VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

I teach writing for my local college's continuing educational program. I love meeting with beginning writers each week and sharing the basics. However, I'm always surprised to find many of them haven't even sat down to write the story building inside them or at least log the ideas they have for story lines. So my advice to you today if you want to start down the road of becoming a writer...The Time to Start Writing is Now! Some Idea Starters For beginning writers (and something I learned when I studied at the Institute of Children's Literature), I have found using visual aids to spark an idea is always a great way to begin the process of writing. You can do this to draft an actually short story or book for submission to just using it as a writing exercise.  Study the pictures I have below or pick one of your own from a magazine, old photo album, etc. Study the pictures and select one that appeals to you most.  Also, keep in mind your target readership with pi...

 Read everything! You're bound to get ideas from the most unlikely of areas/sources. Write about things that matter to you. If the passion is missing, the writing won't be any good, so make it count. Write whenever you get the chance. Got a spare minute? Write a poem or thought! It keeps you in practice and gets the creative juices flowing. Be clear in what you're trying to say. Floral language is more likely to put people off reading your work than clear, concise language. Put your idea on paper before you begin to write. A quick outline or a couple of bullet points are useful as they help to keep the piece on track. Don't edit as you write; do it after the piece you're writing is finished. Stopping to edit interrupts the flow of your thoughts. Become familiar with writing styles. For certain publications, editors may ask you for references in your work. A working knowledge of APA, MLA, AP and Chicago styles is always an advantage. R...