Quick writing practice -- time yourself and write about the following word for one minute (and one minute only) -- when you are finished, post your response to the blog.

Word: gladiator

Sample: Spartan – muscles –strength abounds in this specimen – violence and truth combine into one well-oiled package of masculinity

If you want - you can also complete this at the writing site : oneword.com and then copy and paste it into the blog (the word changes daily at the oneword site - so you can continue to post there for fun if you want)

Many claim that Ernest Hemingway's BEST story is only 6 words long : "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Try your hand at this extreme form of story-telling. Write your own and submit it to this blog.

Getting Ready to Write

I know you are all chomping at the bit -- ready to buckle down and WRITE. Awesome, 'cause that's what we're going to do. In order to prepare for this first step towards creation there are a few pieces of advice I'd like to offer:
1) Don't try to write the whole story in one night -- let your story develop slowly. If you rush, your reader will know. You may skimp on details, or your inclusion of details may be unbalanced. By letting your ideas grow at a steady pace, you increase the chances of there being a logical flow to your narrative.
2) SHARE your writing with others. Readers are your best critics. If they don't get it -- you need to fix it. Nus said.
3) Use DIALOGUE. There is nothing more BORING than a narrator reporting all of the action from afar -- take us into the nitty-gritty of the action -- we want to hear what your characters say so that we develop a bond with them.
4) KEEP WRITING. Consistency, more than talent, is what will get you through this nightmare called Creative Writing. Putting it off only makes it harder.