Keys for Writing- Music and other tidbits they won't teach you in class.

I've been writing since the eighth grade, and in that time I've learned a few things that they won't teach you in a creative writing class that help me write pieces that just keep getting better and better. Now bear in mind that these are techniques I use, and while they work for me, they won't always work for you. But it's a place to start.

Before you begin writing, it helps to know something about yourself -- namely, your learning style. As an Education minor, I have to take a lot of classes on teaching and the best ways to teach, and I've found that people process information in one of several ways. You can be an audial learner, a visual learner, or a kinesthetic learner. Once you've determined which one of these you are, it will help to discover which techniques may work for bettering your writing.

I'm a visual learner, which means I like to see things in order to process them. To incorporate this into my writing, I make photocollages or backgrounds to coincide with the piece I have front and center at the moment.
I made this background for a friend, but if you're writing about the golden age of Hollywood, it helps get you in the mood a little bit. An acting friend of mine once told me that one of the things he does to prep for a production is to copy out his script so that each page has a blank side, and put them in a note book. You can fill the blank side with images to help you remember or evoke things on that page of script. This is the same idea.

Since I'm also an audial learner, listening to music or watching a movie is also a great way for me to try and find inspiration. I have folders in my Music Library labeled "Gilded Age Tunes" "Medieval Songs" and "Sea-Sailing Shanties" all filled with mood music for a particular type of story. The Sea Sailing songs? I listen to those when I'm writing Master and Commander Fanfic. As an additional bonus, listening to period appropriate music (like Boccherini when you're writing from the Patrick O'Brien canon) will give you some allusions to make in your story that will really impress readers.

Your music of choice doesn't have to be period appropriate --If listening to death metal helps you write battle scenes, go for it! Find what works for you.

But sometimes, silence is the key. In this day and age where some people can't seem to walk down the stairs without turning on their iPod, I think we often forget that sometimes silence is the most helpful writing tool of all. It gives you space to formulate your own thoughts. I like to write with my window open so I can hear the birds and the wind rustling the bushes and the crickets. That grounds me. What grounds you?

One of my most helpful writing tools is a walk. Yes, a walk. Around the block, to the park, upstairs to refill my waterbottle. Walking gets you away from the material for a little bit and it also recirculates your blood. When you have blood moving to your brain, ideas come a lot easier. Plus, the change of scenery may inspire something. My room is in the basement of my house; I do some of my best writing when I'm upstairs in the kitchen. I'll walk upstairs, make dinner, and while my water is boiling, jot down notes on a slip of paper. The change of scene, along with the recirculating blood, helps.

While we're on the subject of brains, let's discuss water. I always write with a 24 oz water bottle sitting right next to my computer. Why? Because a hydrated brain is a productive brain. They've done studies on students in elementary schools that show that a student's attention and focus will slack off if he or she is not drinking enough water. Your body is nearly 70% H20 -- You need to keep it that way. A dehydrated brain is only thinking about one thing -- NEED WATER. I don't mean go up and pop open a can of Sprite. I don't mean go out and get your favorite Starbucks. I mean water. Plain and simple. Get a reusable water bottle and make your friend Mercury happy by not wasting plastic.

If you're a kinesthetic learner, finding an 'artifact' to help inspire you (such as a certain food if you're writing a feast scene or a piece of fabric when you're trying to write a costume intensive scene) might be helpful. Making a scrapbook page could also help -- cutting out pictures and associating colors can open a host of ideas to you.

These are just a few things that I've found helpful. If there's a technique you've tried in the past that you'd like to share with me, feel free to leave a comment!