J. Scott Milford's Blog (10)

Problem: You need enthusiasm but you so rarely use it that you don’t remember how to turn it on. Solution: Try these strategies (partial list*) to get your enthusiasm machine up and running smoothly once again while producing massive quantities of enthusiasm. * All about you: Enthusiasm comes from you, no matter what external event you think has triggered it. It’s your thoughts, ultimately, that turn on your enthusiasm-generating power. * In the Zone: Avoid… Continue

A lot of writers talk about having trouble coming up with character names. Since I never have this problem, I thought I'd share a few of my own tips for generating character names. 1) Be Observant Start paying attention to all the words that are around you. Notice brand names in stores, company names on shipping trucks, business names on signage. Look for names in newspapers, magazines, web sites, and on TV. I especially like watching for street names. Notice what real-life name c… Continue

Every writer needs inspiration, from time to time. Likewise, every writer needs a little motivation when they get distracted or bogged down. I am interested in hearing your story. Please answer the following questions: 1) From where do you draw inspiration? 2) How do you get yourself motivated when you need a little push? ------------------------------ Here are my answers. 1) I am so fascinated with the world around me that I need only to observe people, pla… Continue

Can you write a fictional story in 140 characters or less? Maybe not a complete story, but how about a teaser sentence? By now, many of you have probably already heard of Twitter. There are many options today when trying to decide how to get involved in social networking. In fact, when you joined The Marshall Planet, you joined into a social network of writers who use or are interested in The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, et. al. In addition, there’s Faceboo… Continue

As writers, we're all faced with moments where logic tells us we need to sit down and get writing if we ever want to have a career as a writer. We tell ourselves that we have yet to write some of our best ideas--of which there are plenty. We tell ourselves that we love writing; we NEED to write. Why, then, is it so difficult at times to get ourselves motivated to write? Motivation (cultivating an energetic desire to accomplish or participate in a specific task) has a lot of complicated moving p… Continue

Though I don't consider myself an Ernest Hemingway fan, he is considered a writing god to many aspiring writers. In spite of the fact that I've studied his writing style and it didn't appeal to me, the man was a writer and an experienced one, at that. With experience comes wisdom. And today I ran across a little wisdom in the form of writing tips from Hemingway. Here are his four tips: 1) Use short sentences 2) Use short paragraphs 3) Use vigorous English 4) Be posit… Continue

I'm a people watcher, I admit it. I used to not understand why some people enjoyed watching other people. What's the point? Were they trying to live vicariously off the people they watched? As I evolve in life, I've become more and more fascinated with all things great and small--from the universe to ant in my front yard. I marvel at this wonderfully complex yet simple universe we live in. I was born in Detroit, Michigan and then moved to central Virginia almost ten years ago. Since I've moved,… Continue

I'm very curious how each one of you captures ideas for stories or novels. When I'm actively writing a novel or short story, I always have a pad of paper and a pen with me where ever I go. Actually, I usually carry it with me even when I'm not writing anything specific. But when I'm actively writing, I find that just about anything can trigger an idea. I log all my ideas for short stories or longer fiction on my computer. Sometimes I get ideas in a flood-like download where I'm deluged with a… Continue

We've nearly reached the end of 2008. I did a lot of writing this year but didn't hit some key goals because my priorities changed part way through the year. It's can be hard to balance writing with other priorities especially when those other priorities impact other people. In 2009, I'm starting a new blog which will involve more writing. Also, I'm planning to guest write on some other blogs as well. Additionally, I'd like to work on the print angle of writing and get published again. These a… Continue

Today, a book review I wrote for The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing was published online at the I Should Be Writing website. You can read the review directly at this link: Book Review by J. Scott Milford If you read it, please take a minute to leave a comment at… Continue