#genres Archives -

January 31, 2019 By Marisa Moks-Unger

Enter Flow Using Different Medium

Try Another Medium to Find Flow

Try to create in a differnt genre to build upon skills. — Create by using a different medium, for example write flash fiction instead of poetry to enter flow.

When you have created in one medium for a long time and it feels dried up, then try a different method. This applies to creatives across the board. This suggestion is a sound one for a few reasons. First, creating something out of the box helps to invigorate an art. For example, both poetry and flash fiction use compressed language. Using one form, then switching to another sharpens the imagery. Next, it creates a kind of curiosity to learn more about the other medium and how to work with it effectively. Finally, it feels good to have positive experiences with a new medium and the results of the creative process.

Ask for Help with New Genre

When trying something new, ask for help to move ahead into flow faster. I over-wrote my first flash fiction piece for an anthology, which ran right up to the 750-word limit. I thought I needed every single word, because the genre is so short. After the piece was accepted with the condition that I condense the ending, I accepted and asked for help. The piece was brought down to nearly 500 words with the help of one of the editors.

It is exciting to open up a new anthology in which you take a risk and try a new genre!

From the experience, I learned to accept literary criticism and expert editorial advice to make my craft grow. The Dance, is the second to last piece in The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory. The pieces are meant to be read by many audiences, but specifically those suffering from memory loss. Interested in purchasing a copy? See more here at: https://anchalastudios.weebly.com/

Your Turn

Take out your journal. For 15 minutes, write a stream-of-consciousness entry to the following prompt: The best way to tell you this is to write a __________________. Then, simply write whatever comes to your mind. Afterwards, circle the forms that are revealed in your answer. Choode one and try it over the weekend.

Holding a copy of The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory for the first time was thrilling for me!

Tomorrow, we begin a 28-day look at connecting to creative flow through self-care. It makes sense now, doesn’t it? Caring for your physical body is necessary to grow a body of work. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

Scrabble Words for Flow

Create a Word Bank from Scrabble

Word Lists from Scrabble — First play the game, then get writing from your curated word list.

Sunday afternoons find my husband, mother-in-law, and I playing Scrabble. This ritual helps us to pass the time during the pandemic. The games usually run one to two hours. We have taken these games to a new level by anticipating them each week, then carefully crafting our word choices. It helps that all three of us are avid readers and come up with a variety of interesting diction.

Also, the game gets my mother-in-law’s mind off of the local paper’s with its teeming death notices of Covid-19 victims – most from local residential living facilities. And, she is now interested in the fact that I am using these word lists to write from professionally.

Next, free write for a few. Make a list of the words developed during the game. Then use the list as a springboard to write a creative piece using as many of the words as possible. Play with long and short lines. Add some rhymes. Look for alliteration. Give yourself about 10 minutes. See what images appear.

Then, select a genre or two to carry through. As a theme arises from the free write of the word list, follow the lead. Perhaps a poem rises up. Or, a one-act play. Or, both! Choose one genre knowing that you can come back and create more works from any single topic.

Now, it’s your turn! If you have a Scrabble game somewhere hidden in a hall closet, it is time to get it out and try your hand at this writing tactic. It employs procrastination by allowing you to blow off writing at first by playing a game. Then, you are rewarded for the time you invested in the game by writing a piece from the words you and others generated.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

TGIFF – Thank God It’s Friday Flow

Cliché Finds Flow on Friday

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Friday. And, at the workweek’s end, there is time to find flow. But, where do you go to find flow? First, realize that flow can happen anywhere at anytime. Need proof? Look at this past post on finding flow in a card and party goods store. Simply click right here: https://wewriteitright.com/visit-flow-in-a-party-goods-shop/

How Gratitude Leads the Way

Use grateful eyes to take in the world around you. Then, instead of planning to hit the bars and clubs when the clock strikes 5:00 PM, other options present themselves during these times of pandemic. Why not take a virtual tour a museum? Or, take a walk or bike ride through a park? Or, spend an hour working on a poem, and essay, or a blog post. When you are grateful for the options you have – even if you are working from home amid shutdowns – then that is enough.

Your Turn

Playtime creates greater flow. — Spirographs, Etch-a-Sketch, and Slinkys are just a few ways to re-enter flow through playtime. What was your favorite activity as a child? When was the last time you tried it as an adult?

Think back to grade school, junior high, or middle school. Think about the electives that you took that helped round out your schedule. Did you take dance or music classes? Weight training? Or, perhaps, like me, you did candle making. Whatever it might be, try to reunite your lost teen with your adult self. Take time to write, dance, sing, paint, or play with your Spirograph! You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa