Hello, call me Ministar. That is pronounced like a shortening of "Miniature Star," not like "minister." I came up with the name awhile back when my friends and I joked about creating a female band much like the girl groups of Korea and felt it was necessary to give ourselves cute-sounding nicknames. Ministar, however, simply stuck. Probably because I'm only five feet tall. Grr. In any case, to give you a brief age-sex-location overview, I am nineteen years old, female, and I live in the United States of America. I'm attending my first semester of college in the spring of 2011 and I will be focusing on English as a major until/unless I decide I actually want a job later in life. Like so many people nowadays I plan on writing novels that will fall in the genre of speculative fiction, and I'm a sucker for steampunk and/or the combination of technology and magic. I also like writing about crazy people. They are far more interesting than normal people. Also, does anyone else need to "get themselves in the mood" for writing? Not that writing is like a chore, but I delight in setting atmosphere, dimming the lights, putting on music and the like before I begin writing.
Hi there Star Nice to meet you! I'm new too. And no, I don't ever get myself in the mood for writing by altering the atmosphere of my surroundings. I find that I can't force myself to write when I don't want to. I just have to wait for inspiration to hit. It's very frustrating, I must say
Oh dear. That can be quite frustrating. I find that a taking a break from writing and using my creativity to do something else is very helpful when I feel unable to write. Drawing, even doodling terrible scribbles, can be very therapeutic. Singing is an art in the sense that vocalists must convey a certain mood and ultimately act out the part of the character from whose perspective the song is written. Even if you can't draw or sing and take no pleasure from doing either of them, doing something simple, such as compiling photographs you find interesting or creating a playlist based on a certain theme, can oil the gears in your brain.
Indeed. It can. But when I set out to do these things with the sole intention of getting inspired to write it never works out. Distractions aren't really distractions when you do them for the sake of distracting yourself The inspiration to write is something that hits me when I least expect it. It's frustrating, but I have grown accustomed to it. Luckily enough, it strikes often enough
Welcome. I don't alter where I am to write, it never really crossed my mind too, but I do like writing outside by a lake or in a park when the weather is good.
Hello MiniStar, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Hi, Ministar. Welcome to Wf. I hope you have loads of fun here For me, I just end up writing in whatever mood I'm in. I will listen to music occasionally when I write, but I find it distracting sometimes. Especially if it's vocal 'Cause I end up singing right along.
