Create a Character Sketch

 

Marlene Cullen offers writers writing prompts and exercises through her blog at The Write Spot . One that I particularly liked helps short story and novel writers build the characters they are writing about. Ms Cullen graciously gave me permission to use the exercise on my blog. Visit her blog to find the menu of the many things offered to writers. 

The photo today shows someone sketching a person. You can do a written sketch of characters with Ms. Cullen's exercise. 

THE EXERCISE TO SKETCH YOUR CHARACTERS

Finish sentences as your fictional character would.

OR: Write your responses, as author/writer.

My full name is (include maiden name and middle name):

I live at or near . . .

I live with . . .

I usually wear . . .

I want . . .

I hope . . .

People would be surprised to know that I . . .

I am happiest when . . .

I daydream about . . .

If I had my way . . .

I don’t understand . . .

I get angry when . . .

People wouldn’t like it if they knew . . .

I never told anyone that I . . .

If I were in charge . . .

My hobbies are . . .

My favorite breakfast . . .

My pet peeves . . .

My favorite drink . . .

My favorite place to hang out . . .

I don’t like it when . . .

My best friend . . .

I like to . . .

Find out more about Marlene Cullen's The Write Spot website, which includes her blog, at  https://www.thewritespot.us/ 

 

Book Review--Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year

Marlene Cullen is the editor of seven anthologies that are filled with essays written by many writers using a prompt to initiate their writing. The seventh, and newest, is titled Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year. 

The poetry and prose illustrate the many ways we have lived through 2020, the first year of our current pandemic. Each of the many writers approaches the situation in a different and personal manner. Some use humor while others are quite serious about the way the pandemic affected them. 

At times, a few of the pieces feel like they are veering off-subject, but the pandemic still figures in before the reader finishes. The pandemic invokes memories for many of us as some of the contributors in this anthology show us.

There is a writing prompt at the end of each prose offering. I found myself nodding my head in agreement at some of them because the writer had nailed that prompt very well. The stories ranged from surviving to wearing masks to remembering things from long ago 

One notable difference in this anthology is that many of the writers have more than one story that meets the theme requirements. I loved that because it showed how one writer can use different approaches for the same general topic. 

Ms. Cullen, the editor, posed a question to each writer, and the answers are included. Her question was: What energizes you? The answers are widely varied and definitely of interest. 

This is a book that you might read more than once to mark the ways in which others have handled this adverse time in our lives. The pandemic is not over, and any help we can get in living with the fallout is worth checking more than once. 

I like the antithesis of the tile. Musings and ravings do mirror what the reader will find inside. I have had times during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown time last year when I did some musing and other times when I ranted and raved. I have a feeling many of us did the same. So kudos to Ms. Cullen for the title she selected. 

Use a search engine to find several places where you can order this new anthology. 

 

Simple Advice for Writers

In mid-November, I posted a review of an anthology for writers. The book cover is above.  The book consists of stories, essays, and poems by several writers. At the end of each offering is a prompt that might have inspired what they wrote and also a paragraph or two of advice for writers. 

Ahhh, advice. It can be given, but is it always accepted? Not by a longshot. Sometimes, we read the advice of other writers with a shield in front of us. The attitude can be Go ahead, teach me something I don't already know. At other times, we're wide open to any advice given. We want to soak it up like water in a sponge. 

I've been skimming through the book again looking at the advice the writers offered. I consider it a gift to us, the writer-readers. I'm not going to quote from the book but have chosen bits and pieces of the advice that was given to share with you. Many of the writers repeated similar advice. I find that, when multiple people advise the same thing, I'd better pay attention.

Advice from other writers:

• Don't be afraid to share your work
• Join a writing group
• Write!
• Try different mediums of writing
• Never stop growing as a writer
• Find a special place to write that is your own
• Learn from your failures

Nearly every one of those pieces of advice has appeared in a blog post here at some time, and often more than once. The reason being that whatever that bit of suggestions for writers to heed is important enough to bear repetition. 

One of the reasons I especially liked this anthology for writer-readers is that it offers more than the stories, poems, and essays. The prompts are excellent help for writing exercises, and the advice is worth a great deal. These writers put in a nutshell what some need an entire book to explain. An additional plus is the short bio of each writer. 

The pieces of advice in this book and on this blog are simple things. Nothing so technical or intricate that others scratch their heads when they read them. Do all those little things, and you'll be on top of your game. 

A Book For Writers and A Website, Too!

Today, I'd like to feature a book I read, cover to cover, last evening. The Write Spot:  Reflections is the third in a series of books meant to help writers and wannabe writers. In the introduction, editor Marlene Cullen, says:

    "If you want to write and don't know how to get started, this book is for you.  

    If you are a writer and feeling stuck, this book is for you.

    If you like reading a variety of writing for enjoyment, this book is for you."

The book is a collection of short stories, poems and vignettes to entertain but also to inspire writing. Each contributor includes a short bio and a few paragraphs on Why I Write after their writing contributions. I found some illuminating statements in the Why I Write sections. I also found so a great deal to enjoy in the offerings of the different authors.

At the end of each contributed story, poem or vignette, the prompt the writer used is given. The editor, Marlene Cullen, has a blog filled with prompts. She also uses prompts and freewriting in her writing workshops which she teaches in California. I would love to live close enough to attend. Even halfway across the country, I can benefit from the prompts on the blog. I found that reading the piece in the book and then the prompt was sometimes an 'aha' moment. Also a learning moment. I found myself thinking many times Look where this writer went with a simple little prompt. I thought about using the same prompts as the authors in the book had done for my own writing exercises. I think it would benefit any writer or wannabe writer to use the prompts for inspiration. 

Even non-writers, those who are readers only, would find some enjoyment in the variety of offerings in this book. If you're looking for inspiration to write, try this book.

I would also urge you to take a look at Marlene Cullen's website to learn more about her and to take advantage of the prompts she offers daily as well as a wonderful resource page where she lists blogs for writers (yours truly included), websites for writers and places to submit your writing. A true treasure trove for writers. 

The first two books in the series are:

  The Write Spot To Jumpstart Your Writing:  Discoveries

  The Write Spot To Jumpstart Your Writing:  Connections

   

   

Guest Blogger: Marlene Cullen, The Writing Prompt Queen

Marlene Cullen

 I have a new writer friend who gives various prompts to help writers get some inspiration to write. I have dubbed her The Writing Prompt Queen. She has also edited three anthologies for writers about writing. See links in Marlene's guest post today. 

Ways To Heal When Writing

You can use the difficulties in your life and represent them in your writing.  Describe the difficulties as if writing a scene in a novel.

Look at your situation from a different point of view – from that of a character in a story.

Take A Break
When your writing becomes too difficult, stop. Take a break. Go for a walk. Treat yourself to a glass of iced tea or hot apple cider. Wash your hands with special scented soap. Do something physical to relax your mind.

Use a focal point as a reminder to relax and breathe deeply. A focal point is anything you like to look at: in your home, your writing environment, or outside.

Have A Plan
Have a plan for when you are feeling overwhelmed and need relief from emotional tension while you are writing.

Prepare a healthy snack before you begin to write. When the writing gets difficult, take a few minutes to nurture yourself, whether it’s food, a soothing drink, or a visual treat. Look at a pleasant picture or a memento that has good memories for you, or get physical. Go for a walk,  stretch, move around.

Empowering

Writing is a type of self-care that can be very empowering. Writing about emotional situations gives you some control in your present situation and new ways to look at past experiences, where you didn’t have control.

Use your writing to heal, being careful to not re-traumatize yourself.  You might benefit from the healing potential of telling your story.

Practice writing about your past without letting it overwhelm you.

“If we write about our pain, we heal gradually, instead of feeling powerless and confused, and we move to a position of wisdom and power.” — Writing As A Way of Healing by Louise DeSalvo

Links to healing through writing on The Write Spot Blog:

How to write without adding trauma.
The Healing Power of Images Prompt #139
Does your heart hurt? Prompt #269

BIO:  Growing up in the Mission District of San Francisco offers a treasure chest of stories for Marlene Cullen to write about. Living in the same Sonoma County farmhouse with her husband since 1977 and raising three wonderful children on this rural property provides a rich bounty of cherished and tender memories to choose from and turn into stories.

Marlene is the editor of The Write Spot series:  The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries, The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Connections, The Write Spot: Reflections. These anthologies include entertaining vignettes and writing prompts. Every contributor offers encouragement to writers to keep writing.  Each volume has a resource section, guiding readers to become writers.

Marlene’s blog, The Write Spot Blog, features over 400 writing prompts, places to submit writing, encouragement to write, and techniques to improve writing.

Marlene's short stories and essays have been published in literary journals, anthologies, and newspapers.

The Write Spot