VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Do you keep or have you kept a journal or diary? If so, you probably already know some of the benefits of journaling because you've experienced them. You know that your journal helps you make sense of the senseless side of your life. A journal can be an emotional lifesaver when you go through a hard time. But did you know that scientists believe journaling can even keep you physically healthy? The release of pent-up emotions you pour into your journal every day actually helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and asthma, and strengthens your immune system. This really makes sense if you consider that much illness is exacerbated by stress, and a journal is one of the best stress reducers out there. Journaling gives you a record of your emotional growth like no other. While it can be useful at times to be able to look back and see just when your neighbor moved in or when you started suffering from headaches, the intangible changes in you can be even more fascinating to look back...

You're sitting at your desk, staring at a blank sheet of paper or a blank word document on the computer screen. You actually want to write, but just can't bring yourself to it. You have no clue what to do with your characters next, and they don't seem eager to tell you. Or perhaps you have a deadline, but you're aimlessly typing random letters on the page, none of which seem to make sense, and you're getting more and more frustrated as every minute passes. That deadline that you have in two weeks seems to be coming round very quickly and, at this rate there is no way you are going to make it! Whether you are experiencing this for the first time or for the hundredth time and you're at a loss as to what you should do, don't despair. You can consider yourself as having a case of writer's block or being stuck in a rut; it can and does happen even if you haven't been neglecting your work. Other writers experience this too. Your muse needs to ...

It's said that a problem or premise can be viewed from two distinctive points of view -- the observer viewpoint and the merged viewpoint. Today's creativity method focuses on the second viewpoint. The merged viewpoint occurs when you become the object of the observation. You become the subject of your observation, and you observe from the point of view of your subject. This is referred to as projective identification. Projective identification can be purely fantasy: What's it like to be a potato about to become French fries? How does it feel like to be a gum stuck in a shoe? Imagine what it's like to be an ink cartridge. Or it can be empathetic: Seeing the situation through a laborer's eyes Getting inside the skin of an AIDS victim Being in the shoes of a chronically depressed person For your creative activity today, write 2 short texts (100-200 words) using projective identification for the following: Fantasy: What's it like to be a pict...

Journaling Topics -- They're All Around You! Do you ever sit down with your journal and find yourself fresh out of ideas to write about? Virtually anything can be a journaling topic. If you are finding it hard to think of something to write about, here are some ideas that might get those creative juices flowing for you. Pithy sayings A never-ending source of ideas to write about are the wise words of others. You can find these statements anywhere. If you read the Bible or other inspirational literature every day, choose a statement, paragraph, or thought from your day's reading, and expound on it. What does it mean to you? How could you apply it in your own life? What changes might be required? What improvements might you see in your own situation if you applied the wisdom in the pithy saying to your own choices?   Nature Are you near a window? A view to the outdoors can provide a myriad of writing possibilities. Even if all you can see is the sky, look for words ...

If you've ever struggled in coming up with creative ideas, welcome to the club. For most writers, discovering new writing projects involves conscious pursuit of their thought trails. But where do we start on our quest for inspiration? Here are a few places you can find new ideas for writing. 1. The world around you. Just like a photographer, you must start looking at life through your own personal lens. You will get a tremendous amount of writing material if you start filtering your own experiences. Soon you will start noticing ideas everywhere around you. Very often the muse will come at strange times and from unusual sources, so be prepared. The world is full of surprises that can materialize in your next book or article. 2. Writers' associations and networks. If you are a professional writer, you probably belong to an association or writer's group. Generating new ideas will feel much easier after meeting other members or attending writing workshops and conferences. Y...

Join Host Virginia S Grenier on the World of Ink Network Mondays for the Author Spotlight show on October 3, 2016 at 8pm EST - 7pm CST - 6pm MST - 5pm PST. The Author Spotlight show brings readers debut, best-selling, award-winning authors every Monday. Host Virginia S Grenier will not only talk to our guest author about their recently released books but also what the inspiration is behind the book and much more. Our Guest This Week Will Be: Mona Haynes who is a wife, mother and grandmother! She has over 25 years experience in early childhood development. Mona enjoys working in the ministry with her husband who is a pastor. She loves her family and friends three dots. You can learn more about Mona Haynes at http://www.halopublishing.com/3f-h/mona-haynes.html 10/03/2016 06:00 PM http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2016/10/04/world-of-ink-author-spotlight-with-mona-haynes Today's sponsor: Halo Publishing, Int. Learn more at http://www.halopublishing.c...

World of Ink Network is happy to announce their debut show Sunday Reads. It will air every Sunday at 8pm Eastern. Join Host Virginia S Grenier on the World of Ink Network Sunday for the Sunday Reads show on October 2, 2016 at 8pm EST - 7pm CST - 6pm MST - 5pm PST. Sunday Reads is a live book review show every Sunday with Host Virginia S Grenier. She will share her thoughts on the books she is currently reading, as well as, touch on literacy. Authors, publishers and experts in the field of literacy may guest on the show. Grenier will also share an information or tips to help build better readers in our homes and community. 10/02/2016 06:00 PM http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2016/10/03/sunday-reads-on-the-world-of-ink-network Be sure to follow us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter. Also, look for all our World of Ink Network hosts on Facebook and Twitter. The World Of Ink Network has endeavored to create radio shows geared toward excellence in the reading/p...

When I started this blog in 2010, it was a way for me to get myself back into writing after having my daughter and closing Stories for Children Magazine after a successful run. I did a lot of different type of blog posts and then I got busy with other things and didn't keep up with blogging the way I had when I first started out. Fast forward to six years later and I'm coming back to the basics of what this blog is about with a few new twists.  Frist, I'm a mom. I love being a mom and I love doing things (even crazy things) with my kids. My two girls are starting to get into YouTube and are making videos, which I produce for them. So you may catch one of their videos on my blog from time to time. Second, I'm an author. I love to write books for kids and teens. I may one day try my hand at adult novels, but for now, I'm writing what makes me happy. I'm working on a few different stories and it is tough to find the time to write, but I'm making that ti...

Welcome to the Featured World of Ink Network here on BlogTalkRadio. The World of Ink Network brings you shows each week on topics such as books, writing, author interviews, self-help and much more. Join the discussion Friday, September 2nd when Host Virginia S Grenier chats with picture book author "K" Stone about family Christmas traditions and her latest picture book, "Santa's Secret Wish." The call in number is (714) 242-5259 You can listen to the show on September 2nd at 12 noon Eastern - 11 am Central - 10 am Mountain - 9am Pacific or on demand once the show airs live. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2016/09/02/woi-author-interview-special-picture-book-author-k-stone "K" Stone has a background in early elementary and middle school education and is a teacher of young minds. Stone was awarded 1996 Teach of the Year from Chesapeake Public Schools. She strives to strengthen families by sharing fun practices that will i...

Serious readers routinely look up any words they do not know. But there are also “intuitive” readers, who figure out a word just by reading the context in which the word is used and look up its meaning to fully grasp the writer’s meaning. I've heard some call this wishful thinking and the GrammarBook.com recently posted on this exact topic. Here is what they shared. The three examples below are sentences you might find in print or online. Each contains a possibly unfamiliar word which, if misinterpreted, sabotages the meaning of the sentence. • On a blistering August morning we came upon a 1960 Buick coruscating in the sun . Understanding coruscating is the key to understanding the sentence. The Intuitive Reader ponders the word, with its echoes of corrosion and rust , and concludes that the car was falling apart. A reader’s first impressions matter, and this reader now is picturing a broken-down old wreck. But coruscating means “sparkling.” In fact, the car in the tale ...