tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post414832718932300882..comments2024-02-02T23:22:33.356-08:00Comments on From Sarah, With Joy: Using Contests and Submission Calls for IdeasSarah Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-82587827835525511112014-07-18T20:52:21.231-07:002014-07-18T20:52:21.231-07:00My local writing group, Western Ohio Writers Assoc...My local writing group, Western Ohio Writers Association, does regular public readings at area bookstores (or any place that will have us). We pick a theme and everyone who wants to participate writes a piece on that theme to read aloud. It's a great writing exercise plus we get practice reading our writing in public.LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-74716059774743320602014-07-17T20:27:16.333-07:002014-07-17T20:27:16.333-07:00Haha :) Yes. We do all have our own ways of workin...Haha :) Yes. We do all have our own ways of working. I know this method has helped for me, hope it can help others as well!Sarah Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-54859061078139451122014-07-17T20:26:44.228-07:002014-07-17T20:26:44.228-07:00Awesome!! Yeah, having one big project and several...Awesome!! Yeah, having one big project and several smaller projects going at once has turned out to feel really great, I hope I can keep it up. And the tips and advice from these contests as writing lessons for all your other work is another great angle to take on this! Great thoughts!Sarah Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-63113610614460934272014-07-17T20:25:27.683-07:002014-07-17T20:25:27.683-07:00Yep. Blank screen can be the worst kind of creativ...Yep. Blank screen can be the worst kind of creative "freedom." Glad these links help!Sarah Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-62829062179082303202014-07-17T20:24:53.227-07:002014-07-17T20:24:53.227-07:00Exactly! Those deadlines and "restrictions&qu...Exactly! Those deadlines and "restrictions" can actually be what frees you from the blank page. At least that's how it often is for me.Sarah Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01185278849400551014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-2670654655223612712014-07-16T18:19:47.538-07:002014-07-16T18:19:47.538-07:00I also work better with deadlines, real or self-im...I also work better with deadlines, real or self-imposed, while multi-tasking. There are some people who can't do that, though, and stick to one thing at a time. I had a post-doc like that and it drove me crazy because it seemed to take twice as long for him to get anything done. His reasoning was that he needed to focus on just one thing and do it right, so I accepted that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-86469685737870988752014-07-16T06:19:15.898-07:002014-07-16T06:19:15.898-07:00I have found exactly the same thing - I'm revi...I have found exactly the same thing - I'm revising a novel but also submitting articles, poems and short stories. It's great creative exercise and sometimes, as you say, the constraints actually improve my novel writing. The subscription advice for short stories for a woman's magazine urged writers to make sure the dialogue moved the plot on - and this gave me a whole new revising tool for the novel. Thanks for the link too!Creaky door writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06400268332581266488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-13884987861636384652014-07-16T05:39:06.207-07:002014-07-16T05:39:06.207-07:00Thanks for the links! Glad those are prompting you...Thanks for the links! Glad those are prompting you to write. It is better than staring at a blank screen.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3554125151787997248.post-58026536932025847172014-07-16T05:22:09.921-07:002014-07-16T05:22:09.921-07:00I like working to prompts, and I also like the occ...I like working to prompts, and I also like the occasional urgency of a deadline involved when that isn't how I normally work. It can lead to ideas and pieces that might not have existed otherwise!Nick Wilfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841776353790635132noreply@blogger.com