Tag Archives: creativity

Linkfest: Children, Writing Tips and Granny’s Health Plan

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Jennifer Jensen

I’ve been saving links to blogs I really liked, some new and some old, and it’s sharing time!  And not just blog links – there’s an ROW80 goal update at the bottom. Some heart-warming, life-affirming, thought-provoking, general feel-good stuff: Kids don’t just go to school, play, and do a few small chores – they can help in big things, too!  Leanne Sype’s son Sean has a caring heart, and a willing mind, as she writes in When Life Gives You Lemonade. Lynette Burrows shared a great post on keeping a child-like creativity.  It’s kept me thinking … a lot! Over on Bliss Habits, Dani Nelson continues that thought with all the positive things you get when you live Life with a Side of Silly.  Because what’s better than a smile?  (Ignore the giveaway at the bottom – it’s over.) Reading Pretty LIttle Liars got Emma Burkhart thinking about the friendships … Continue reading →

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Brainstorming Plot Points

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Jennifer Jensen

Brainstorming is a blast! My middle grade WIP is a time travel story.  The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy who’s into rockets and robotics and such, but gets zapped back to the 1830s.  There are thefts for which he gets blamed, a ghost who needs to be laid to rest, and the girl helping him gets pulled back to modern times with him. The manuscript is basically done except for one thing:  I would really like to tie his rocket hobby more integrally into the time travel happenings.  There’s an item that could easily still be in his pocket when he goes back again, but I couldn’t come up with a good idea of what to do with it. So I gathered a few writer friends, gave them a run-down on the plot (new for some, refresher for others), and put my dilemma to them.  We questioned what the device … Continue reading →

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Writing When You’re Overwhelmed

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Jennifer

This isn’t an article about finding snippets of time to write in an already busy schedule.  That’s a very common, on-going situation for many of us, and I’ll write about it later.  But sometimes life throws you a curve, or two, or three.  Not only is any semblance of a writing schedule gone, but so is the ability to be creative.  The mind is simply overwhelmed by a crisis. I’m in that situation now.  Re-settling in the US, buying a house, and helping a dear friend re-start a consulting business after her recent widowhood leave me brain-weary sometimes.  I sit down to write, and my mind just has nothing creative to give. I found a solution yesterday that meets the need of working on my novel daily, but didn’t pressure me and my lack of creativity.  This particular novel began during National Novel Writing Month, and there are a couple … Continue reading →

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