Imagination Sparks Blogfest

About the Blogfest

Time for our Imagination Sparks Blogfest! It's not to late, you can still sign up and join in - the link's below. What is the Imagination Sparks Blogfest? Simply share with us a creative writing prompt, or suggest a way to warm up your imagination before you sit down to write - it's really up to you. Then pop around and see what other bloggers suggest, try out one or two activities (or all of them if you're really keen for a creative week), then on, or around, the 8th of August, do a post to let us know how you went. Did you learn something, find a new story idea, discover a favourite writing prompt? Let your imagination go wild.

My Creative Spark

I must admit, this is not something I usually do to spark creativity, but I decided to try something a bit different for this blogfest. Today I'm using music to prompt my writing. I first discovered the power of music for story writing when I was eight. It was 1977, and my mother took me to the cinema (a very special treat back then) to the see the magnificent Fantasia. I will never forget the amusement of the dancing hippos, the wonderment of the frolicking cupids, and, the concern when Micky's brooms just wouldn't stop marching! But most of all, I remember that terrifying finale, with the huge devil letting souls slip between his claws to the soundtrack of Night on Bald Mountain and Ava Maria.

Years later I enjoyed the spectacular release of Fantasia 2000 with my girls, and it was an instant win for them too (aww, that sweet little whale getting separated from his mother).

Today I've included two classical masterpieces for you to write to. Choose your favourite, or try both. Both have a good mix of emotion and rise and fall in the tempo. Try to write a story, or whatever comes to mind as you listen. Here's hoping you get something surprising!

I'll be checking in with all the other participants and trying the writing prompts/exercises. Hope we get lots of sparks this week!

I'd like to just give a little shout out to a couple of musical friends this week. Perhaps they'll inspire something creative in you!

I don't watch much television and never reality competition shows, so I got a pleasant surprise to learn one of my students from my old school (which I do miss a lot!) was an entrant on X-Factor. Not only that, but she made it through! Please check out Veanka Howard, she has an amazing talent...

And I also discovered one of our writing group buddies plays around with producing electronic music with his band. I think this could inspire a sci-fi story...

That's all from me today, now, I've got a few blogs to visit and a hankering to watch Fantasia over and over.

PS: for those following my website design journey - I'll post the first few steps in my progress after the blogfest is over.

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10 Best Writing Workbooks

You can get great books on the craft of writing and learn to write a novel at home, but there's so many, how do you pick? My favourites are the workbooks providing exercises to try yourself. Here are the top ten workbooks for writing that I couldn't do without:

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass

You could write your whole novel with this workbook. Now don't be confused, there are two releases under this title. Writing the Breakout Novel is probably a good book too, but I prefer the workbook. It's condensed on the chapter lengths but has the added bonus of exercises for you to complete.

Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin

At first glance this seems like a run of the mill how-to book on writing. Nope. Le Guin has a magical way with words that transcends her fiction and makes a technical book a pleasure to read. She tackles the usual devices for good writing, but goes beyond and looks at elements that make beautiful writing. For example, her first chapter is on the sound of your writing and includes an exercise titled: 'Being Gorgeous'. It's not all airy-fairy though, you will cover punctuation, syntax, sentence length as well as some fun things like repetition, switching your point of view and using adverbs and adjectives (come on, we could all use some improvement with those). Her examples come from some of the greatest writers. I could read this book again and again.

The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers by Kate Greenville

I use some of these exercises in my writing group. The book's a bit wordy for my short attention span, but good if you just use one section at a time (each section looks at a writing skill, such as dialogue, character, description, etc). The topic is explained, examples given and then you are asked to try your hand at writing with a guided exercise.

Don't Forget to Write: For the Secondary Grades by 826 National

Created by an amazing writing centre for young people, this workbook offers lesson plans for high school teachers wanting to offer their students some amazing creative and persuasive writing workshops. You don't have to be a teacher to use it, try the exercises yourself. There is also a Don't Forget to Write: for the Elementary Grades, if you've got some younger writers at home (5-12yrs).

The Art and Science of Light Bulb Moments by Tom Evans

Evans is an amazing speaker, just look for him on YouTube and you'll find many interviews. This is a writing manual with a difference, it's not about technique it's about sparking amazing creativity and ideas. You'll get amazing exercises but also find out the psychological or scientific reason these exercises work for us. Even simple acts like breathing can inspire creativity and kick start our imagination. 

The Artist's Way Workbook by Julia Cameron

Whenever there's a workbook available for a text, I'll just buy that. This is great to get you living the creative life rather than making small slots of time for creativity. Do the exercises even if they feel silly--my experience has always been the tasks I'm reluctant to try always harvest the best results. Each week you'll be assigned small tasks to promote creativity.

Specialist Subjects: 

Writing and Selling your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron

I'm still working my way through this workbook but it is perfect if you're writing a… well mystery obviously. Learn all the tropes and gain an insight into the necessary structure of a well-planned crime novel. There are charts for you to fill in and exercises that will take you right through the planning stages.

The Writer's Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb

This book is such a good guide it could be helpful for writing any kind of novel, but does offer a lot of insight into the children and YA book market. Find out exactly what kids expect from fiction. The text was suggested to me during a writing course I took and I'm glad to have discovered it.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook by Betty Edwards

I know what you're thinking: 'But this is an artist's workbook!' Yes it is, and trust me, I'm no artist, however, drawing inspires creativity. Try a drawing exercise right before you sit down to work on your manuscript. There's something about allowing the pencil to flow over the page that helps release the words.

Adventures in Fantasy by John Gust

Another resource for the classroom but just as good for adults. This book is a whole workshop starting with planning your fantasy setting map to filling the world with characters and conflicts. Great for someone setting out to write their first Fantasy novel. There's lots of sheets to print or copy, so I recommend getting the physical book rather than the ebook version.

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12 Key Rules for Writing

Found this re-shared so much on Facebook, I have no idea of it's origin.

Check out rule 1. I've learned something about the writing process recently. I know we've all heard the saying, 'writers write' and we're told to just keep the hand moving across the page. But this is more. My writing workshops often sing the praises of free writing. 15 minutes every day. But what do I write about? And I'm told not to think, just write. 

What a waste of time, I have a novel to write, I can't be dithering away notes about my dreams and what I need to pick up for dinner. Honestly, for about the first week, that's what I came up with. Random nonsensical stuff that did not contribute to my fiction at all. But then I started noticing changes. Now when I free write (every day, like a good little author) I find new plot ideas for my story emerge, or a deeper understanding of a character's motivation. 

Practice writing and you'll become better at practicing.

Of course you need to actually work on your novel too, otherwise you'll only become better at practicing.

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C is for Create Chaos

Chaos. Doesn't matter how much we try to avoid it, we are enveloped by it constantly. It's hard to ignore, we worry that it will prevent us from finishing our manuscript, from getting to our workshop on time or from even finding where we saved that darn WIP. But Chaos can be our friend. Chaos is creative.

The popular film I Don't Know How She Does It uses chaos as the conflict in the plot. It's the chaos in Oliver Twist's journey that added colour to an otherwise drab and grey environment. I'm a plotter, and one of the drawbacks of that method is creating carefully planned events to form a plot. Sometimes I need to just let go and let chaos take over my WIP. This way my characters end up in predicaments that take me days to figure out how get them to rescue themselves. I need chaos in my writing, and, in my writing practice.

How can you write chaos if you don't experience it. Do you go somewhere peaceful and quiet to write? I do. But what about heading into a crowded loud place, like a food court at the shopping centre? Don't ignore the chaos, soak it up and write it! Describe the calamity, the overlapping conversations, the movement and mixture of smells.

Order and planning lives in the left-brain, while chaos sprouts from the right side of the brain, the same side creativity resides in.

"Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish." Chuck Palahniuk.

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How Writers Read

As you may have noticed from my last post, I have a lot of books on the craft of writing. I have these books on my shelf, in audio format and on my Kindle. So why aren't I an expert already?

I find my reading habits random and unfocused. I read a chapter or two from one book and hop over to another. By the time I return to read new sections of a guide, I've forgotten the earlier parts. I'm making a bit of a resolution to stick with a book until I've finished it and only then move onto another.

Why? I suspect my writing habits reflect my reading patterns. I previously had several notebooks on the go at any one time, one for each WIP and one for new ideas. I dropped that system for one notebook at a time. My patterns have left me with several unfinished WIPs. Recently I banned myself from any new writing until I finished Dog Show Detective. That worked well for me and it is not only done, but has been sent out.

Now it's time for me to work down the list. Being eclectic may have fed my creative side of the brain, but forcing myself to be more organised with the left side of my brain is the only way I'll actually get stuff finished. Now I just have to decide which WIP to work on next.

How about you? Do your creative patterns sometimes interfere with your productiveness?

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Writing from bits of your brain

As I've been looking at right and left brain functions for writers, I dug up some information I'd found in an old post and wanted to share. Some writers claim to be creative and prefer to write without plots or plans, others like their lists and outlines, thinking themselves more analytical. Is it just in our heads that we are wired for either organisation or creativity? No (and yes).

Just as different parts of the brain are used for seeing as for hearing, we use different sections of our brain for fiction and non-fiction. We have to exercise both sides of the brain so one doesn’t get lazy. Would you like to know if you are more of a right brain thinker or a left brain thinker? Have a look at this website here and take the test. For me the dancer goes clockwise, my youngest daughter (Matilda) also sees it clockwise - we are righties. My husband and eldest daughter (Emily) see the figure go anti-clockwise - they are lefties. 

But you're not locked in. The trick is, if you stare at it long enough you can usually change the direction and therefore change the side of the brain you are using. If you wanted to harness the skills of both sides of your brain you can exercise the 'lazy' side.


How do you exercise the other half of your brain? Easy, try this:

Left side: Look at a picture of any animal. Then, quickly write as much as you know about that topic for 10 minutes straight. E.g: How much do you know about ducks? You may start off thinking you know very little, but as you write your mind will prompt memories of data. This is a good warm up to do before writing essays.

Right side: Look at a picture of a place or animal (not your own photos). Now write freely and imaginatively for 10 minutes about that picture, whatever it inspires.
E.G: If you have a picture of a cat, write what the cat is thinking and what it plans to get up to later.


None of us have a dormant side of the brain, but sometimes I think we rely heavily on the side we're already comfortable. It can be freeing for our writing to push ourselves outside of our usual box. What side of the brain do you lean towards? Or does yours switch back and forth constantly?

Want to find other ways to exercise your brain? Try this link:

Does Your Brain Need Exercise

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Right and Left Sides of the Writer's Brain

I've been continuing through The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards and I've found the information on right side of brain vs left intriguing. I studied psychology for a while at Uni and have always found the brain fascinating, especially the placement of different functions.

In this book, Edwards examples special cases where the right side of the brain has been severed from the left (an operation performed to assist severe epilepsy). In such instances, there are exercises the test subject undertakes (naming objects in drawings, solving spacial problems, etc) where the left and right hand will push each other out of the way, so that the side of the brain that is best at that task can take over.

The exercise was interesting too. Perhaps you've seen this optical illusion before - is it a vase or two faces?

Edwards uses this picture in her exercise. You trace the side that suites which hand you draw with (if you are right-handed, you start with the face on the left, and vice-versa).

Here is an image you could start with, I found these at a great art site called Raisin Toast:

Right-hand drawers

Left-hand drawers

The rest is simple. You trace over the existing drawing, naming out loud the parts as you go (forehead, eyes, nose, top lip, bottom lip, chin, neck). Then draw over the straight line at the top and try to go down redrawing the mirror image on the other side, also naming the parts. You may find your brain gets confused with the names - this is your right side and left side arguing!

This exercise also works if you draw your own vase-face. Fiction writers are often creative people who tend to favour the right side of their brain, but the logical and organised left side is also essential to crafting a good story - so we need to exercise both sides! 

I'm up on my drawing, reading and notebook goals, but down on my typing up my manuscript goal - how are yours going?

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Writers Drawing

Drawing was one thing I resolved to do more of in 2011 to help my writing (you can see my list of 7 Tips for a Writer's Year here). I'm a mediocre artist. I'm not being modest, I only push myself up to 'mediocre' because I've taken many sketching, watercolour, charcoal and other art classes (in 'life drawing' they sit you in a room with a naked stranger - did you know that, or was I the only one trying to pretend that I was totally comfortable and often hang out with naked people?).

I've finally begun the course book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. This book is aimed at beginner drawers, people who don't usually get artistic or writers trying to free up their imagination. 

So far, I've completed the first three pre-instruction drawing tasks, one of a self-potrait using a mirror, another of a person's face from memory and the last of my hand. All turned out a bit okay, but nothing to brag about or hang on the wall. There is a lot of information about how the brain works and how it relates to drawing, but if you'd prefer to just do the exercises, there is also the workbook:

I enjoyed the exercises and will continue some more drawing today. I may be able to use this in the classroom too (I'll be teaching Art and Spanish this year and have a LOT to learn). Of course, I had a little help with my sketching...

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Clear Vs Clutter for Writing

Can you write in clutter or do you need space?

Clutter causes me panic. I can't focus on the task at hand because I'm reminded of all the other things I need to get done - like clean up my writing space. This week it had gotten to this stage:

Ugh! I started taking my notebook out to the lounge to write instead. I'm not sure whether I was being productive or procrastinating, but, I got stuck into my writing corner and now it looks like this:

Now I'm looking forward to switching on Scrivener and getting stuck into The Warracknabeal Kids!

Funny thing is, if I'm writing non-fiction or blogging, then I seem to be able to write in any clutter, but for creativity, I need clean, clear space (my imagination takes up a lot of room). I've looked before at the different parts of our brain we use for organisation vs creativity. You can read more in: 

Looking for Mr Right (Side of the Brain)

How about you? Do you have to tidy your workspace before you can get started or could you write in the aftermath of a natural disaster? And... does it differ for you when you write fiction vs lists, blogs or essays?

Only a few more followers until the Book Giveaway competition!

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Looking for Mr Right (side of the brain)

Which side of the brain is the 'write' side?


Lately I've come across a lot of non-fiction writers who are taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge (I am seeing that I will be unable to do a single blog post between now and December without mentioning NaNoWriMo). This excites me.


Why? Because too often I hear people complain that they are not creative, that they are more analytical. 


Truth? You're a bit of both. You might sway more to one side than the other, but by harnessing both skills you can combine them and come up with a wonderful piece of fiction/non-fiction.


Consider the novel Eucalyptus by Murray Bail, this book interweaves folklore style romance with reference style material about Gum trees. Click here to read a review, the book won awards and is a favourite of mine.


Is it just in our heads that we are wired for either organisation or creativity? No (and yes).


Just as different parts of the brain are used for seeing as for hearing, we use different sections of our brain for fiction and non-fiction. We have to exercise both sides of the brain so one doesn’t get lazy.


Have a look at this website here and take the test. Are you a right brain thinker or a left brain thinker?


The trick is, if you stare at it long enough you can usually change the direction and therefore change the side of the brain you are using.


Why do I care about this so much? Teaching English in high school means seeing kids categorize themselves. I don't mind student's feeling pride in being creative or logical, but I don't want them carrying any self-doubt about their abilities for the one they think they can't do.


How do you exercise the other half of your brain? Easy, try this:

Left side: Look at a picture of an animal. Then, quickly write as much as you know about that topic for 10 minutes straight. E.g: How much do you know about ducks? You may start off thinking you know very little, but as you write your mind will prompt memories of data. This is a good warm up to do before writing an essay.


Right side: Look at a picture of a place or animal (not your own photos). Now write freely and imaginatively for 10 minutes about that picture, whatever it inspires.
E.G: If you have a picture of a cat, write what the cat is thinking and what it plans to get up to later.


So here is my dare for NaNoWriMo:

If you are a right side of the brain thinker, I want you to do a little research for your plot and find an interesting topic that you can provide informative data for in your story (maybe your character is learning something cool in class or reading a manual?)
But if you are a Left brain thinker, try inserting an element of fantasy, magic or sci-fi into the plot, perhaps a mythical creature? Don’t question it, just put it in and write it. Remember to include feelings in your story.

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