writers block

chicken

chicken

Help! I am a new writer who has signed up for a writing course. After several assingments my latest one has stumped me. Fresh out of ideas when given the choice of writing a winter's story for a woman's magazine. I want to write blood and gore, not passion and romance!
Any ideas to push me in the right direction.

milhouse

try keeping a scrap book. I take cuttings from all of the papers, and have sections for crime, humour, scandal etc.

Have you thought of songs? anything inspire you there? How about objects? Isn't winter a time for giving.... It doesn't have to be a nice present.

My next book is about winter, and it looks set to be a real cracker, but say no more.

Milhouse.

Tilly

welcome to the website Chicken - Womens'mags. don't just have romance. You could try humour,mystery, crime or, as its a winter tale, how about a ghost story? The only thing is you're right about no blood and gore, and usually they like a happy ending. Good luck with your course. I've just started one too and I know it isn't easy writing to a given theme.

Jan

Morning Chicken,

Sounds like time to call on your memory banks. Think of some event in a past winter that could be related/adapted to the required exercise.

Glad to welcome another participant to this happy throng.

Carol

Hi Chicken, I agree with what's been said. Stories for Women's magazines must have an uplifting ending, even if it isn't conventional. Try a list of words you associate with winter, or images. Then jot down a few thoughts on each one. Something will come to you. Try a song title even. Good luck.

Stan2

Or a Carol title eg. In the bleak mid winter.

Betsie

Hi Chicken - women's mags don't just mean romance.  Do some research - have a look at whole range of women's mags. 

Woll52

Hello Chicken

First which writing correspondence course are you on as there are several, I am with the Writing College.

Here is one solution to this infernal problem that will hopefully stand you in good stead for the future in terms of future reference. Get yourself a large ringbinder, some plastic sleeves or dividers. Your PC will be invaluable here and so will a notebook. I am going to suggest you set up an ideas diary. Now that is not a diary as you and I know it although you will divide it into twelve sections to represent twelve months of the year. Now with your word and clip art, set up appropriate labels then eventually, have a disk[floppy] if you still have the facility or just do it on hard disk, set up twelve months of the year, you can do it all in one go or as you go through the months. Keep a notebook, jot down anything you hear or whatever comes to you, listen to the radio, read your newspapers and you will find ideas jump out at you. Look at wedding photographs, change the names and imagine what might have gone on behind to lead up to the wedding,bearing in mind that a story is no story without conflict or challenge as you probably know. Watch Grand Designs and look beyond. Remember Animal Farm by George Orwell, I do. When I first read it, I thought it was a lovely animal story until one of the seniors a form above me said, go back and read it again and look between the lines. Kevin McCleod always leaves a seed of doubt or potential conflict source. Get your mind tuned, that is the important thing  Transfer your notes to the designated month on your computer then print out at the end of the month. Eventually you will have a continuous source of ideas to refer to, in fact, you will be spoiled for choice. I hope that has helped you and good luck.