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Today's blog is a guest post from my friend, and fellow My Book Therapy Core Team member, Michelle Lim. Her new book on brainstorming is a great resource for writers and I'm excited to introduce her to you today!
Brainstorming, a Tool for ALL Writers!
by Michelle Lim
Brainstorming is an essential tool for writers in all
different areas of their career. I often hear people ask me, “How do you come
up with blog topics?”
My ideas often come from the inspiring things in my world, physical as well as visual. I love to go and look at different online pictures.
Sometimes they inspire blogs I’ve written like, DoYou Have What It Takes to Be Chicken?
Other times, I look at my life and draw inspiration from my
kids, family and house. These have inspired blogs like, Rearrangingthe Furniture: How to Rearrange Words To Give Them Punch.
Events are also helpful in planning blog topics. I look for things that are important to my audience, paying particular attention to what's going on in the world around us. That’s why blogs on conferences, the
Olympics, and writing contests are all popular.
The novels we write are inspired in much the same way. We draw on our
own experiences, stories we’ve heard in the news, or things that just have to be told. Sometimes the worlds we create for our stories are too perfect. We struggle to come up
with ideas to build conflict in our stories.
How about you? How do you come up with ideas for your blog, and/or your novel?
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle
For those of you who haven’t heard, during my Idea Sparking: How to Brainstorm Conflict in Your Novel Tour I’m having a drawing for a Free Kindle Paperwhite. For each different blog I visit that you comment on during my tour, you get one entry. Each day I will post any new tour locations on my blog.
First off, this is such a great post, particularly coming from you, Michelle, because it always amazes me how prolific you are, not only in blogging, but in blogging COOL TOPICS. 2nd, congrats on the new book. I think it's going to take off because it offers the kick-start we're all really looking for when we pick up a book on craft. 3rd, sign me up for the Kindle! Yeah! Looking forward to you blog stop at my place next week. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Naomi! I so enjoyed getting to know you better at the Great Lakes Get Away last year. Incredibly talented group! Thanks for stopping by, can't wait to hang out with you at your blog next week.
DeleteHi Michelle, and thank you for the suggestions for blog topics. I guess my life is so exciting (no, really -- my husband is overcoming a catastrophic illness) that I'm writing notes to myself and stashing them away for the time when I can return somewhat full-time to writing.
ReplyDeleteAs for blogging -- I blog with the wonderful NovelMatters ladies, and one motivation is that I know I'll be letting someone down if I don't keep my part of the schedule. So that motivates me to FIND all those pieces of paper with the blog ideas!
Latayne C Scott
I am sorry to hear that your husband is ill. That can be a great strain and it saps your time. I'm a big believer in writing seasons. God has different seasons for our writing. Praying blessings for you and your family.
DeleteSounds like a great book that I need! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou bet. Thanks for stopping by Barbara!
DeleteI love brainstorming with my writing friends and my family. I also love trying to figure out how I can include funny or compelling family scenes in my books. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love it too, Vonda! My favorite is to come up with new and surprising twists.
DeleteYou come up with some of the best ideas! And I'm reading Idea Sparking and loving it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! I appreciate that.
DeleteI have not yet set up my own blog, but I sure like to make comments on the blogs of others. I think it would be good to start with a Bible verse and relate it to a life experience. Sounds like a devotional blog to me!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the writing tips. They are inspirational.
Blessings, Janice jsmithg@hotmail(dot)com
I'm glad you are starting to get ideas for your own blog. That's wonderful.
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