Resources That Have Helped

Hello World!

Today I list recent resources I've used for inspiration and creativity.

Yesterday, I discussed a pivotal exercise that revealed my novel's true protagonist. It comes from Martha Alderson's Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple (BPPS). The exercise is called "Character Emotional/ Psychological Plot Information" (a title I might have eschewed had she not explained it on her DVD!) If you want to write fiction or non-that follows a plot line, check out BPPS, http://www.blockbusterplots.com/ (the exercise is here as well), and http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/.

Innkeeper/author Marcia Breece gave me her extra copy of BPPS plus DVD when I stayed at her Morgan Hill Retreat near Poulsbo, WA (http://www.morganhillretreat.com/). She shared great advice on writing during our brief conversations and told me to return or pass on BPPS when I finished with it. I don't yet know when that will be (BPPS is that good), but at least I shared how to find it. Don't miss Morgan Hill Retreat for a vacation or creative retreat, and Breece's memoir, Finding This Place, One Woman’s Journey Beyond Restriction, is worth a read as well!

Back before I had heard of BPPS or Marcia Breece, I took a workshop on creativity at Jubilate! Summer Festival. The leader recommended Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way to help free and channel our natural creative abilities. I, too, highly recommend both the book (http://www.theartistsway.com/) and Jubilate! (www.gbgm-umc.org/jubilate!) which are strong sources of creative and spiritual inspiration in my life.

Whew! Sharing these links ended up taking up an amazing amount of time, so I'll close for tonight. (Oops -- I see the night has fled while I googled.) My next entry should be easier reading, though far less rich in creative references. Those are the trade offs!