Writing Tip: #1 Idea List

I know I'm not a New York Times Best Selling Author or even have a piece of work published but I do have a few tips that have helped me on my journey to finish writing my first YA novel. Todays tip is about ideas..... I know that to even start writing you must have an "idea" but I think it would be appropriate to put a 's' on the word idea and say "ideas" because the more ideas you have the more involved your story will be and the more interesting the story line.

The first thing I do when I want to write a new story is write a list off all of the wild ideas that come to my head. I know.... I know....write a list.... duh! right? Well next I wait. I wait for more ideas to come flooding in. This could take a day, a week, or even a month. During this time I keep writing the new ideas onto the same piece of paper and watch my story evolve. Some of my ideas at the beginning my have been a little underdeveloped or immature but thats ok! Thats part of getting the creative juice flowing.

When I'm ready to commit to a few ideas I like best I start to think about how they will eventually fit together. You don't have to have a whole story planned out, if you're someone that likes to fly by the seat of their pants as you write, but you do need to have a vague idea or how are you going to start? All you have to do now is put your fingers to the keys or pen to paper and let that story come out.

I find if I have a trouble spot in my story and I need something extra, I do this little idea exercise.

1. Find a scrap piece of paper
2. Get a PEN!!! Don't use a pencil because you might be tempted to erase something.
3. Give yourself 5 minutes to write down as many ideas as possible on that paper. The crazier the better!
4. After 5 minutes are up, mix and match your ideas to come up with one GREAT idea.
5. Now try and finish writing that trouble spot with your new GREAT idea.

Have you tried doing something like this when writing?

More Ovaltine PLEASE!!! :P

So I had this old Ovaltine canister that I didn't want to throw away because you know me... "I can make something out of this," I said, so I kept it. Well I finally got it all JAZZED up.

Things I used to make my creation :)

My JAZZED up Ovaltine can :)

I think this could make a cute button holder for all of those random buttons laying around the house or maybe even a cool pencil holder for your desk. I don't know what I'm going to use it for but I sure do like the looks of it. :)

Have you made anything fun out of Mod Podge lately?

Across the Universe Art

I recently entered an art piece into a creative contest hosted by one of my favorite authors Beth Revis. The grand prize was a signed ARC of her new book that comes out in January 2012 called A Million Suns and a custom made charm bracelet that fits with the theme of her first book Across the Universe. Everyone that entered got there name put in for the grand prize and guess what?....... I didn't win :'( I was sad but super stoked when she said that all of the people that entered would get a secret charm mailed to them that could be put on a necklace or bracelet of your own because she LOVED all of the entries. She also explained how the charm played a big roll in her new book so we will see what it is when it gets here in the mail. I'll post some pictures when I get it. But any who.... here is what I entered:

ATU "Tristyn" interpretation :)

Close up of Amy's Red Star.

Close up on Elder's Blue Star.

If you haven't read Across the Universe I recommend you pick it up at your local library. 

Here is a synopsis of ATU that Goodreads has posted on their website:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Have you entered any cool book contests lately?

10 Things I Love about Goodreads

1. I love how you can keep track of every single book you read.
2. I love how you can rate each book from 0-5 with cute little stars.
3. I love how you can enter to win FREE books.
4. I love how you can keep tabs on your favorite authors.
5. I love how you can post reviews on the books you read (I haven't done this yet but I plan on it).
6. I love how you can take fun quizzes on the books you read.
7. I love how there is a new quote of the day every single day to inspire you.
8. I love how you can see what your friends are reading.
9. I love how it's FREE to sign up.
10. And most of all I LOVE that you can find new book to read every time you log in.

Are you on Goodreads? If not, go over there and check out how cool it is.... here.... I promise you won't regret it. And while you're there look for me so we can be friends. :)

Do you remember my "Guilty Pleasure"?

So today I was at the library with little-G and while we were playing with puppets I realized how unorganized all of the toys were, not to mention the fact that crayons littered the ground from corner to corner of the small play area too. Being the organizer I am I couldn't not pick up all of the crayons, dinosaurs, puppets, felt board cut outs, paper, random books, and play dishes.... oh yeah I also made sure all of the chairs were pushed in too.  :) I know it's a little compulsive but I couldn't help myself. I can only imagine what the lady at one of the little round tables was thinking as I busily stuffed puppets into a tote. "CRAZY!" Oh well, at least I left it cleaner than when I got there. +2 points for me! Wahoo!

What drives you crazy when you go out in public? 

First Blog = First post.... (go figure)

I've been thinking a lot about starting a bog but kept telling myself that it wasn't for me....needless to say the thought kept knocking on my brain and here I am, right here in the infamous blog world typing my first words. *sigh*  Has the dark side taken hold of me or am I in a wonderful world of frosted cupcakes and a new pack of  96 count crayons with the sharpener on the back? I hoping for the crayons to tell you the truth...

... oh how I love crayons....

Sorry, back to what I was saying... blogging... right, well as for my first post I think it would be appropriate for me to let you in on a little secret *shhhhh...* I DONT KNOW WHAT I'M DOING?! On that note... I think I should start with a little about myself:

• I love doing anything creative:  crafts, writing, sewing (the little I can do), and making art pieces with anything I can get my hands on.
• I have a guilty pleasure of organizing things.
• Im obsessed with reading which is weird because I hated it when I was a kid.
• I finished writing my first YA novel in February and secretly wish for it to be published.
• I love the rain.
• Im in love with nautical things.

So there you have it, my first post on my first blog. What was your first post about?