Someone has to tell the story before anyone can listen to it. An unspoken story can never be heard.

How many stories pass through your life everyday without you taking note of them, without writing them down or telling them to someone else? What did you do today? That is a story in itself. You take it for granted that your own story wouldn't be interesting. But if everyone thought that there would be very few stories told.

What did you do today? Write it, tell it or show it. Make it a story. Adlib, exaggerate, outright lie if you want to, but tell your story. Some part of your day will be interesting to someone. If you don't write it, talk about it or draw it, who will?

Today I was thinking about all the stories I could tell if I just stopped and wrote them all down. When someone says they have writer's block I think they just stopped looking. The stories are everywhere, every day. If it seems boring, make it interesting. You are the writer. Write!

Once you're labelled overly dramatic and too sensitive can you ever trust yourself and your feelings again? Is anything you feel real or is it all part of some self created melo drama?

Draw your own self portrait, even if you don't think you can draw. Consider the details. What would you be doing, how would you be sitting, what things would be around you in the background and in the foreground?

How would you present yourself, the writer, the family person or some other aspects of who you are? Now go ahead and draw, it doesn't matter if it's a work of art, suitable for framing. It's just for you. Unless it becomes such a masterpiece that you simply must share it!

Now that you are into drawing mode...

Dr. Seuss often got his ideas by doodling. Draw a picture/ doodle and ask yourself why? Why did this happen? How did this happen? How can you explain it all in a story.

What do you usually doodle when on the phone, waiting on hold? Some people doodle shapes, some doodle faces and some create whole pictures. What would you say about your doodles to someone else. How would you describe it? Where did it start and where will it end?

If you enjoy doodling and drawing at all consider making sketches as you write. Especially if you are writing fiction. Draw the characters you are writing about, give them a face on paper, not just in words but in real lines, angles and shapes. Are they happy, scowling, reading a good book? What did you catch your characters doing?

If you write non-fiction drawing it out is good too. Draw what you are describing to someone else. Make it more visible to yourself. Delve just that bit deeper and figure it out from another angle. How does it all really work? When you journal draw or doodle your thoughts, things and people you saw that day.

Doodling can bring a whole new aspect and resource to your writing.

"I write very freely at first, just tons of stuff. At that stage, I try not to revise at all. If the editor in my head comes in too soon and says, ugh, this isn't good, then nothing ever gets past the early steps." Phoebe Gilman

"There are some days when I go to sit down at my drawing table and I just want to cry. Sometimes I do cry. But I've learned to keep working - even if I'm messing up and making mistakes." Trina Schart Hyman

"Nonsense wakes up the brain." Theodor Seuss Geisel

What would you rather be doing? Here you sit at this machine, your face plugged into a monitor your fingers slaving away over a keyboard, chances are you aren't really all that comfortable sitting there... what would you rather be doing?

Think about it. Take your time.... well, ok take all of a minute. I can wait that long.

So? What would you rather be doing than writing? How about sailing, dancing, traveling, swimming, spending money at the mall, enjoying a really good coffee, kissing your sweetheart... it can become quite a list.

So, when you procrastinate instead of writing, why do you tend to do things not even on your list of things you'd rather be doing?

Don't give me that innocent look.

Next time you start to procrastinate by playing some computer game, watching the soaps, checking for email and so on and on, stop and think. What would you really rather be doing?

Then take some time and do it. At least a modified version of whatever you would rather be doing.

Writing is a job but it's not a torture. If you don't give yourself a break you will suffer and so will your writing. But, make sure you take a real break. Don't just aimlessly procrastinate then feel guilty for it later. Accomplish something and feel good. Come back to your computer ready and happy to write. Refresh yourself by doing something you really would rather be doing.

Besides, everyone knows writing isn't a real job. Our cover is blown, might as well make the most of it.

Write Your Life

Take out a white piece of paper and place it on your kitchen table. You now have two choices. You can write or draw on it, or you can leave it there.

If you write or draw, you control the paper's destiny, the words or images it will express, the character it will display, the very meaning of its existence.

If you choose to leave it on your kitchen table, it will remain white. Over time, if left undisturbed, it will slowly turn yellow, old and weary, with no character and no meaning. But wait. It will not be left undisturbed. Surely something will spill on it. If your kitchen table sees the kind of abuse ours does, it won't take a day before there's a strawberry stain on it, perhaps a few drops of milk or syrup, or maybe some stray mashed potatoes.

That paper is your life. We can let fate take its course, splashing the splendor of life's stray mashed potatoes across our lives, or we can define our own meaning. It's up to each of us. What's your choice?

Isn't this a great little exercise to pass along to your friends?

The author of this is David Leonhardt. Visit his web site at http://TheHappyGuy.com

I like this but...

There is so much more you can do with a piece of paper. How about origami, making collages and any other paper craft you can dream up. There are so many possibilities beyond writing and drawing. Those are just the most obvious ideas. A place to start.

Anyway, I liked this little article. Found it on a website this morning.

Happy writing and don't forget to reach out for all the possibilities.