A Word Game to Creativity

A word game to creativity is one more tool to stop writer's block, eliminate boredom and stir-up inspiration. Schedule time to design a word game for your needs. Sparks from the word game ignites new writing ideas, or expose writing ideas with a twist. 

1. Lines and stanzas arise from the game.

2. Opening scenes of fiction come-out to play. 

3. Non-fiction forwards writing ideas too.

Read-over how the game is played. Find a comfortable place. Take a deep breath. Relax. This is a writing session. Give yourself, at least, a couple of hours to work with it. This is your time. Re-arrange it to fit you. Let's start.

1. Think of a word.

2. It can be any word from your surroundings or mind.

3. Pick a word from a project.

I picked the word, for example, red. What comes to mind when you think of red? Say it out-loud. Write down what leaps to mind. Give it a few moments. Choose another word if the first isn't producing results. We'll return to the word red. The word works with most words well. Repeat the last sentence five times, just a moment of humor. We must go back to the writing session. 

1. Red hair.

2. Red dress.

3. Grave Street House's painted red fence.

It's a good idea to write down ten words. It saves time. The words not used today are saved for your convenience. "Grave Street House" became the title of my novel. You never know what path a single word will lead you to. 

1. Focus on words that team well with any word, every word.

2. You may prefer a news story or stanza.

3. The subject of most interest?

Knead words from your "happy" place, the race or simple lace. Reach far and wide to capture the right word. This is the meaning of a word game to creativity. It's using big words, insightful words and words  on their way to the next level. 

1. Challenge yourself.

2. A word from last year's project holds promise.

3. Curve words from an essay or your essay.

A word game to creativity offers benefits that can only be discovered from working with it. One or two sessions may or may not produce desired results. Custom fit it to you and your goals. No one else knows what's best for you.

1. Use a line instead of a word.

2. A trending topic is interesting.

3. Call-up a word from your last read.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time is a free writing path to crank-up your creative flow. It's one more method of keeping writing ideas available while writer's block is trashing other people's muses. It prepares you to become comfortable and ready to create. How can the four words help you?  

1. Write about a problem(s).
2. Plant lines of poetry.
3. Select any situation or news story.

A suggestion is to pick a problem that's nagging at you. Is there an issue bothering you? Often, writing offers clarity. I, for example, used the four words when writing about a situation at a previous job. I thought they were random scribbling, venting, but they spun into more.

1. It was therapeutic.
2. The sharing of it helped others.
3. My novel was a result.

You may have experienced a problem that could help others too. First, you must come to terms with it. There's no better way than writing it down. Set it aside. Re-read it.

1. Flush-out your feelings about it.
2. It could take awhile, depends on you.
3. Write an article, book or poem.

Once upon a time has no limits on where to go with it. Custom fit it to your circumstances. It's all right to laugh or cry at your words It's the process' way of bringing you through the issue(s), from my experiences. An issue can become too difficult for the moment. Stop. Return the next day. Start slowly.

1. Once upon a time, I lost a job.
2. ...my family's secret cake recipe disappeared.
3...a pet rang the door-bell.

It makes no difference what words pin-points your journey. There's no rush to finish. Remember, it's a healing process too. Put aside your "critic voice." Walk through the process at your own pace. Some days will be easier than others.

1. Write down a problem or issue.
2. Work on it until you can't.
3. Come-back tomorrow.

I've written down an issue or problem and was surprised at my reaction. I took my time looking it over. "I said that?" I asked out-loud. An appreciation for the other person's point-of-view dawned after reading how circumstances happened.

1. Everyone makes mistakes.
2. Own them.
3. Do better.

The writing path of once upon a time can be applied to fiction, non-fiction and poems. Use the process in your life where it's most needed. It spins into your starting point. Also, it has a place across all segments of life.

1. It helps with everyday problems and issues.
2. Poems are carved too.
3. Novels arrive through the process.

Effective Dialogue Use in Fiction

Effective dialogue use in fiction inspires laughter, shock, sadness and hope. It tips in to uncover surprises while nudging curiosity. Dialogue is a writer's tool to get familiar and comfortable with. There's no limit to where you can take the tool.

1. Effective dialogue rises out of practice.

2. Listen to people's speech patterns.

3. Dialogue well written can push you to the next level.

Conversations in fiction mimic actual speech. Otherwise, it'd be boring and too long. Most people have functions and activities in their lives. They'll cut-back on what's not necessary. Fiction mirrors human behavior. The following is an observed conversation at Walmart. 

"Mack, is that you?" A young man in a business suit stared at an acquaintance. "I didn't know you shopped."

"Yeah, just picking up what my wife forgot."

I'm here to get food, fridge's empty."

The two laughed as Mack paid for his groceries. 

Dialogue is a spin-off of conversation. Speech patterns tend to differ when you go to a specific city, town or country. Select a character's pattern of speech as it pertains to your fiction. Look at the above Walmart conversation in my fiction.

"Bill?" Tony furrowed his eye-brows. "You shop?"

"Not if I don't have to, wife forgot some stuff." He shifted his weight. "She had to work, so." Bill pointed at his jars of olives, instant coffee and grape jelly.

"My fridge's empty." Tony looked at his cart of frozen pizza, chips and dips.

"Got a question for you, wait outside." Bill grabbed his bag and headed to the door.

"Know nothin' 'bout who ya're wife...

Each writer stirs words together as he/she feels is suitable for the story-line. The key is to zero in on speech patterns that tug at your creative flow. Study them. Practice writing effective dialogue use in fiction. Show-case your twist on people, places and the sky. Ask questions. Don't stop asking questions until the character(s) you're creating resembles "that person" or a person. Questions to begin asking follows.

1. How will your character wear an accent?

2. What words are his/her "own?"

3. Who will say, ya instead of you?

Schedule time to observe people. Think about effective dialogue use in fiction when at the mall, making a call or enjoying Fall. Try looking at everyday activities from a new perspective. Don't forget to turn writing ideas upside down.

1. Jot down over-heard conversations at the mall. 

2. A writing idea can dawn during a call.

3. Grab Fall inspirations for later.

One more idea on dialogue is about family time. They're treasure chests of possibilities. People from various generations have unique accents and speech patterns. Mix-and-match accents are ideas to consider.

1. Write down observations.

2. Be careful not to hurt anyone on purpose.

3. Don't be afraid to experiment.