Number 4
October 7, 2004Featured Product
Bridge Mousepad
$12.50
In This Issue:
- This Week
- The Writer's Bookshelf
- Creating an Inspiration File
- Tip of the Week
- About the Fabulist Flash
1. This Week
I've been reading a lot this week. I find I read all the time. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, websites, the list goes on and on. Writers need to read, a lot. They need to read everything and anything, whether it's in their genre or in another genre.
In addition to all the how-to and craft of writing books, general nonfiction, and novels, it's also important for writers to read newspapers and magazines. That's where all the best sparks for future article and book ideas ignite.
I subscribe to dozens of different magazines. Some are for writers, like The Writer (review below), Poets and Writers, Writer's Digest, and other glossy magazines and literary journals.
I subscribe to both my local daily newspaper and the New York Times. There's just so much going on in the world and writers never know where the next article, character, or story idea are going to come from.
If you don't already subscribe to your local daily newspaper, this link will get you a discounted subscription:
Get newspaper home delivery for 50% off the cover price
One of the keys to all of this reading is saving articles that peak your interest. This week's feature article offers some different ways to create and utilize a clip file. Until next week, keep reading....
Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a freelance writer and photographer. Learn more about Gregory and his work at http://www.Kompes.com
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Where did you find your last article idea? Email Aha@FabulistFlash.com
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Reader Aha from Karen Bianchi:
A few weeks back, I was sitting in an auto repair shop having some work done on my abused and neglected van. I thought about how lucky I was to have a mechanic that I can trust. I also began recalling other mechanics that I am pretty certain had conned me out of some big bucks. Then it hit me, AHA! "How to Avoid Being Ripped Off By Your Auto Mechanic".
I went home, researched and wrote the query which I sent off to every publication with a female readership.
But wait, there was another AHA! moment when I also remembered a mechanic telling me that it is actually men who are the easiest to rip off because their macho tendencies don't allow them to admit they don't have the slightest inkling about cars. This makes them very agreeable as they grunt in Tim Allen fashion, nod their heads and say "that's what I thought the problem was-go ahead and fix it".
I am now working on the same query but have changed the slant to appeal to men's magazines.
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Karen Bianchi is a freelance writer and the editor of the Awesome Mom's Network Newsletter.
2. The Writer's Bookshelf
Writer Magazine
Review by Gregory A. Kompes
For current information on what's happening in the writing and publishing world it's necessary to spend some time reading magazines, newspapers, and ezines.
While there's tons of good information scattered across the net, there's just something comfortable about having an actual glossy magazine to flip through. Magazines also travel well, better than that 17 inch screen.
With this in mind, I'd like to recommend a writer's magazine: The Writer: The Essential resource for writers. It's published by Kalmbach Publishing Co.
The Writer is, well, down-to-earth and realistic. The articles are geared toward useful, day-to-day information for writers of all genres and styles. There are usually three or four feature articles and then some regular departments with reviews, suggestions, and new websites to check out.
The Writer Magazine is really one of the more usefull and approachable publications on the newstands.
We're not too far away from the holidays; add a subscription to your Santa List this year.
3. Creating an Inspiration File
by Gregory A. Kompes
I don't believe in writer's block. There, I said it. Wait..No scary music, clouds haven't suddenly formed over my head in my office, and.yep, I'm still putting these words on paper.
Now, I do believe in being in a rut and being bored. These can be killers if you don't have a few combat tools in your writer's tool box. One of my favorite combat tools is my inspiration file.
I read a lot. I read newspapers, magazines, and tons of books. Sadly, all of this reading material often ends up in heaps and piles around the house. There are certain places I read certain things. For example, I always read the newspaper at the dining room table. I like to be able to stretch out. I usually read magazines on the couch or, ah hem, in the bathroom. Books, well, I read these everywhere: in my office, in the living room, in bed, in the car..you get the idea. So, reading material tends to pile up.
I used to save newspapers and magazines that had an article or two I found interesting. The trouble with this system is that it takes up a lot of space and I never actually got back around to looking at those interesting articles. Instead, when the pile got too big, the whole thing would go into the recycle bin, usually while cleaning in preparation for a visit from one of our mothers.
Then, it dawned on me, thanks to suggestions in several of those "how-to" books I'm so fond of. Why not cut out those articles I find interesting. It's much easier to save a page or two vs. an entire magazine or newspaper. Great idea. But, next, there were these articles scattered around the house. I thought about creating a filing system, but that seemed too involved. Then, I read in another "how-to" book suggestion: take all those clipped articles and put them together in a box. I liked that idea. I felt inspired and began calling the box my "inspiration file." It sounds a lot better than "the box with all those ripped up newspapers in it."
What kind of things do I clip? Well, I don't have a set rule. Some weeks I find I'm interested in space travel and I'll clip everything I read related to that. Other days it's zoos and animals. Sometimes, a political cartoon or an Op/Ed piece catches my fancy. Other times, I run across news stories that I know will someday make interesting feature articles. I cut out pictures of people or things I find interesting; not just celebrities, but pictures of interesting travel destinations and shots of everyday people doing interesting or extraordinary things. And, have you seen those photos from the Hubble Telescope? These all go in my inspiration file.
Don't worry, I'm getting to my point. Now, when I'm feeling bored or in a writing rut and want some new ideas, I pull out my inspiration file. There I've got hundreds of ideas, hundreds of articles and pictures that at some point I found interesting enough to clip and save. My head is quickly filled with ideas about space exploration, dancing bears, political cartoons, and people who can balance things on their heads. I usually can't help but rush back to my computer to capture whatever idea or character my inspiration file has sparked.
As our Camp Cupcake sweetheart would say, "Inspiration Files, they're a good thing."
4. Tip of the Week
Looking for a character? Next time you're reading the paper turn to the obituaries. They sum up people's whole lives in a single paragraph. Pick anyone at random and spend ten minutes filling in the blanks.
5. About the Fabulist Flash
ISSN: 1554-0804
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