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Write the Story Backwards

 If you have a great story idea, but don't know how to start it, start at the ending. Write the ending first and work your way backwards. You'll have a great story in no time!
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What Makes You Happy?

 Think of objects, people, or animals that make you the happiest. Using these in stories will help you create positive and engaging energy in your stories or other creative writing pieces. Because happiness is such a strong emotion, it's important to use it whenever possible.
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An unquiet mind

When you feel your thoughts racing due to stress or excitement in your life, it can be difficult to sit still and get work done. Writers must find ways of focusing on their tasks, because creativity cannot flower in chaos. Experiment with various meditation and relaxation techniques to relax your mind. Simply sitting on a cushion and attempting to gain some control over your thoughts is a good exercise. When you can willingly empty your head of thoughts, you can choose which ones to allow in.
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Simple words say the most

The rule of thumb for writing clean, precise verse is this: the simplest word that still conveys your meaning is best. Anything fluffier is just getting in the way.
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Stories from life experience

Fiction doesnīt have to mean you make everything up. You can pull stories from your own life experience, or borrow them from other people. Donīt be afraid to write your own life story! Just be sure you have had sufficient time to gain perspective on your own trials and tribulations. Only in hindsight do we see the whole picture.
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Build on Concrete Detail

Good writing, whatever the form or genre, depends on its use of concrete details and images. A poem will only resonate with the reader if it exists in the realm of the five senses. Bring your poem down from the abstract. When speaking of love, offer details and images from the senses that indicate why your take on the subject is unique.
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Novels vs. Short Stories

Short stories are not baby novels, nor are novels necessarily expanded short stories. A particular story is told in novel form because the short story is neither roomy nor flexible enough to deal with it. Novels go into vastly greater depth, and they can accomadate more POV variation. In the end, novels must come to a point of closure that short stories are allowed to avoid.
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Get a magazine collection

Start collecting issues of magazines you would like to publish in. You can buy them individually at bookstores, or get a subscription (saves you $$ if you consult the mag often.)Read cover-to-cover for a good sense of what the publication is looking for.
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Keep a Goals Log

It helps to put goals in writing. Before you go to bed at night, jot down what you hope to accomplish in the next dayīs work session. Note whether or not you are meeting these goals. This is helpful, especially if you are working on multiple projects.
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People watching

If youīre looking for a fresh story element, try eavesdropping in the park or while riding the subway. Carry a notebook around with you. Jot down the wacky things people say and do. Describe an unusual looking person you see on the street, and try to imagine what his life might be like. Our best story ideas sometimes come from strangers we never get to meet.
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Keeping track of characterization

Since novels are large, it is helpful to keep a written account of the specifics of each characterīs inner self. Likes, dislikes, catch phrases, experiences, favorite possessions, etc. This will help you stay consistent through to the end and probably save you some revision time.
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Writing to rewrite

When youīre working on a first draft of something, just WRITE. Get the emotions, the character motivations, etc., on paper. Save time-consuming edits for later. We write to rewrite!
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Burying your dialogue

Sometimes itīs better not to use quoted speech in a story. This is true if what a character is saying can easily be summarized by the narrator. This is what we call "burying" the dialogue. Alternating passages of buried speech with quoted speech often improves the sceneīs rhythm. Here is an example of a line of speech we could easily bury, because its info can be summarized without sacrificing flavor:

"The shopgirl put the bracelet into a paper bag and rang him up.
īIīll just put your receipt in the bag.ī she said."

We donīt need to "hear" the clerk say sheīs going to put the receipt in the bag.
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Pīs & Qīs of Submitting Work

You may be lucky enough to find a journal that offers online or email submission options. For most journals, however, youīll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

*Do include a copy of the story/poem/essay, as well as a SASE that the magazine can use for your acceptance/rejection slip.

*Do let the magazine know if youīve published elsewhere--this sometimes ups your chances.

*DONīT tell them if youīve sent the piece to other journals ("simultaneous submission"). Many forbid it and will send your submission straight to the recycle bin.

*Donīt call the magazine to find out the status of your submission.
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Use Your Bad Memories

 Think of the most terrible moment of your life. Maybe it was the death of someone close to you, or a very bad breakup or divorce. Even though these moments are in the past, they can still invoke intense emotions. Use your feelings and emotions to create a character or play up a scene in your current writing project. Using your own emotions makes a major difference in the honesty of the story.
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Freewrite Daily

 Freewriting daily in a journal or a blog helps keep the 'juices flowing' even if you are not currently working on a creative writing piece. This makes it a lot easier to come up with ideas when you do start a short story, poem, or novella.


Bonus: A journal or blog may also become a source of your own story ideas if you have writer's block.
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Visual Inspiration

 If you are experiencing writer's block and are unable to think of the right word, situation, character, or story line, one of the easiest ways to get ideas is to browse through photography websites.


Some great websites that have several categories of photos include:


photos.com


Flickr: Explore!


photo.net


Picasa Web Albums: Explore
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Keep a Little Black Book

 Buy a small hardcover journal that can fit in your purse, back pocket, or car. This way, every time you see something that catches your attention that might fit into one of your stories, write it down. Sometimes something that is seen or overheard can help you create the perfect character for your next story!
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Write a Story in Pictures

 Instead of a writing a story, create one using pictures you've found on the internet or in old catalogs or magazines. Then, ask a friend to guess the plot of the story! This is a fun game to do with close friends, family, or loved ones.
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Freelance Writing Sources

 Occasionally freelance writing sites will post jobs for fiction writers. However, creative writers are luckily enough to find work in all sorts of areas, from marketing to blogging. Below are some links to a few popular freelance writing sites.


 


http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com


http://www.odesk.com


http://www.freelancewriting.com


http://www.guru.com


http://www.craigslist.org
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Create a Free Writing Website

 In order to get your writing out there, you can build a free website at several different websites, including http://www.freewebs.com and http://www.wordpress.com. Additionally, there are many free resources out there that can help you create the website that you want. http://www.bravenet.com is one of my favorites.
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Find Resources in CraigsList

From finding a local writer's group where you can get your work read and critiqued, to finding writing jobs, CraigList is a great resource to help you with all your creative writing endeavors. Just be careful of scams- don't send money over the internet and meet writing groups in public places!


 


http://www.craigslist.org
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Join an online writerīs community

Writing communities like Writing.com are great outlets for your creativity when you want to relax and have some fun. You can create and post haikus, write a column about telemarketers, and offer feedback on what other registered authors are doing. You can be as silly or serious as you want.
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Be an observer

Good poetry resides in its authorīs observations. Always remember when trying to get an idea across that you are the readerīs eyes and ears on the subject youīre writing about.
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Basic Web Design for Writers

If you want a writing career these days, it doesnīt hurt to be literate in either HTML or Java. Fortunately, neither is difficult to learn, and you can easily pick them up from the slew of online tutorials available.

EchoEcho.com has tons of web design resources to get you started.
http://www.echoecho.com/
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