things by means of words, by sensations. I design. I sketch the traits of the face, the details of the costume, a person's attitudes, anatomy. That is my way of getting close to a film I'm making, of understanding what it is..."

You don't have to be an artist to use this method. Nobody else needs to see your crude sketches, the important thing is that they help you understand the character.

If you don't draw at all, you can look for images online that inspire you. 

For instance, let's say your protagonist is a young man.

I searched for: Google images young man. What came up at the top of the results page was '1000+ amazing young man photos' (these are free stock images). If you scrolled through these images I'm sure there'd be one that clicked, that made you think, "That's my protagonist!" 

You can do the same with clothing, settings, and the other elements of your story.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you, either in the comments or via email at [email protected].

Good luck!

My Favorite Brainstorming Method

My favorite brainstorming method is combining the thing I want to get ideas for and random words. 

THE FORCED ASSOCIATION METHOD

Here's how to do it: First generate a list of whatever words pop into your mind as you go through the alphabet (you get to skip X and Z). For example:

ARCH

BLOWHARD

CRISIS

DEPLOY

EAGLE

FRANCE

GOLEM

HYSTERIA

INSULATION

JOCULAR

KINETIC

LABOR

MICRO

NEEDLE

OVERWHELM

PUS

QUERY

ROYAL

STANDARD

TREMBLE

UV LAMP

VICTIM

WASTEGROUND

YOUNG

I like having at least 2 or 3 lists like this at the start of a brainstorming session. Then it's time to start combining.

Let's say I'm trying to come up with ideas for short instructional videos about different aspects of scriptwriting.

"Arch" makes me think of the arch dialogue in screwball comedies.

It also brings to mind movies in which a mysterious setting, like a cathedral with many arches, is important.

How to write screwball comedy dialogue, How to use setting to create the tone of your script: two viable topics.

It works for pretty much anything. Let's say you want to come up with a way to promote your self-published book.

"Blowhard" is what people might call you if you blow your own trumpet too much, so maybe you'd create a character who could do it for you, and feature that comedic character on your blog or in a video.

"Crisis" might make you think about the biggest crisis in your book (if it's a novel), and that might make a good hook for your promotions: "What would YOU do if you (describe the biggest crisis)?"

GO WHEREVER THE COMBINATION LEADS YOU

Sometimes the prompt word leads you to think of something which in turn leads you to think of something else, and the idea you come up with ends up not having much of a relationship to the original prompt--that's fine.

For instance, staying with the book promotion challenge, the word "deploy" makes me think of the military, which makes me think of battles, which makes me wonder whether another author and I could generate interest in our books by having a friendly feud on social media.

DON'T GET STUCK

If a word doesn't generate any thoughts, move on to the next one.

QUANTITY OVER QUALITY

The key is to generate as many ideas as possible as quickly as possible, without judging. Some of them will be bad! Maybe most of them. That's OK. One gem may be all you need. Hold off judging the ideas until you have a lot of them.

YOUR TURN

Give it a try. Let me know how you get on, either in the comments or via email to [email protected].

What's the best place to write?

The best place to write is wherever you feel most inspired and productive, but there's a good case for trying writing or brainstorming in your nearest nice park. According to Science Daily:

"Taking at least 20 minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels.

That's the finding of a study that has established for the first time the most effective dose of an urban nature experience.

Healthcare practitioners can use this discovery to prescribe 'nature-pills' in the knowledge that they have a real measurable effect." [The study was published in Frontiers of Psychology] 

Especially now that we're on the verge of friendlier weather in many places, why not take your favorite notebook or even your laptop to a park bench, spend the first ten minutes just breathing deeply and enjoying the scenery and then have thinking or writing session. When people are blocked I always suggest a change of location, and that could be another benefit of writing in the park.

If you try it, let me know how it works for you, in the comments here or via email to [email protected]. And if you can't get out to a park today, stare at the picture below for a minute...

 

Need inspiration? Watch this!

If you're a writer, artist, or other creative type and need a little inspiration, click on the link below to see an amazing animation of the middle panel of Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights"--be sure to watch it in full-screen mode.

There's a story in every character. The symbolism probably was obvious in the artist's time but now you get to make your own interpretation.

With this on our screen, who needs psychedelics?

https://vimeo.com/191632804

WISE ADVICE FROM ANDY WARHOL

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make more art."

--Andy Warhol

What to write about

"Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you;

figure out what you have to say.

It's the one and only thing

you have to offer."

Barbara Kingfisher

 

Marketing inspiration from quirky London bars

The idea that you need to do something different in order to stand out in today's crowded marketplace is obvious, but how do you do it?

Business Insider found some great examples of London bars that have embraced this notion:

BALLIE BALLERSON has an adult ball pit you can jump into--the UV balls glow in the dark. I wonder whether they occasionally find someone at the bottom at closing time...

At the spy-themed THE BLETCHLEY you crack codes to order cocktails, using simulated Enigma machines. They call it "escape room meets cocktail bar." CNN called it "the bar of the future." By the way, you can visit Bletchley Park, the actual home of the codebreakers, but you won't get any drinks there.

I'm not so sure about ALCOTRAZ, a pop-up prison-themed bar where you have to smuggle in your own booze and are given an inmate number and orange jumpsuit to wear. The Guardian wrote that it was  "accused of being in poor taste by charities and the latest in the 'fetishisation of misfortune' by critics." It looks like it'll be open through April, 2018.

Japanese bar SHOCHU LOUNGE decorated their ceiling with hundreds of cherry blossoms to mark the season. That's over but the decor looks pretty cool even without the blossoms.

SKYLIGHT at Tobacco Dock featured a rooftop ice rink and amazing views. It's done for the winter, but comes back  with croquet during the summer; bratwurst, pumpkins and cider in autumn, and the ice rink in November/December.

ABQ has a "Breaking Bad" theme. You 'cook up' your own cocktails inside an RV. It brands itself an "immersive molecular bar" and has no official relationship to the TV series. Because it's so small, it's best to book. You get 2 hours in the RV, with a welcome drink and two that you create yourself, for £30.

If you're not inspired yet for how to differentiate your product or service, go to one of these and have a cocktail or two.

 

 

An improv principle that can improve your year

The number one thing I learned when I studied with improv group The Groundlings and also with Keith Johnstone when he visited the UK is:

"YES, and..."

It has applications far beyond the improv stage, so let me give you a quick explanation of what it means, starting with an example:

Let's say you're on stage and another actor (one new to improv) comes in. You decide he's your dad, so you say, "Hi, Dad!"

The other actor says, "I'm not your dad!" thinking that's funny and it'll lead to conflict--after all, comedy and drama are based on conflict, right? Well, the right kind of conflict.

But in this case, now you have to come up with a reason why you thought this person is your when he actually isn't...or you have to say something like, "Dad, your dementia is getting worse!" In which case, I'm pretty sure the other actor would say, "I don't have dementia!"  

As you can probably imagine, this scene isn't going anywhere interesting.

Starting a scene by denying (saying no) to what you are offered is a dead end.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ACTOR SAYS "YES, AND..."

Now imagine that the other actor accepts that you're his son or daughter. He says, "Hi, Brad/Janet, I just wanted to find out whether you've decided yet."

Now you accept (say yes to) the idea that you were about to make a decision and make one up, like "I have! I'm not going ahead with the wedding." 

If you're working with a group, that could be the cue for the bride or groom to come into the scene and say, "This is the happiest day of my life! I never thought I'd actually get married!"

Now you have some conflict that has potential to become a funny (or tragic) scene and the conflict is rooted in something real.

The "and" is the secret sauce.

If you just said, "I'm not marrying you!" and she said, "Yes, you are!" and you said, "No, I'm not!" etc. that doesn't go anywhere.

But if you say, "Darling, I'm not marrying you after all, but (this is the "and" additional material) I know someone who would be perfect for you!"

Rather than her screaming "No!" her more interesting response might be, "Oh...who?" (which is another form of "yes, and...").

OUR 'NO' MINDSET

For some reason, probably to do with evolution in some way, most of us seem to be primed to say 'no.' Of course we have to be able to do that, but often that leads to a dead end, whereas saying 'yes' and adding something often leads somewhere interesting.

ONE TIME 'YES, AND' PAID OFF IN LIFE

Some years ago I was in a class and chatted with a young woman who asked what I did. I told her I was a writer. She asked whether she could read something I'd written. 

Some people are very worried that if they show their scripts, the ideas or the scripts themselves might steal the material. You can say 'no,' and thereby guarantee your material will not be stolen, but you'll also guarantee that nothing good will come of showing the script, either.

In this case, I said, "Yes...and I'll bring in a copy next week." (These days I'd just email it to her, but this was in the dark ages.)

I gave her a copy of a spec comedy script I'd written. The next week she said she loved it and that her boss wanted to meet me.

I had no idea what kind of job she had, but it turned out that she worked for a producer. She read my script at her desk on her lunch hour and he heard her laughing. He asked her what was so funny. She told him it was a script by a fellow student and he asked to read it. He liked it, too, and wanted to meet me in case any comedy assignments came up at his company.

I wish I could say it led to a million-dollar assignment; it didn't but it was still useful to talk to him and find out about his company--this was in the days before I had an agent or any other way to get to people like him.

I like that story because it proves that you never know what seemingly random event might lead to something useful. 

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING 'NO' TO?

Naturally we have to prioritize because we can't do everything. But often saying yes and adding something doesn't take a lot of time.

It might be worth thinking about whether this year you'd like to try saying 'yes, and...' to more things and seeing what happens.

That could be in your career or your personal life.

DO YOU SAY 'YES, AND' OFTEN ENOUGH...TO YOURSELF?

It may be that the person you say no to most often is....yourself.

For instance, maybe you think, "Hmm, I wonder whether I could learn a new language this year." 

It's easy to say, no, I'm too old, or I don't have time, or I probably don't have a knack for languages, or, or, or... dead end!

What if you said, "Yes, and I'm going to try it out by..." using an app like Duolingo, or taking a sample evening class, or finding lessons online, etc.

If you don't like it, you can still say no, but at least you'll have given yourself a chance.

Can you think of something that it could be useful or fun to say 'yes, and' to? Feel free to share (or to keep it a secret).

 

 

Three Tips for Keeping Your Mind Sharp

Three tips via Medical News Today for staying sharp, remembering stuff, and avoiding stress and depression:

TAKE A WALK!

Recent research led by the University of California, Los Angeles shows that taking a short walk each day can help to keep the brain healthy, supporting the overall resilience of cognitive functioning. They recommend at least 4000 steps per day.

SPEAK UP

According to a new study published in the journal Memory, we are more likely to remember something if we read it out loud.

Repeat after me: "I did turn off the gas!"..."Next week is our anniversary!"..."This, too, shall pass!"

CUT THE SUGAR, GUYS

Researchers found that men who consumed more than 67 grams of sugar daily from sweetened foods and beverages were much more likely to develop anxiety, depression and other common mental disorders after 5 years, compared with men with a lower daily sugar intake.

Here’s how much sugar is in a few common foods and drinks:

Naked Pomegranate Blueberry Juice: 32 grams

Coca Cola Original (330ml): 35 grams

Frosties cereal (30 grams with semi-skimmed milk): 17 grams

Mars Chocolate bar (51 grams): 30.4 grams

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to reach that 67 grams.

Too stressed to write? Try stepping outside of yourself

When you're under pressure, thinking of yourself in the 3rd person can help you cope according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports.

Instead of thinking, "How can I possibly get this done!?", think, "How can [your name] possibly get this done?" The "I" mode tends to push you in the direction of your emotions, which in this case probably are negative; creating a bit of distance by changing the reference to your name tends to push you in the direction of possible solutions.

If that's still too close, try imagining that a friend of yours has exactly the same issue with the same circumstances. What would you advise him or her to do? 

You may find that if you imagine the problem as belonging to a friend you are much less judgmental than when you think of it as being yours. If so, it's time to be as kind to yourself as you are to your friends.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-04047-3

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Need some constructive guidance in writing your book or script? Check out my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey/Hachette, and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.

 

 

Four Ways Music Can Help You Write

Here are four ways music can help you write:

As a transition from your work day to your writing session.

If you find that you're having trouble shaking the concerns that you dealt with during your job time (or family time), listening to a music track can help you make the shift. 

Experiment with what works best for you. For some people an upbeat tune is most effective, others prefer a meditative track that helps them to calm down and re-focus.

To energize you when you feel too tired to write. 

A recent study looking at the use of music to empower athletes tested 31 clips and found the two that were most effective were "We Will Rock You" (Queen) and "Get Ready for This" (2 Unlimited), but you probably already have tracks that you know pump up your energy levels.

To evoke the mood that you want to create in what you are writing.

If you're writing a horror script or novel, it could help you to listen to a soundtrack from an existing horror film, for instance. (Some people find it too distracting to have music playing while writing, this is something you'll have to try and see whether it works for you.)

To tune in to the energy of your major characters. 

What song or music track would best represent your protagonist's energy or world view? How about your antagonist? Listening to these before you write a major scene can be useful.

Any more?

If you have any other ways you use music to enhance your writing or creativity, feel free to share them in the comments section!

The inspiring language of Joyce...in small doses

Although I admire his use of language, I've never made it all the way through James Joyce's Ulysses. How about you?

If you also found it too rich in larger doses, you might enjoy getting it in Tweet-size bits that allow you to savor his words.

The Twitter feed @UlyssesReader offers you the entire book, one short selection at a time. For instance:

"his eyes, from which he had suddenly withdrawn all shrewd sense, blinking with mad gaiety."

If you like warming up before you start a writing session, these Tweets might provide a good prompt. For instance, if the day's tweet was the one above, how would you describe the eyes of your protagonist? 

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For writing advice from the great writers of the past and present, get a copy of my book, Your Creative Writing Masterclass, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.

The diet that fights depression

The first large study of the role of diet in depression shows that what you eat can improve or hinder your chances of going into remission.

The study consisted of one group that was given help from a clinical dietician and one given help with social support.

At the end of three months, one-third of the dietary group were in remission from depression, compared to 8% of the other group.

Members of the dietary group were encouraged to eat vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish, lean red meat, olive oil, and nuts.

They were encouraged to avoid refined cereals, candies, fried food, fast food, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

The ones who stuck closest to these recommendations benefitted the most.

 

The study appears in the journal BMC Medicine (http://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y)

How better posture can help you overcome depression

A couple of recent studies suggest that improving your posture can help you overcome moderate depression.

Dr. Elizabeth Broadbent reports that sitting upright rather than slumping helps you be more confident in your thoughts, more persistent with difficult tasks, and to feel more proud of your accomplishments. 

Another study suggests that walking upright rather than hunching your shoulders and keeping your gaze low can decrease feelings of depression and low energy.

Deep breathing and certain yoga positions also have been shown to help alleviate depression and anxiety. In one study, women who attended yoga classes twice a week for three months reduced their depression by 50% and increased their feelings of general well-being by 65%.

Obviously, these are no substitute for getting professional help if you are deeply depressed, but they won't hurt and they could help.

source: http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-02-03-treat-depression-with-good-posture.html

 

The danger of focusing on "what if's"

As writers, it's natural for us to focus on "what if's":

• what if nobody wants to buy what we write?
• what if it's not good enough?
• what if I should have been writing that other thing instead?
• what if I don't figure out the ending? 

I'm sure you can think of some more!

Of course sometimes we come up with "what if's" that are more fun: "What if it's a best-seller? What if it makes me a LOT of money? What if it turns out as well as I hope it will?"

If we spend too much time on either (or both) what if's, it can hold us back, according to professors and co-authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans in this video.