Trelawney's Biz Talk posts

Writing exercises

I propose that we post nuggets to spark practice writing. (And who knows... someone might be inspired to keep writing!)

For the first one, I'm borrowing from a great book called What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter.

Without mentioning age or relying on direct physical description, write a sentence or two about a character that shows the age. You can use things like style of speech, actions, the way the person completes an action, etc.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I'm curious about where you draw inspiration. Personally, I am inspired by nature and art. When I'm wrestling with a particular writing challenge, I usually go for a walk in woods or near water. When I need a spark to get me going, I wander through a museum or gallery. When I'm not sure which type of inspiration I need, I head to the sculpture park!

If I don't have time to leave my desk, photographs help fill the gap.

Travel research?

I'd love some tips on how you research before going on a trip. How do you decide where you want to go? How do you plan the details?

I tend to use a combination of print guidebooks (Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are my favorites), web searches (like Lonely Planet blogs [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blogs/] andTrip Advisor), personal accounts from friends, and magazine or other articles about a place. I feel like my approach is a little scattered, and I'd love to hear new ideas.