Helping a Busy Kid, Mom Style

Yesterday my husband and I did the unthinkable. We cleaned our teen son's room while he is away at camp. I'm not talking about running the vacuum and folding clothes. No, this was a complete overhaul.

Were we bored? Are we crazy? Snooping around? None of the above. The idea came from a video my husband shared with me on Facebook a while back. The point was that sometimes we forget how busy our kids really are.

This came just after I was ready to freak out about his dirty room-again. Can it really be that hard to just stick your socks in a drawer? Maybe put dirty clothes in the hamper instead of on the floor next to the hamper? The answer is yes, kinda.

This also came after he forgot to close the garage door, twice; left a competition permission slip on his desk that he never asked us to sign and missed the competition; broke his second tennis racket of the year; failed a chemistry test, and didn't see/forward the email about his tuition being due.

I was at my wits end and obviously keeping a mental tally of all the things he was doing wrong.

The video got me thinking about the activities he is balancing and what I was doing at his age. 

• I was in the band, so I spent time marching and practicing. I took regular classes at school, hung out with friends a lot and worked part-time at a fast food joint. I had a treacherously messy room. Mom used to go in with a box, scoop clothes off the floor and ground me from them. Sometimes I didn't even notice they were gone.

• He is taking advanced classes at the high school and a few starter courses at the college. He volunteered over 200 hours last year. Tennis practice or his part time job take his time after school. He is the president of a school club, so that takes time and so do student government and honor society commitments. If his '72 Ford, which he is resorting himself, clunks out then he has to spend time on that. (At his age I didn't even know you had to change the oil on a car.) Homework needs to be done at some point and so does hanging out with friends or just relaxing on his own for a bit.

Looking at the 'room situation' through the lenses of priority and time, I can see how cleaning his room takes a back seat. Knowing this, I still don't plan to back off, but I will help a little more.

And that is why hubby and I decided to clean his room for him. 

We moved all the furniture, vacuumed behind everything, cleaned the floorboards even. The desk and the dresser got moved to opposite sides of the room and we took out a shelving unit he was basically using as a dumping ground-which drove me nuts because it was his library! (The books were rescued and moved to the main library in our house.)

There are now sections for tennis stuff, work/auto clothes stuff and his volunteering program stuff. We took out a laundry basket full of clothes for Goodwill and a whole trash bag of, well, trash.

Mikers made an appearance. Mikers is the old stuffed doggy toy his Nana gave him. Poor thing is matted, but well loved. We placed him in the under-the-bed storage along with a few other keepsakes.

We sorted his school stuff and when put altogether, we discovered he does not need any new supplies. We found the missing piece to a toy we are trying to sell, about ten Nerf darts, an old, rusty car part, and three months worth of unused contacts (old prescription). He'd received a tennis medal I knew nothing about. The book he swore he could not find-yeah, on his bookshelf. How many half-used, expired tubes of sunblock can one person have? Five. That's like $60 in sunblock!

The desk is clean for the first time in forever.
He just has to go through the stack of notes he
saved from his last classes.

It took a few hours of teamwork to get this done. I can only imagine how long it would take a teenager not too motivated to clean to get the job done. At one point I started to worry he would be upset to find things moved or given away. Really though, I think he will be relieved to have a fresh start. Just because it is summer does not mean he's not got a lot on his plate.

Now I have to refresh my understanding of his stress levels. As a busy mom of a busy kid, I tend to forget he is still learning how to manage his time-and common sense.

I will help with his laundry. I will fold the clothes. (He has to match the socks. I just can't stand doing it.)

I will remind him to add dates to the family calendar. I can show him, again, ways to keep his school work organized. 

I will remember to tell him I love him and I am proud of him.

I may even help him clean his room again.

But, I will not clean his bathroom!

Be a Better Beta Reader Series: Nana Lovesitall and the rest of the Gang

One of my favorite things about being a writer is being part of a critique group. I love having a circle of people I can trust to set me straight when I’ve gone astray and pat me on the back on the rare occasion when it’s warranted.

As anyone who has participated in a critique group knows, you sometimes run into some interesting characters, and not all of them are equally beneficial to the writing process. Here are some of the characters I’ve come across (or have occasionally been … oops!) in the last few years and some thoughts on how to make the most of their feedback.

Let me be clear before I launch into discussing some of the less-than-stellar characters who you might find in a group -- I adore my critique partners and they have improved my writing ten-fold. These characters are stereotypes based on minor aspects of multiple people, including myself. None are digs at any one person.

*****

CHARACTER: Nana Lovesitall

Just look at that sweet face!

QUOTE: “You are the best writer! Really, sweetheart, this was the best story. I wouldn’t change a thing. You’re just amazing.”

DRAWBACKS: Nana rarely has any suggested changes to discuss, but she’s very enthusiastic and kind. Most of us want to believe that we’re doing a good job. It can be easy to ignore valuable (but maybe not so positive) critiques from other partners if there’s someone telling you that everything is perfect just the way it is. Unfortunately, even Nana’s praise falls short because it’s generally vague and generic.

BENEFITS: Everyone needs a cheerleader!

THE TRICK: To get the most from Nana’s critiques, compare them to the overall response of the whole group. If it seems like Nana is the only one who doesn’t have a problem, put her critique in a safe place and pull it out to soothe your bruised ego AFTER you’ve tackled the problems the other group members have pointed out.

*****

CHARACTER: One-note Willy

QUOTE: “I know I bring this up a lot, but I’d like to discuss your choice of setting for this story…”

DRAWBACKS: Willy seems to have tunnel vision when critiquing. I’ve known a few Willies. One could only talk about the length of the sentences within each story and their effect on the reading level of the piece. Another can’t avoid pointing out passive verbs. (Okay, that last one is me. When I am rushing, that’s pretty much all I see.)

BENEFITS: Through virtue of sheer repetition, One-note Willy generally knows what he’s talking about … when it comes to that one thing.

THE TRICK: I suspect that there is an element of Willy in all readers. We all have that one error that just leaps off the page at us. If you know which of your critique partners is most apt to notice repetition (or POV issues or plot holes or sloppy grammar) then you know which person to go to when you need help with that particular problem.

*****

CHARACTER: Bob the Bully

A total jerk.

QUOTE: “This is the worst description of a character I’ve ever read. You must not be very smart if that’s how you think people talk. Don’t quit your day job.”

DRAWBACKS: Bob is a jerk. His comments consist of personal attacks and unnecessarily aggressive opinions. Obviously, it’s hurtful to hear abusive comments. Even when you cognitively recognize that they are inappropriate and unhelpful, it’s difficult to avoid internalizing them.

BENEFITS: It’s good practice for when you’re a famous author and critics are tearing you apart in the New York Times?

THE TRICK: Honestly, it’s hard to deal with Bob. Best case, the rest of your group sticks up for you and he gets ousted. Worst case, you identify him as a bully and use his critiques to line the birdcage.

*****

*sigh*

CHARACTER: Sensitive Sally

QUOTE: “Ohhh, I had to stop reading your story after the first page. It was so violent!”

DRAWBACKS: Sally has a hard time with violence. And profanity. And sex. And soooo many other things you wonder how she manages to live in this modern world. Unfortunately, conflict has to come from somewhere and often that means anger, violence or sex, not necessarily in that order. If Sally can’t read your story, she can’t give you feedback. Worrying about what Sally will think might even cause you to self-censor.

BENEFITS: There are Sensitive Sallies out in the real world. If you want to end up on a best-sellers list, you’re going to have to understand a wide audience. Sally can give you perspective you might not have for yourself.

THE TRICK: Keep in mind that what Sally chooses to read or not read has no influence on what you must write or not write.

*****

Honestly, I can forgive this lady
for not reading my submission!

CHARACTER: Skimming Kimmy

QUOTE: “Sorry I’m late! The traffic was horrible and I’ve had SUCH a busy week!”

DRAWBACKS: Kimmy is too busy to read the submissions and it shows in her generic feedback. Generic feedback is not helpful.

BENEFITS: I’ve been thinking about this for some time and I just don’t see a benefit to this kind of beta-reader. I guess maybe, like Silent Sam below, you don’t have to feel bad if you run out of time before you critique her submission.

THE TRICK: Don’t expect much. Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised one day? I dunno. These folks eventually stop coming to the group.

*****

CHARACTER: Silent Sam

QUOTE: “ … “

DRAWBACKS: Sam is really only in the group because he needs beta readers for his own work. He might make a couple of half-hearted notes on your story, but usually doesn’t have much to say. It can be frustrating to put time and effort into critiquing someone else’s work knowing that they aren’t going to return the favor.

BENEFITS: When you’re running short on time, you don’t have to feel bad about skipping Sam’s stuff.

THE TRICK: All of the groups I’ve been in have had rules about this kind of thing. Silent Sams tend to weed themselves out of the group once they realize they won’t be allowed to submit if they aren’t going to reciprocate. Make sure your group has clearly established participation expectations.

*****

CHARACTER: Tammy the Former Teacher 

"So, you see ... "

(yes, I used to be a teacher ... why do you ask?)

QUOTE: *launches into 10 minute explanation of the difference between there and they’re because you made a typo.*

DRAWBACKS: Tammy treats everyone as though they’ve only just learned to hold a pencil. She assumes that all mistakes come from lack of understanding and she’s hell-bent on helping everyone learn. She tends to drone on and each time a new member joins, you’ll get to hear the same old lectures all over again.

BENEFITS: Sometimes Tammy manages to share information you don’t already know. Learning is good! Also, you can get some writing in while she’s talking … and talking … and talking.

THE TRICK: It’s helpful to have a timer going during critiques to keep everyone, not just Tammy, from rambling on too long. Most of the time when I come across a Tammy, I just make strong eye contact, smile and nod, and thank her for her information. She means well.

*****

Soooo clueless.

CHARACTER: Clueless Clyde

QUOTE: “Wait … so Biscuit was the dog? Ooooohhhh. I totally didn’t get that.”

DRAWBACKS: Clyde gives such inane feedback and so clearly has missed the whole point of your story that you end up biting holes in your tongue to keep from shouting “Of course Biscuit is the dog, you ninny! The whole story hinges around this dog!”

BENEFITS: Sadly, there are a lot of Clueless Clydes in the world. The Clyde in your group can help you identify the scenes they are likely to misunderstand or the plot points they are going to miss.

THE TRICK: Like a canary in a coal mine, Clyde can give early warning that something isn’t working for your readers. Also like a canary, you don’t want to rely too strongly on Clyde’s advice for much else. He’s not going to have good suggestions on how to develop your main character, Biscuit, if he thought she was the daughter of the divorcing couple instead of their dog.

*****

Do you recognize some of your critique partners in the characters I’ve described? Do you recognize yourself? Have I missed a character you interact with regularly? Tell me about them in the comments! 

Sunshine Blogger Nominations-Who Is In?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are inspiring and bring sunshine into the lives of their readers and fellow bloggers through their blogspace and/or their social media.

This week I had the honor of being nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by my writing group member and fellow MCC contributor, Solange Hommel.

How does the Sunshine Blogger Award work? It’s pretty simple, really. 

• Name drop and link to the blog of the person who nominated you.
• Answer the eleven questions from the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate up to eleven wonderful bloggers and write (or borrow/steal) eleven questions for them to answer.

Here are my answers to Solange's questions:

What do you snack on while you’re writing? I try, I really do, to stay away from the sweets while I am writing. But alas, I am weak. Typically I go for candy-preferably peanut butter M&M's-or crackers. Both are no-nos because they make me gain weight, so I am trying to be smart and not have bad stuff in the house. I'm also making it a goal to work out more and to not sit at the computer for such long stretches of time. My current go-to snacks are nuts, lots of green tea and coffee (minus the creamer) and left overs.  

What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting? We have a space in the house we call the library because it holds an awesome armoire we found to hold all our books. The room also has a couch, a few chairs and an ottoman, and a coffee table. Plenty of natural light comes in all day which I know it better for our brains. I can take a quick, cheap coffee break and sometimes even get a load of laundry done as I write. Most important though is the room's position at the front of the house. No one passes through and if anyone joins me it is because they have work to do as well. Confession-I can visit this spot as often as I like, yet I tend not to use it as often as I should. (I'm currently on one of the chairs by the window with my laptop on my knees because my son took over the couch and coffee table for his work in his first college course. Snack provided-a fruit smoothy with broccoli stem trims left from dinner and Bulgarian yogurt.)

What is that one weird trick you can do? I can pick up things with my toes. You know how it is when your USB drive drops just behind the couch and it is easier to stick your foot back there than move the whole couch? Yeah, I can handle that. My husband thinks it's gross. 

Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing. Is this a trick question, Soli? I'm proud of each for different reasons, I guess. Torrent because it was my first and I got my favorite lit agency to take a look at the first 30 pages; The Ragnarok Recurrence because it was my second and I felt like I knew more about what the heck I was doing; and The Children of Muspell because it was my first short story attempt and it placed in a competition on Chanillo.

Which clique did you hang out with in high school? If you could go back, would you hang out with the same crowd or choose different friends? Now I have to decide just how honest I want to be. Jeez, might as well go for it. I had a strong group of friends in high school. I am still friends with many of them today. My besties have been with my since early grade school. Truthfully, we were an eclectic mix. Band nerds, stoners, academics-but none of us were really committed to any of it. We sort of drifted when we were in those separate groups, but flourished when we were together. Now the really honest bit. Looking back at what we did and who we each became, I am not sure I would surround myself with ALL the same people. Could I have picked more driven people? Yes. Could I have picked those who would have been more loyal? Yes. Should I have listened to the advice they gave. Not always. The thing is, these people shaped me. Our shared laughter, tears, frights, and fights made me who I was at the time. Now I recognize who was best for me and who was not.

How have you improved the world during your lifetime? I teach gifted students to know who they are and how to manage their talents. My world improvement plan is long term with the rewards to come in about 20 years when these kids grow up to make the next big innovations and discoveries.

Teleportation. Would you do it? Why or why not? With the tech we have right now (and I know someone is working on it!), definitely no. I am simply not that trusting. Once the method is perfected, then yes, I think I would. I love to travel, but I don't like the actual go-from-here-to-there part of it. If I could skip the middle man and jump from one destination to another, I would teleport. Part of me is thinking of the whole molecular puzzle I would become. That does freak me out. So, whoever out there is working on this, please try something that only bends space and time, not our bodies.

What is your favorite stupid joke? Why did the boy throw the clock out the window?  He wanted to see time fly. (Oh, so corny!)

What charitable organization do you think more people should support? I don't have a specific charity in mind, but I'd like to see more support for the homeless in America; especially homeless veterans. Why is it the populace and the government are more willing to send aid to other countries than to work towards helping our own citizens? My friend's husband recently went through training to become a deacon. Part of his training was to spend the weekend as a homeless man in downtown Austin. The point was to learn empathy and to look at a situation from all sides. I try to do the same when I see a person in need, yet I am not sure how to help.

What is one topic you would never be able to write about? Why? Politics. It is a huge turn off for me. I'm not interested, therefore I do not know enough about it to write from multiple view points or to come up with some interesting angle.

Name three things that are always in your fridge. 1) Milk; we buy the grocery store brand because it is lactose free, and has less sugar and more protein than regular milk. Also, it tastes better than other lactose free milks. We have been experimenting with almond milk and coconut milk. 2) Eggs; I'm not particular on the brand. I look for the best price. They do have to be from cage free hens raised without antibiotics and hormones (same goes for our meat). Ideally, the hens would be farm raised/free range. Sometimes I can get eggs from our friends who keep chickens. 3) Sandwich meat; I try to get the least processed meat I can, but the cost is prohibitive. I've settled on Butterball's natural turkey slices. They make an easy grab-and-go protein snack and for the hungrier of us in the house, the slices are there for a quick sandwich. 

Now I get to nominate others whose blogs and social media spread good vibes:

J. Rae Moore is a friend to me in many ways. She taught me about being a mother of gifted kids, how to maintain a positive attitude and more about writing than I can list. She is a member of my writing group and will be a contributor to this blog.

Amanda Noddings does a great job sharing inspirational messages about obtaining your goals. We met in high school (in band), but thanks to her media I know her much better now than I ever did back then.

I don't know her, but Katy on Gone Paleo... with the Occasional Faileo makes me laugh. I came across her site while looking for Paleo recipes.

Nat Russo is the author of the Mukhtaar Chronicles, a series of fantasy novels. He keeps a blog of writer tips. I've borrowed a lot of his ideas for beta-reading.

Brad P. Christy is another author friend of mine. His current blog combines his love of horror movies and wine. 

I met Nikki Loftkin at my first Writers' League of Texas conference and I kept bumping into her because of commonalities like gifted education, writing for YA and living in the same general area.

This guy, Gary McDaniel III, impressed me with his blog. I guess that's because he is young and taking on so much-and he has unique ideas. And he kinda reminds me of my students.

I like the blog Pub Rants maintained by agent Kristin Nelson because she teaches and tells it like it is. This is my top pick agency.

Ginny Isbelle is funny and one of the high school friends I am so glad to still be in contact with. Catch one of her stand-up comedy appearances in Spokane. I follow her on Facebook and now challenge her to spread her humor to more people.

My questions for these folks are:

1. What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting?
2. If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?
4. Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper?
5. When you were ten, what did you want to be when you grew up?
6. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
7. How would you describe the color yellow to somebody who is blind?
8. Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing.
9. Who has impressed you lately?
10. Which is more believable-dragons or fairies?
11. What is your best family moment?

Prompting Ideas, pt 2

Last week, I wrote about the different kinds of prompts that I use to inspire my writing. This week, I want to talk about the "Story Starter" rut. It's easy to fall into the habit of using prompts to start a writing project. I want to explore some of the other ways prompts can help us grow as writers.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to use prompts to start my story. It’s just that writing prompts are about so much more than that! Here are a few of the ways I use prompts to improve my writing skills and practices:

* * * * *

Discipline

My writing routine is continuously challenged. I am a notorious procrastinator. Family obligations, appointments and the normal chaos of life often eat up my writing time, my motivation, or worse, my inspiration.

I’ve found that starting every day* with a fifteen minute writing prompt can help set the tone for your writing time. Then, on those days when the universe seems to conspire against me, at least I can say I wrote something!

*Full disclosure: This is much easier in theory than practice! I’ve yet to truly succeed at this, but I keep trying!

Story Elements

Prompts don’t always have to result in a whole story. Improvement comes from practice! (I talk more about my struggles with that here.) I like to start with a particular skill in mind—“This morning, I’m going to write strong dialogue.”—and then use a timed prompt to create a practice session for that skill. This can strengthen character development, world building, sensory description, vocabulary or any of the many different elements that go into creating amazing stories.

Sometimes, I use the same prompt to practice multiple story elements over time. Other times, I’ll focus on one element across several prompts. Bonus Fun: I can use the writing samples from my practice sessions to improve my revision skills! 

No More Spiders! (AKA the “But Why?” method)

Beginnings are easy for me, but my endings often feel as though they’re fizzling out like fireworks in a downpour. I am a huge Stephen King fan, and I’ve long often suspected that he knows my pain. “Uhmmm… I know! A giant spider attacks!”

I recently read an article about the many ways writing your ending first is helpful. I want to practice starting with the resolution of my story and working my way back to the beginning. I’m imaging it will feel a little like talking to a toddler:

“The princess returned to her castle, smarter and stronger.”
“But, why?”
“Because she defeated the evil wizard.”
“But, why?”
“Because he wanted to imprison all the fairies.”
“But, why?”

And so on … 

Flexibility

The best thing about prompts is that I can make them work for me. They can provide structure when my ideas are running wild, or they can force me to get crazy to break out of a rut. I’m a natural “pantser” (writing by the seat of my pants), so it’s good practice for me to use prompts that require me to develop a beginning, middle and end. I have friends who are excellent “plotters” (planning the whole story ahead of time). They benefit from prompts that force them to jump right into the writing. There are so many types of prompts available, I can always find one that’s perfect for any writing task.

Cooperative Writing

Prompts aren’t just for solo writing, either. I like to participate in parallel writing sessions with other writers. We work simultaneously on the same prompt and then share our finished products with one another. It’s fun to see what similarities and differences our passages contain. Knowing that everyone is using the same starting point challenges me to dig deeper instead of using my first cliched thought. 

* * * * *

I’m sure there are many ways to use writing prompts that I haven’t mentioned or even thought about. Leave a comment below to share how writing prompts have improved your writing.

How Cars Are Like Books and Why You Need to Know

Nearly three thousand miles, three University visits, four harrowing hours of my teen son driving us on various interstates, one accidental trip to the birthplace of Elvis, my first Segway tour, a 120,000 square foot antique car museum, seeing an electron microscope in action and a tour of the Tuscaloosa Mercedes plant. That was my week in a nutshell and what set me up for this post.

My son likes old cars, in fact he is fixing up a 1972 Ford LTD  and he plans to own his own car company some day. I'm quite proud of him for starting his vision process by getting to know the systems involved in the workings of a car.

I would equate his process of fixing the car himself to the self-publishing of books. In both cases, the 'maker' needs a plan for production. The maker needs to research parts and steps involved, recruit a mentor or expert for advice, and be ready to continue efforts to maintain the product.

If a guy working on his car is like self-publishing, then the Mercedes plant production process is like traditional book publishing.

The thing is, like cars, I don't have any personal experience with either publishing style. I could probably change a tire in an emergency by following the picture steps in the guide in my trunk just like I could probably hit the 'save as epub' button and post the file online. In both cases I would not be doing a quality job-in fact I would become more dangerous to myself. My son already admonished me for having a ten year old hunk of junk spare tire. See, I'm not even sure what tools are needed for cars or self-publishing. 

I figure there is a reason both industries (cars and books) are successful. There are already experts out there to help with both, so why should I muddle around on my own?

Still, it is prudent to know more about the publishing industry I plan to be a part of. I feel I've got the first steps down; write, edit, edit, edit, query, edit, sell to editor/publisher, edit, celebrate. The tour of the Mercedes plant inspired me to find out more about the actual book printing process.

After watching this video-which happily combines one of my favorite books with the production info I'm seeking-I have a greater appreciation for the engineering and ingenuity required for getting a book into the hands of readers.

Why do writers need to know about the various types of publishing? Because you cannot predict the future and you need to know your options.

Depending on how my upcoming query process goes, perhaps I'll change my mind about self-publishing. Maybe this is true for you as well.

It's important for me to remember self-publishing and epub are not one in the same. So, for the future me, I am listing a few resources to refer back to when, or if, the time comes and I need some help.

•  Picking a printer
• On-demand printing
• Traditional v. self pub
• Preparing for self publishing

How have you approached the question of how to publish your work?

Prompting Ideas, pt 1

I'm pretty sure the question most commonly asked of writers is "Where do you get your ideas?" This week, I want to talk about types of writing prompts. Next week, I will discuss ways to use prompts to improve your writing. My stories tend to be realistic fiction, which makes it easy to come up with ideas (they play out around me all day, every day), but much harder to make those ideas fresh and unique.

I've found that adding an element of randomness to my thinking allows my writer mind to jump to new places. I have all kinds of characters and settings swirling around in my own brain, but they're all doing the same old things they've always done. With writing prompts, I can push them to try new things.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to jump-start my creativity:

- - - - -

Story Cubes

As an elementary school teacher, I was a big fan of Rory's Story Cubes, published by Gamewright*. When I left the classroom, I kept my story cube collection to use with my own writing.

Each side of each cube has a unique image. I have the Original collection (nouns) and the Action collection (verbs). I usually roll 2 or 3 from each set.

If you'd rather have a bit more structure, you can roll a die specifically for each story element - protagonist, antagonist, setting, conflict, resolution, etc. Sometimes limiting the options forces your brain to get more creative.

Or, if you're the crafty type, check out this blog post on how to make your own story cubes!

- - - - -

Text a Friend

Sometimes when I'm stuck for ideas, I'll text friends and family. I ask each person for a different suggestion - "Mom, name an animal, please!" "Nikki, give me a place!" - and then compile their answers into a single storyline. Speaking from experience, it's a good idea to let your muses know what's going on the first time so you don't get several variations of "Huh?" as your responses.

- - - - -

Dixit/Mysterium cards

My husband and I recently started stealing cards from our Dixit and Mysterium games for inspiration. The artwork in these games is intentionally vague and chaotic. Dixit has more whimsical images, while Mysterium runs a little darker.

We pull three or four cards from each game. From this random selection, we individually create an outline for a story, either stringing together a beginning-middle-end combination or identifying a protagonist, antagonist/conflict, and resolution. Once we both have an idea, we go for a walk and discuss.

These cards inspired a story about a bookish girl with good
intentions who has to choose whether to remain among her elite
crowd or give up her life of leisure to join a real revolution.

- - - - -

Idea Generators

There is no shortage of random idea generators available thanks to the wonders of the world wide web. Here are just a few of the idea generators I've found:

• My personal favorites are the prompts embedded within DavidRM Software's The Journal**, and that’s not just because Writing Prompts 2 and 3 were created by my own Dear Hubby. This software has prompts for prose, poetry, journaling, memoir writing, and more which can be purchased as individual add-ons or in the Writer’s Edition pack.
• Always Write is the classroom webpage maintained by a Nevada writing teacher, Mr. Corbett Harrison, who implements writing notebooks as part of his curriculum. There's lots of interesting information here (makes me wish I still had a classroom so I could do this with my students!), including an idea generator.
• Springhole.net has a collection of random generators, many of which target specific genres (fantasy, sci-fi, fairy tale, romance, etc). I particularly like the ones that give suggestions on how to add a surprise or twist to your story. 
• Writing Exercises has generators for character, plot, dialogue, titles, and other story elements. It also has exercises to use to develop your skills with different elements of storytelling.
• WritersDigest.com has a prompt page with new prompts added regularly. Many of these provide a quick set-up and ask you to write the "and then ..." part.
• Reddit has a Writing Prompts section. As with anything on Reddit, YMMV and you should keep a careful eye out for troll holes.
• ThinkWritten.com has accumulated 365 writing prompts for your daily writing pleasure. These tend to be pretty basic and open-ended, allowing for maximum personalization.

- - - - - 

Do you have a great way to kick-start your writer mind? 

Is there an idea generator you use on a regular basis? Share in the comments!

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* Gamewright is responsible for many of my favorite games - Qwixx, Rolling America, Sushi Go, Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert. They know how to make a game smart and fun at the same time!

** The Journal is great for all kinds of other things as well. I've used it to track health and diet info, create menus, and organize my calendar and to-do lists. I strongly recommend checking it out.

Don't Let Fear of Participation Keep You on the Sidelines

I'm still surprised at the eclectic personalities I encounter at classes and conferences. Some stand out and some are forgettable because they are too afraid to participate.

I learned a lesson years ago in band class--yes, I played flute and sousaphone in the marching band, go Highlanders! I remember the scene so vividly; the way the band hall smelled of stale spit and old carpet mixed with Drakkar Noir and Sun Ripened Raspberry, staples of the mid 90's gym locker; my climb to the mountainous third tier back row to join the tuba section; the two other tuba players who'd been to State and come back with ribbons flowing and me, fresh from the practice rooms just learning my scales. 

When the band director asked me to play, I could have simply shared what I learned, been crappy as I knew I would be next to the others in my section, and no one would have given it a second thought--they'd been newbies at some point, too. Instead, I let my insecurities get the better of me and I refused to play the stupid scale. All heads in the room turned towards me, exactly what I wanted to avoid but had caused by my lack of participation. The more the teacher cajoled the more I refused. I earned a big old F that day.

My lesson was this-suck it up and get in there! People are generally nice and you (meaning me) will have a better time and learn more with interaction.

This was classic fear of failure. Rather than making a mistake and letting others know of my possible failures, I chose to let them assume I didn't know anything. I've come a long way since then. Perhaps its because of maturity, gained confidence, or it could be because of the way I manage my class. I expect my students to make mistakes. I expect them to share all ideas-even if they are crazy. You never know when the crazy idea will be the right idea....just at a later time. I want my kids to participate and so I've learned to create a classroom atmosphere in which this is the expectation and where not being perfect is okay. I totally agree with the suggestions for getting kids to participate in this article.

Adults need encouragement as well and lucky for us our fellow authors are out there waiting to give out pats on the back. Our writing classes are built for risk taking and reaping the rewards of participation. All you have to do is believe you have something to contribute-an idea, a skill, a new point of view. By even showing up at a class you have already announced your intentions to improve your craft. People admire that commitment. You might as well just speak your mind while you are there.

If you are giving a class and want to encourage participation, here is a short list of tactics to try:

1. Keep things positive. No one like to speak up if they feel they might be shot down.
2. Give time for others to talk. People may shy away if they feel rushed.
3. Encourage creative thinking. Sometimes we stray from the norm and those who do should still be able to share their thoughts.
4. Keep things rolling and maybe provide an outline of the class. As a participant, I might not feel confident about all the aspects of a class---after all, I am there to learn--but I might be brave enough to share my knowledge about a certain part of the overall topic.
5. Give praise, even if  the answer is 'wrong'. Remember the old rule about giving a compliment, critique and another compliment. Everyone is doing something well.
6. Use visuals. Personally, I learn better if I can see and hear and DO while taking a class.
7. Try the old teacher trick of wait time. After you ask a question or call for a volunteer, count to ten. This lets people think about what they want to say.
8. Create a relationships with your class. Let them know why you should be trusted--share your expertise and act like someone who wants to be there. Your attitude will influence theirs.

I chose to face my fears head on by jumping into writing and classes and conferences. I started a    writing group and placed my learning in a positive atmosphere. The more I attended the better I felt and the more I participated. Not everyone can do that. It is okay to ease into conquering a fear. Tips and techniques abound and getting started in any way will clue you in to the benefits of become a participant and not a wallflower.