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Unfinished Business
Elizabeth Lucas Taylor
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
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Men Cry Too: Poems & Prose
Wayne L. Misner
Genre: Poetry
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Yesterday's Falcon
Tim Newman
Genre: Historical Fantasy
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Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton
Jeff Gerth, Don Van Natta, Jr.
Genre: Biography/Memoir
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Frenemies
Megan Crane
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Exposure
Kurt Wenzel
Genre: Fiction
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The Ever-Running Man
Marcia Muller
Genre: Mystery
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Law of Attraction
Michael Losier
Genre: Self Help/New Age
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Walking the Walk
Leslie Sansone
Genre: Health, Fitness & Beauty
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Lone Survivor (Audio Book)
Marcus Luttrell
Genre: Biography / Memoir
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A Font of Knowledge

When composing your written masterpieces, do you have a favorite font?

Okay, I totally stole this week's creativity booster from WritersDigest.com, but when I saw this link, I couldn't resist passing it along to OnceWritten.com subscribers.

In their last newsletter, Writers Digest references an article at slate.com, which interviewed prominent writers to see what their favorite font was? If you want to see the complete results, visit: http://www.slate.com/id/2166947/

This article was posted in the June 1 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

Creating Your Reality with Goal Setting

You know that when you write down your plans and goals they have a much better chance of becoming reality. Having them bounce around in your brain, competing with all the other noise that's up there is great, but for dramatically increase results, you have to write it down. It never ceases to amaze me, on my own goal (AKA to do) lists how I'll write down every little thing I can think of, both for long and short term goals, and even if I've completely forgotten that list existed, when I come across it years later, most of the items have been done. In order to help you figure out your most pressing goals, Cigna Health has developed a goal-setting worksheet that is pretty cool. Print this sheet out, take yourself on a nice, quiet, solo Starbucks date, and just spend an hour dreaming about and planning your future. Cigna Health Goal Setting Worksheet.

This article was posted in the May 7 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

Trying to Do Too Much?

Like most creative types, you are probably trying to accomplish too many thing at once. Wearing the cap of worker, parent, friend, spouse, child, and numerous other labels is often in direct conflict with trying to wear the writer's mantle. Stress becomes a frequent companion when we try to to be perfect or even when we try to do too much. If you are looking for a way to de-stressify (not sure that's a word, but I like it) your life, visit the Ririan Project blog, for a posting on "Ten Commandments for a Stress-Free Life." Scroll down, past the Google ads, for a common sense reminder on how to live your own life to the fullest. www.ririanproject.com/2006/11/22/ten-commandments-for-a-stress-free-life/.

This article was posted in the May 1 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

Do Something New Every Day

Many of the pundits suggest that a great way to become more creative is to do something new every day. While a daily novelty may be a hard schedule to keep, at least once a week try to fire up your creative juices by finding new things to do. If you're having a hard time coming up with new ideas, the Discover Fun website offers 1,200 suggestions (in 30 categories) of "Fun Things to Do." My favorite section is the spontaneous section. The part about asking people which direction to take made me think of the time my friend and I headed out on Sunset Boulevard with a video camera and told people that we were filming a movie. We just loved the responses we got when we asked them to be in our film. And I based a recent short story of mine on one of the people we met that day. www.discoverfun.com.

This article was posted in the April 9 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

What If You Could Make Headlines?

Okay so maybe you aren't ready yet to start generating real headlines, but still, if you're thinking about your name in lights, you might want to use the news to create a creative visualization for yourself. Write down one of your goals, edit it into one or two short paragraphs, and then post the text at www.getclippings.com/index.php to generate a personalized newspaper clipping for yourself. Print the clipping, post it on a wall, and use it to remind yourself to keep moving along. Want to see mine?

This article was posted in the April 2 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

We're Giving Away Free Books

Information Systems 101: A Business Owner's Guide for Staying Afloat
C. Oakes Templeman
Genre: Business
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Jim's Bahamas Adventure: Small Boats vs. the Devil's Triangle
Stephen L. Blain
Genre: Action/Adventure
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Qualifying Laps: A Brewster County Novel
Nash Black
Genre: Thriller
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Swap
Sam Moffie
Genre: General Fiction
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Silent People: Hearing the Call of the Dodder
Yvonne Jerrold
Genre: General Fiction
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Afternoons with Emily
Rose MacMurray
Genre: General Fiction
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The Naming of the Dead (Audio Book)
Ian Rankin
Genre: Political Drama
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Chasing Life
Dr. Sanja Gupta, M.D.
Genre: Health & Beauty
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Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50
Michael Cunningham, Connie Briscoe
Genre: Biography/Memoir
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Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover
Hannah Keeley
Genre: Self-Help
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Transparency
Frances Hwang
Genre: Short Stories
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Sight Unseen
Samantha Graves
Genre: Romantic Suspense
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Time Management and Avoiding Procrastination

In the spirit of today's "Finding More Time" issue I'm also focusing on procrastination as a time sucker. Secondary to saying "I don't have enough time," procrastinating until we are sure we don't have enough time left is another way of sucking up time and acting as a detriment to your goals. For a fun article on overcoming procrastination, visit www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm now. The Mind Tools site has lots of cool advice for developing your career skills.

This article can be found in the March 26 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks weekly newsletter.

Giving Your Character Gainful Employment

We all know in fiction there is a tendency in fiction to overuse high-profile careers. Enough cops, doctors, lawyers and secret service men already. If you're looking for a cool career for your character, you might want to consider some of the following jobs: economist, environmental scientist, landscape architect, or even a zookeeper. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, (yes, the same people who give us our regular unemployment statistic updates), has a cool page for educators of types of careers, as well as a complete A-Z page, and an overview of what each career does, how to get the job, and an average idea of how much that career pays. Looking to get your characters a job? Visit http://www.bls.gov/k12/index.htm.

You Can Have What You Want

One of my most favorite new websites is www.geniuscatalyst.com, a site that is devoted to helping you get what you want out of life. A great article posted there is entitled "How to Win Games and Influence Dolphins" which gives baby step suggestions on setting up goals to make them attainable. You can find the article at: www.geniuscatalyst.com/public/tipoftheday_s.php.

Get Motivated to Get Organized

Last year one of the most popular "Get Past the Block" columns was the one I wrote about clearing out your clutter. So take a look at those new year's resolutions (you are still doing them, right?) and if you had get organized or some variation on your list, visit the LifeOrganizers.com website to learn "20 Little Known Organizing Secrets Used by Professional Organizers."
www.lifeorganizers.com.

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Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

We're Giving Away FREE Books

Consolation
Michael Redhill
Genre: General Fiction
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Red River (Audio Book)
Lalita Tademy
Genre: Historical Fiction
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The Mormon Way of Doing Business
Jeff Benedict
Genre: Business & Money
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Holiday Tradition

A holiday tradition my family enjoys is that every year our Christmas Eve dinner consists of some type of seafood dish. (Yummy). Seems we aren't the only ones. This 2004 article from the San Francisco Chronicle details people's favorite holiday seafood meals (with recipes.)

www.sfgate.com.



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Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Favorite TV Catch Phrases

TV Land has just listed the top 100 television catch phrases of all times. From "You're Fired," to "Where's the Beef," this is a fun list, with many phrases that will really take you back in time. "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." Before you check the list, try to write down as many of your favorites, and then take a look at which ones made the final list. My favorite catch phrase that didn't make the list? "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" 

www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml.




* * * *

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Homemade Holiday Cards

Are you looking to personalize your card giving efforts this year. Maybe you're hoping to save a few pennies on the expensive process known as card giving. The very cool making-greeting-cards.com website has lots of easy ideas for making really cool homemade cards. Most of the cards are easy to make, and you will get some great ideas over there. To check out their selection of holiday cards, visit www.making-greeting-cards.com/christmas-cards-ideas.html.


* * * *

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

We're Giving Away FREE Books!

Cold Case
Christopher Ash
Genre: Science Fiction
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Michael Mina: The Cookbook
Michael Mina
Genre: Entertainment
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Hollywood Station (Audio Book)
Joseph Wambaugh
Genre: Action/Adventure
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Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins
Rupert Everett
Genre: Biography/Memoir
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Everybody Loves Somebody
Joanna Scott
Genre: General Fiction
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Crimson Portrait
Jody Shields
Genre: General Fiction
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To Do Lists on Steroids

Managing your to-do lists can be a real headache. If you're like me, you have three legal-size pages of notes, two cocktail napkins scribbled with things you've "just remembered" and don't forget the six phone messages to yourself, reminding you not to forget what you wrote on the cocktail napkin. If you're managing a group project, with more than one person responsible for getting things done, the to do list can take on a life of its own.

A handy website to help you manage your life's to-dos is www.backpackit.com. The application is super easy to learn how to use, and you can manage one or multiple lists over there. You can make your list public to a few people, so they can keep up with their own action items, or you can make it public to the world. Take a sneak peek at my "mock" list at http://mpoling.backpackit.com/pub/844077.


* * * *

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

What's Up in Your Neighborhood?

I live in Hollywood. A place that once was glamorous, then spent the better part of four decades being ratty and gross, and now is dedicating much energy to becoming trendy and glamorous once again. I like the community, because the people reflect this dichotomy. Hipsters live alongside out-of-work actors.

What has always seemed odd to me is the huge divide between income and housing costs in my community. The average household income here is 27K annually (less than half the state average) but the average home price is is more than 500K and the average apartment rent is $1,600 which is nearly 25% higher than the state average. How are all us poor people affording to live in this community, I ask?

Want the inside skinny on your neighborhood? Visit www.neighboroo.com to learn more about the (U.S.) community where you live.



Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

What do Nietzsche and Family Circus Have in Common?

Not that much really, except for maybe the website LosAnjealous.com. This site will take random quotes from Nietzsche and combines them with random pictures from the Family Circus cartoon. (You know the round Bill Keane cartoons with the dog Barfy?) Sounds weird, right, but these pictures really do seem to match up quite well with the quotes. And with such quotes like "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man," Nietzsche seems to have been writing directly to the needs of writers.

www.losanjealous.com/nfc/

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Need a Pick Me Up?

The fun new book Pick Me Up (September 2006, DK Children) offers a wealth of information on things children and adults should know as well as things they may want to know. After all, does anyone really NEED to know how to make fake movie vomit? From a graphic timeline of how and when dinosaurs ruled the earth to information on the dynamics of color, there's a whole lot of knowledge packed in this book. Equally engaging is the Pick Me Up website. It's a non-linear path with no rhyme or reason (and some of the links are slow to react), but if you want to enjoy a great time sucker with an educational bonus, then this is the place to go.

http://kiddk.com/static/html/pickmeup/

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Dilbert (Scott Adams) on Writers Block. . .

Scott Adams, the very funny writer of the Dilbert comic strip is one of the many individuals that contributes to the blogosphere. Dilbert.blog is updated almost daily with words of advice and humor. Recent posts have included musings that John Mark Karr (the self-confessed killer of Jon Benet Ramsey) should run for congress, as well as knowing when to quit a failing business. Nearly a year ago, he also posted on how he deals with writers block. To read more, visit
http://dilbertblog.typepad.com.

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Anyone Else Tired of Campaign Commercials?

First, my apologies to international readers. I usually like to keep this section more international. But if you are a breathing American (resident) with a television set, you can't help but be over saturated with election commercials. In California the hot-issues are Prop 87--The Clean Energy Bill, and whether Governor Schwarzenegger is too much like President Bush to re-elect. (I'm not editorializing, just recapping some of the commercials for you).

If you are a responsible voter, interested in becoming a responsible voter, or a writer looking for more information on government officials, the Vote Smart website is the perfect resource. The site provides information on candidates and elected officials. You can enter your zip code, find the candidates running for office in your area, and also see who your current state and federal representatives are.

Dig deeper and the site even has biographical information on current officials, including their voting record, what their positions are on key issues, and even how their campaigns are financed. An overview of ballot issues can also be found here. This is one heck of a resource for voters and for writers www.vote-smart.org.


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

We're Giving Away FREE Books!

Psychedelic Six
Paul Spock
Genre: Action/Adventure
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Warrior and Witch
Marie Brennan
Genre: Science Fiction
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The Second Mouse
Archer Mayor
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
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The Blue Taxi
N.S. Köenings
Genre: General Fiction
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Not Easily Broken
T.D. Jakes
Genre: Christian Fiction
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Make Me a Match
Diana Holquist
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Redundant Redundancies

First of all, are you crystal clear on what redundancies are redundant? Some things are just useless and unnecessary and by using them we attach together words we don't need. Each and every one of you should check out the brain candy website to see a list of commonly used redundancies. www.corsinet.com/braincandy/twice.html.


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Rhumba! Those Rattlesnakes Know How to Party

When animals congregate, you may find yourself at a loss when naming their groupings. Sure cattle hang out in a herd, but who knew that more than one monkey makes a barrel, and no, not a wooden one. An army of caterpillars, a wreck of seabirds, even a lounge of lizards. To get a leg up on your next night of Trivial Pursuit, (or to just look really cool at your next dinner party) visit the San Diego Zoo website at www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/got_questions_groups_list.html.

By the way, it turns out you can't tell a leopard by its spots after all, because he doesn't have any. Geez. To wade your way through the markings of the earth's largest pussy cats, the San Diego Zoo offers the following study guide: www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/a-cat_coats.html.


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

"Doing Anything Worthwhile Takes Forever"

This is a great quote I found over at gapingvoid.com while searching an article over there entitled "How to be Creative." This article is not so much about getting out and painting nature while chewing on granola, but rather gives advice on the nuts and bolts of living a creative life.

It offers a lot of fabulous pieces of wisdom, such as "The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do and what you are not."

If you're feeling the need for inspiration, you should definitely check out this article at: www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000876.html.


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Set a Goal . . .

This week we're getting serious about goal setting. I challenge you all to pick ONE thing you REALLY want and set some goal on how to get it. Break the goals down into bite size pieces, and make sure they are do-able in small time increments.

Then make sure you do one thing every single day to get you closer to meeting your goal. For writers, this goal often tends to be around the theme of writing every day.

Seriously try it. Three pages a day.

Handwritten, that will take you less than 30 minutes a day. Do it in the morning, at night, even at line at the bank. Don't let yourself make any excuses, and get those goals done. Or else I'm sending Guido over to break your knee caps.

Some of the members of the OnceWritten.com forum are setting their own goals. You can see what they're planning at: http://www.oncewritten.com/Community/viewtopic.php?t=210. Do feel free to pitch in.

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

We're Giving Away FREE Books!

Death to Fool Boys Incorporated
Kenner Bisch
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
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Climb Every Obstacle
Anita Jefferson
Genre: Motivation/Self-Help
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Men are all Murderers and Women are all Whores: A Satire
Justin Zaza
Genre: General Fiction
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The Devil Comes to Larkspur
Carol S. Neumann
Genre: Occult/Paranormal
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Newport
Edward T. Duranty
Genre: Action/Adventure
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Against a Crimson Sky
James Conroyd Martin
Genre: Historical Fiction
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Defeated: Book One of Darkness Among the Stars
S.D. McKee
Genre: Science Fiction
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Real Women Don't Wear Size 2: Warning: Dangerous Curves Ahead
Kelley St. John
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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The Waldorf Astoria Cookbook
John Doherty, John Harrisson
Genre: Cookbook
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Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style
Richard Torregrossa
Genre: Entertainment
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Second Hand Smoke
Karen E. Olson
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
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Monkey Portraits
Jill Greenberg
Genre: Arts/Photography
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Write a Life Plan

Last week I mentioned my life plan, and a couple of subscribers asked me about it. I'm a big believer that you can get what you want, as long as you tell the universe (and yourself) that you want it. I've had huge success with writing down my goals, and am often amazed when I look back on old lists. I've often accomplished most of the things on my lists, even the items I forgot I had written down.

In the absence of my having a formal life planner to share with you all, I found a cool one over at Start Up Nation, an awesome website for small business owners. This is a favorite site of mine, with tons of really great information. An overview of life planning can be found at: http://www.startupnation.com/pages/start/Step1.asp and the page has a template, a sample, and audio files to help you get started.

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Coming Soon. . . To a Television Near You

Okay, even the most productive and prolific among us need a little downtime. And while I'm not a huge fan of the television (I don't even have cable), I admit that every fall I get excited about the potential offered by the new season.

As always, there are a few television programs coming next season that have caught my eye. With the first premieres having aired early this week, it's time to start plotting my fall TV consumption strategy. (By October my madness will wear off, but I admit there's so much advertising right now, I'm totally caught up in the hype.)

If you're interested in finding out when your favorites and anticipated new favorites will air, check out: www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2006fall/index.shtml. For a channel by channel line up, check out this page: www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2006fall/networks.shtml. Then get back to writing, okay?


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Find Your Inner Artist

I'm often touting the importance of being creative in multiple channels. Writers can benefit from other right-brained activities such as drawing, painting, collage or other low-stress activities. What to do, though, if you are an art Klutz like me? Get a children's book and start from scratch. Seriously. One of my most favorite books on watercolor is the Klutz Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. By painting like a child, you'll let go of all your disappointments that your first piece isn't the next Michelangelo. Once you forgive yourself for your crappy art first drafts, maybe you'll forgive yourself for your crappy first writing drafts as well. www.klutz.com/catalog/product/2101.



Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Free Creative Writing Prompts for June 19, 2006

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Build Character--Cut out 20 images from magazines and write personal profiles for each image you've cut out. Now use some of those profiles in a short story.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
Story Idea--Write a story or scene about three children who have snuck aboard a private yacht when the owner comes on board.

www.oncewritten.com/FreeCreativeWritingPrompts.php

Free Creative Writing Prompts for June 5, 2006

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Story Idea--Write a story about a man who finds $30,000 in the trunk of his wife's car.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
First Line--With the opening of the twelfth Starbucks in my neighborhood, we'd officially entered the era of urban sameness.


www.oncewritten.com/FreeCreativeWritingPrompts.php

June 2006 Book GiveAways

The Magic & the Mundane: A Guide for the Writer's Journey
P. June Diehl
Genre: Non-Fiction


Kushiel's Scion
Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy



Superman Returns
Marv Wolfman
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy



Angel with Attitude
Michelle Rowen
Genre: Romance/Chick-Lit



How to Set his Thighs on Fire
Kate White
Genre: Non-Fiction: Self Help



A Field of Darkness
Cornelia Read
Genre: Mystery/Suspense



Enter to Win These Books Now

Free Creative Writing Prompts for May 29, 2006

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Story Idea--Write a story about two alien space ships who land on earth at the same time and both claim to want to colonize the planet.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
Build Character--Put your character in a restaurant, waiting for a blind date that never shows up.

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Free Creative Writing Prompts for May 22, 2006

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Story Idea--Write a scene or story about four brothers who are all attracted to the same woman.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
First Line--Conversational etiquette eluded Alana. What was wrong, for example, with telling Mrs. Stanivish that her dress did indeed make her look fat?

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This Week's Free Creative Writing Prompts

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Story Idea--Write a short story from the point of view of an animal. Do your turtles want to escape their tank, does your cat dream of riding the dog? Tell their tale.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
Build Character--Get into someone else's head. When is the last time you said "I just don't understand people like that?" Maybe it's a grocery clerk who smashed your bread beneath the milk, a person who cut you off on the freeway and then drove 20 miles an hour, someone who stole jewelry from a major department store. Now write a brief story about that person, what makes them tick, why they feel they have to do the things they do.

Creative Writing Prompt #3
Creative Flow--As quick as you possibly can, write down 15 verbs that mean "to go." Now write a sentence for each verb, making sure to take into consideration the nuance of each different verb.

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This Week's Free Creative Writing Prompts

Creative Writing Prompt #1
Write a story about a muralist who has the ability to capture and control the souls of the people he paints.

Creative Writing Prompt #2
Write a five page story today on any subject you like. When you've finished, practice your editing skills by turning the story into a two page story without altering any of the plot.

Creative Writing Prompt #3
Write a story that starts with the following line..."On her 80th birthday, Aunt Margaret handed her family members brightly colored stickers and told them to start tagging the things wanted after she was gone."

For more prompts, visit the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page now.

Free Stuff for Writers

You've probably noticed the complete overhaul of OnceWritten.com by now. We're focusing more on relevant content, cleaning up the site, and making it easier for you to navigate.

Our lastest addition is a "Free Content for Writers" page. We've found some cool, free things for writers, and put them all in one place. Take a look now at

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