Call Yourself a Writer

Step one of becoming a writer: call yourself a writer.

Step on of staying motivated as a writer: again, call yourself a writer.

Sound too easy? You'd be surprised by how much this helps.

There will always be times when you'll struggle with writing. It happens to the best of us. What you have to learn to do is not let it get to you. And the best way to not let it get to know is to learn to remember that you are a writer.

The moment that you decide that you're a writer, the moment you become one. So if you're reading this post with the intent of becoming a writer, congratulations. You're a writer. When people ask, that's what you tell them. It doesn't matter if you have written a thousand words or none. You are a writer.

Staying Motivated

The number one problem most writers share is commitment. We start billions of projects but never finish them. Months pass with no writing getting done.
Never fear, my young writer friend. There are things to help you stay motivated and keep writing. Here are a few ideas:
Schedule
Setting a writing schedule for yourself is a great way to stay motivated. Find a time to write every day, always at the same time. Consistency will make it easier to write. Find a time to write every day and keep to your schedule. For example, I write every night, whether that be for thirty minutes to three hours.

Surround yourself with writers
Get to know other writers. It's an extremely beneficial to talk to others who love your craft. Join writer groups on Facebook, find other writers in community. Bounce ideas off other writers, as well as get advice from others.

Call yourself a writer
You'd be surprised how few people see this as a necessity. But the moment you decide you are a writer, even if you haven't written a word, the easier it is to write.

Writing space
It's important to be consistent about where you write. You can work in a cafe or a library or a desk in your bedroom. Wherever you can focus comfortably.

Writer's Block Help
Writer's block? Try doing something to get the juices flowing. Read, ride a bike, go on a walk.

Writing Prompts

So you want to be a writer but you don't know what you want to write about. Well, look no further than this epic list of writing prompts! This is a list of prompts to help you get started on a project for those writers that are a little stuck. Give it a try!

1. What does moonlight sound like?
2. In your dying moments, you see a "Game Over" screen with two options: Try Again or End Game.
3. Write a scene about gold ballet shoes and a deciduous tree.
4. Write about the seasons in terms of sounds.
5. "I promised that I'd save him, that I'd take him home. I promised."
6. Write about an assassin who gets hired to kill a man who doesn't exist.
7. Write a story set in a world where crying is forbidden.
8. Choose a line from a song. Use this as the first line of a story.
9. Write about the way he died.
10. Write about a time traveler and an ancient scroll.
11. Write about the dragon that saves the princess. 
12. Write about the little girl who is afraid of the monster under her bed, which turns out to be her guardian protecting her from the real enemy-her parents.
13. Write about a land where night doesn't exist.
14. Pick a line of a poem and write a story about it.
15. Write about a cursed princess and her pet owl.

Have your own to add to the list? COMMENT!

Movies can be just as inspiring as books can. I can remember several movies I watched that got the ball rolling for my latest project. 

Here are some movies that every writer should see:

1. The Lord of the Rings
2. Inception
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Dead Poets Society
5. Avatar
6. Harry Potter (8 movies)
7. Secretariat
8. Courageous
9. Forever Strong
10. Divergent
11. The Fault in Our Stars
12. The Blind Side
13. Star Wars
14. Oblivion
15. Jack Reacher
16. After Earth
17. The Vow
18. The Great Gastby

Okay so this list is just a few of my personal favorites. There are plenty of other amazing movies out there to see. 

Have anything you want to add to my list? Leave a comment!

Readers Are the Best Writers

It's the truth. No writer can survive by writing alone. Reading is a crucial aspect to being a writer. After all, hidden between the pages of a novel are the secrets to good fiction writing. Reading is inspiring and it helps us understand how to be good writers. The best writers are always readers.
In my mind, there are three different kinds of books writers need to be reading.
1. Writing Guides
Duh. In order to more fully understand the writer's craft you should be reading books about writing. When I first started, I read every novel writing book I could get my hands on. I suggest you do the same. Here are some ideas:

• Writing Fiction For Dummies
• This book is awesome from the planning stage to the publishing stage.
• Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway
• This book is a must. I'm currently reading it and it's the most clear guide on writing I've ever read.
• How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
• Definitely check this out Science Fiction and Fantasy writers.
• 90 Days to Your Novel
• This book is split up for those who are anxious to finish but feel overwhelmed.
• A Writer's Guide to Character Traits
• This is awesome for creating three dimensional characters.

2. Classics

This is something I struggle with. I've never been that into the classics. Jane Austen, George Orwell, eh. But I truly do think every writer should invest some time with these kinds of books. There's a reason these books are classics, people. Here are some examples:

• J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

3. Fiction

Now for the fun stuff. To be a fiction writer, it's crucial that you read the kinds of books that you write. So below are lists of books to read depending on what genre you write. These are not the only things you can read but just some ideas to get you started.

Fantasy and Science Fiction:

• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Romance:

• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
• The List by Melanie Jacobson
• The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
• White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Young Adult:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Historical Fiction:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Undaunted by Gerald Lund

Those are just a few examples. Of course there are plenty more genres to choose from. If you want to see more options, a great place to look is https://www.goodreads.com/genres. 

Start reading today. Even if you aren't writing anything yet, read. It'll make a huge difference.

Have any books to add to any of these lists? Leave a comment!

People Watching: Why You Should Do It

So, as promised, for the next few days we'll be discussing the different ways to boost your creativity as a writer as seen in the blog post, Creativity Boosters: How to Stay in Tune With Your Creative Side. Today, we begin by discussing the importance of people watching.
Before we begin, I have one very important thing to point out: when I say people watch, I am NOT giving you permission to stalk. It doesn't matter your intent, that's just creepy. What's the difference? Well, people watching is observing other people's habits and dialogue to gain a better understanding of people in general. Stalking is following a single person around in an extremely creepy manner. Writers don't stalk, we people watch. Clear?
Okay, now that that's over and done with, we can get into the fun stuff.
TO THE MECHANICS OF PEOPLE WATCHING!
Okay, so there really aren't all that many mechanics to people watching. It's not that complicated. You're simply observing people. However, I do have some advice on how to get as much out of people watching as possible.
1. Have the right equipment.
For starters, bring your eyes. Not that you wouldn't have those with you anyway but I guess you never know. Of course, if you wear glasses or contacts, I would highly suggest you bring those. But I digress.
You also should bring a notebook and a pen. Of course, if you truly want to be a writer, I would expect you to have those no matter where you go. For people watching purposes, use the notebook to write down anything you notice, how that one girl kept brushing back her hair or how the one dude talked. Trust me on this, it's a good idea.
2. Location is everything.
You're going to have a really hard time people watching without a good place to watch those people. Think about the town you live in. Is there a good cafe you can observe from? Or a park a lot of people go to? Or are you a college student and there's a good building on campus you can watch at. Take me for example. I go to BYU-Idaho so I spend my people watching time at the Manwaring Center on campus. There's the a bunch of tables inside for people to eat and talk and do homework. It's the perfect place for me to people watch. There's people, food, a place for me to sit back and watch. Perfect.
3. The actual watching.
Congrats. You've got your place and your equipment. You are now ready to start the people watching. When you take your seat to begin the watching, make sure it's somewhere with a good view of a lot of people and close enough that you'll be able to listen to how they talk(do your best not to eavesdrop; that won't make very many friends).
As you watch and listen, pay attention to the different things people do as they talk, how they talk, different facial expressions, how they are dressed and look, and anything else that could help you write better characters. Write everything down in your notebook.
I suggest spending ten to twenty minutes people watching. Less than that and you won't get a whole lot out of it. More than that and you're spending too much time watching and not enough time writing.
Okay! So that, my loyal friends, is people watching. Even if you aren't working on any project in particular, I highly suggest that you make this a habit today. It'll work wonders for your writing.
Any questions? Any suggestions on people watching or how people watching has helped you as a writer? Leave a comment!

Creativity Boosters: How to Stay in Tune with Your Creative Side

Over the years, I've gotten a lot of different reactions to being a writer. The most common one? "I could never do that. I'm not creative enough." Most of the time I give them a winning smile that says "Yes, I am just that good." Not that I ever truly mean it. I may be confident but not that confident.
In all honesty, I see the way people view creativity almost disturbing. Most people seem to be under the impression that  creativity is some kind of gift that is only bestowed to some. These people are of the belief that either you have it or you don't. I disagree. Creativity is a talent, yes, and some are born with it. However, if you are not one of the lucky few to be born with the gift of an imagination, you can cultivate it. Even those that are creative by nature need to keep working at their creative sides. Practice makes perfect and if you don't practice using that imagination it'll rust.
To avoid the rusting of an imagination (and I do suggest you avoid that; it sounds a little painful), there are several ways for you to practice using creativity:

1. People watching
Yes, you're reading that right. No, I don't mean stalk people. People watching is actually a legitimately good way for a writer to boost creativity. Just don't be creepy about it and I would definitely advise against watching the same people all the time. But definitely take advantage and use other people to boost your own creativity. Doing some people watching can seriously help you with how people work and create more life-like characters.

2. Reading
One of the number one rules of being a good writer is to read. And I don't mean read a novel here and there. I mean seriously read as much as you can. To be a good writer, you need to be a good reader. Read everything you can get your hands on. It will make it easier to come up with new ideas. Books make great inspiration.

3. Watching movies
Of course reading is always better than watching movies but movies are also a great source of inspiration. Watching them can get the wheels turning and help you write better and write more. 

4. Writing prompts
Prompts are a lot of fun. Some of my greatest ideas came from a prompt.
And those are ideas for how to boost your creativity. For the next few days, we'll examine each of these different ideas in detail to help boost creativity.
Have any other ideas on how to boost creativity? Have any questions on my ideas? Leave a comment!