Excerpt: The Writing Party Inspirations

By: Anna Hallett and Mary Discenza, The Writing Party 

When you attend a Writing Party, you will explore your creative side, inspire each other, and have fun. Because we want to provide lots of time for inspiration, games, and writing, we try to keep the writing lessons to a minimum during Writing Party events. Hence our book The Writing Party Inspirations. Here we bring together a more complete summary of the writing process, techniques, and sources of inspiration than we are able to provide during an event. It’s meant to be a complement to a Writing Party event as well as a book of ideas, information, and inspiration to help aspiring writers. We hope you embrace the joy of writing.

Below is an excerpt from The Writing Party Inspirations which will provide a broad overview of the contents of the book.

Chapter 1 Why Write

Let’s talk about inspiration. A lot of people say they don’t write or they don’t like to write because they don’t know what to write about. We all know how to write—we learned how in first grade and we’ve been writing ever since. Did you send a text message today? That’s writing. An e-mail? That’s writing too. Maybe your job requires you to write reports, reviews, or evaluations. Even taking a phone message—that’s writing.

The difference here is that we’re talking about creative writing. Ah, I can hear you saying now, “Yeah, Creative Writing. I have no imagination. I don’t have any ideas.” That’s one of the main reasons we began The Writing Party. We think you’ll find when you attend a Writing Party event and as you work your way through this book, we can inspire you with lots of ideas and you will surprise yourself with your own abilities.

Writing is good for you
Did you know that writing – especially expressive writing, such as in a journal – reduces stress and anxiety? A study from Michigan State University reveals that writing can help you stop worrying (Guanipa, Maria Fernanda. (2017, September 16). New Study Says that Writing Can Help You Stop Worrying. Retrieved from http://www.pulseheadlines.com/study-writing-stop-worrying/67140/). In fact, writing down the things that cause anxiety can help to alleviate stress and concerns.

Expressive writing involves using your imagination to create, reducing your focus on all the worries, pressures, and stresses in your life. Less worry means decreased tendencies towards anxiety related disorders and diseases and improved immune systems. So relax, reduce some stress, and begin writing.

Writing fiction
Writing is an art, it’s a craft, it’s a skill. In this book, we’re going to give you several tools to get you started and we think when you use them you’ll find tapping into your inner Shakespeare (or Stephen King, or Patricia Cornwell, or Robert Frost or whichever writer you most admire) is easier than you think.

After all, everyone has a story to tell, a bit of wisdom to impart, or a memory to pass on. Writing these down can represent a little piece of yourself for family and friends to treasure and share.

Some of you may know exactly what you want to write. You may have been planning to write it for years. And that is one of the reasons we are here. You have probably said, “If I had the time, or the place, or the right motivation, I know exactly what I want to write.” This is now the time, the place, and the guide you need to get started, get motivated, and get writing that piece that has been haunting you for so long. And for a little extra push, you are always welcome at the next Writing Party event.

We have included in this book an outline on method and techniques for writing and a few format ideas to help you process through your own writing.

Chapters 2 through 6 provide you with a brief summary of the writing process. You’ll find a quick overview on traditional structures that have worked for countless authors.

Chapter 7 includes the format for several types of Poetry forms, both long, such as sonnets, and short, such as limericks and haikus. We have also provided the definitions of the traditional poetry meters, such as iambs and dactyls. It is all spelled out here to make it simple to follow.

Writing for love
What about those of you who still have no idea what you want to write or how to get started? We can help.

Do you have a box or a drawer with letters, cards, or notes that you’ve saved over the years and are precious to you? What about essays or poems your children have written? Or memoirs from your parents or grandparents?

My cousin wrote a brief biography of my father. It’s only a few pages, but it’s treasure to me. Something to hold my memories. It is also a story of my father’s wonderful life that will bring his caring, wit, and faith alive for my children and grandchildren. With this piece of writing, I know he will be remembered.

Ask yourself what makes these writings so precious. Why do we save them and smile when we stumble across the old shoebox full of notes? The answer is simple: when loved ones take the time to write a note, a story, a poem, a letter, or a memoir, they are putting a piece of themselves on that page. And you, the recipient or reader, can capture those loved ones for a little while, even if they are no longer with you, by reading what they have written.

Not only is your writing valuable to your family and friends, it can have important historical significance. The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a Research Library with the largest collection of books and manuscripts related to all aspects of American history and culture. Among their prize possessions are a collection of handwritten diaries and letters of ordinary people like you and me.

Take Eleanor Huse Ames, or Ellen as she called herself (Eleanor Huse Ames Diary, 1828-1850, Mss octavo volumes A, American Antiquarian Society, Worcester MA. Retrieved from Gately Bros., Purchase 1998. https://catalog.mwa.org/vwebv/search?searchArg1=Eleanor+Huse+Ames&searchCode1=GKEY&argType1=all&searchType=2&sk=en_US). The Antiquarian Society has three of her diaries written from 1828 to 1850. Ellen had three children and was married to a man who was a manufacturer and mechanic. She wrote about her husband, her family, trips she took, and the third diary was mainly an account book. Two-hundred years later and historians are actually fascinated with how she lived her everyday life and the food, fabric, and household goods she bought.

You have stories about your own life or the life of a relative or friend that deserve to live on. Today you must seize the time to begin recording those precious memories. Consider it a gift for your family and the future.
Or maybe you have a special skill or business knowledge that you are ready to share with the world. Your experience could help future generations work better. Please share your personal journey to success, happiness, fame, or fortune. Tell us how you overcame adversity or lived a simple life of joy.

We encourage you to create your legacy. Read through our memoir, essay, and autobiography prompts in Chapter 8 and put a little bit of yourself down on the page. It can be as simple as going down the list and answering the questions that are important to you.

If you find you are still stumped for something to write about after you’ve considered all the options and suggestions we’ve provided, a sure-fire way to make yourself and someone else happy is to write a letter to let that someone know that he or she has been an important part of your life and you appreciate him or her. Write a letter to someone who’s had a positive impact on your life and say thank you. Or write a letter to yourself, save it and view it years from now. You’ll be surprised how things have changed for you. Or not. It doesn’t have to be fancy or flowery, but a letter – especially if it’s handwritten – is a piece of you to be cherished. Email is efficient, but a letter is a treasure.

Life’s joy can be made up of some of the simplest ingredients. A letter from a friend can brighten your whole day. A love letter is a pleasure to be read again and again. In Chapter 9, we give you a few ideas for your own letter writing. Whether you want to stay connected to a friend, woo a paramour, or you want your thoughts and memories to live on after your death, a letter is an everlasting gift.

In Chapter 10, we introduce “frameables.” Frameables turn your writing into a work of art you can hang on a wall. Frame what you’ve written – letter, poem, short story, memory – and present it as a gift to a loved one. Or perhaps your framed writing can be a reminder to yourself of who you are and what you are thankful for. We have included a list of starter prompts to get you going.

You can also write for the joy of writing by starting a journal. You don’t need to have an audience to reap the benefits of writing. Begin to record your experiences, feelings, and ideas in a notebook. Studies have shown that frequent journaling can have a positive effect on your physical and mental health and on your mood and attitude. In Chapter 11, we give you some ideas to help you get started with your own journal.

When writing for yourself or your family, don’t worry so much about grammar or spelling. In the future, those little idiosyncrasies will only add to the charm of your writing. Best of all, with the passage of time, these writings will reflect not only the person you are, they will also convey to others a broader picture of the times you live in.

Why write?
There are so many reasons to write and some of those reasons do not need to be about publishing. If you write something wonderful and find someone to publish it, that’s great. For many, publishing is the dream. But you can also let yourself write because it makes you feel good. Because it relaxes you. Because you want to share your stories with friends and family. Because you want a piece of you to live on.

If you are looking for ideas for stories or for your daily writing practice, we have provided options in Chapters 12 and 13. Chapter 12 will introduce you to a sample of some of the writing prompts which you will find at Writing Party events. At Writing Party events we provide hundreds of writing prompt ideas for you to explore. Chapter 12 also includes some writing exercises for practice and to help stretch the muscles of your imagination. Chapter 13 provides guidance and ideas for maintaining your writing.

The Writing Party is about inspiring together. We want writing to be fun and invigorating. Let writing be yoga for your mind. So have fun, relax and start writing. And we will see you at the next Writing Party.

It’s time to tell your story and bring your life to words. Stop putting it off!