Creativity & Writing Resources
Here is an assortment of resources we love to support your writing process.
And if it's just a little pep talk you need, here you go. Keep writing!
And if it's just a little pep talk you need, here you go. Keep writing!
STORYTELLING |
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Andrew Stanton: The clues to a great story
"Use what you know. Draw from it. It doesn't always mean plot or fact. It means capturing a truth from your experience, expressing values you personally feel deep down in your core."
Harvard Business Review: Storytelling That Moves People
"Self-knowledge is the root of all great storytelling. A storyteller creates all characters from the self by asking the question, 'If I were this character in these circumstances, what would I do?'"
Ira Glass on elements of good storytelling
"You want to be constantly raising questions and answering them from the beginning of the story and that the whole shape of the story is that you're throwing out questions to keep people watching or listening and then answering them along the way."
Speak Up podcast by Matthew and Elysha Dicks
Deep dissection and practical makeovers of stories from a veteran Moth storyteller and multi-time winner who is also the author of the terrific book Storyworthy.
"Use what you know. Draw from it. It doesn't always mean plot or fact. It means capturing a truth from your experience, expressing values you personally feel deep down in your core."
Harvard Business Review: Storytelling That Moves People
"Self-knowledge is the root of all great storytelling. A storyteller creates all characters from the self by asking the question, 'If I were this character in these circumstances, what would I do?'"
Ira Glass on elements of good storytelling
"You want to be constantly raising questions and answering them from the beginning of the story and that the whole shape of the story is that you're throwing out questions to keep people watching or listening and then answering them along the way."
Speak Up podcast by Matthew and Elysha Dicks
Deep dissection and practical makeovers of stories from a veteran Moth storyteller and multi-time winner who is also the author of the terrific book Storyworthy.
CREATIVITY |
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Julia Cameron's Morning Pages
The classic creative tool of writing down, by hand, whatever is in your mind, "like taking a dust buster to your mind every morning."
TED Radio Hour: Slowing Down
Tim Urban of Wait But Why says that procrastination can be an asset, "...for someone who wants to kind of really invent something that seems new, that seems fresh, that takes emotional and mental toil over long periods of time."
The Writing Trek
In her essay "The Getaway Car," Anne Patchett says, "Every time I have set out to translate the book (or story, or hopelessly long essay) that exists in such brilliant detail on the big screen of my limbic system onto a piece of paper...I grieve for my own lack of talent and intelligence. Every. Single. Time." It's normal to go from "This is such a good idea" to "I am garbage."
Oprah's Super Soul Conversation with Lin Manuel Miranda
"[Empathy is] the number one tool in your toolbox as an artist. You can't do anything if you can't imagine yourself in someone else's shoes. That's the whole gig."
Bored and Brilliant Challenge
"Our brains are doing some really important work when we think we are doing nothing, so research suggest we get our most original ideas when we stop the constant stimulation and let ourselves get bored." - Manoush Zomorodi
The classic creative tool of writing down, by hand, whatever is in your mind, "like taking a dust buster to your mind every morning."
TED Radio Hour: Slowing Down
Tim Urban of Wait But Why says that procrastination can be an asset, "...for someone who wants to kind of really invent something that seems new, that seems fresh, that takes emotional and mental toil over long periods of time."
The Writing Trek
In her essay "The Getaway Car," Anne Patchett says, "Every time I have set out to translate the book (or story, or hopelessly long essay) that exists in such brilliant detail on the big screen of my limbic system onto a piece of paper...I grieve for my own lack of talent and intelligence. Every. Single. Time." It's normal to go from "This is such a good idea" to "I am garbage."
Oprah's Super Soul Conversation with Lin Manuel Miranda
"[Empathy is] the number one tool in your toolbox as an artist. You can't do anything if you can't imagine yourself in someone else's shoes. That's the whole gig."
Bored and Brilliant Challenge
"Our brains are doing some really important work when we think we are doing nothing, so research suggest we get our most original ideas when we stop the constant stimulation and let ourselves get bored." - Manoush Zomorodi
WRITING PROCESS |
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Advice for any writer from Gretchen Rubin
"The most important thing is to have something to say. If you have something to say, the writing will come easily."
Bird By Bird, by Anne Lamott
"Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs: our need to be visible, to be heard, our need to make sense of our lives, to wake up and grow and belong. It is no wonder if we sometimes tend to take ourselves perhaps a bit too seriously.”
Jennie Nash on Your Creative Push
"Even the most successful writers are having the same struggle that you are. It doesn't end, it's what the work is...that struggle, that doubt...it's not going away. And you might as well make a place for it and recognize it and know it's always going to be there and make peace with it...Project: easy. Editorial solution: easy. It's the emotion that's hard."
Pity The Reader, by Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell
McConnell collects Kurt's words as an innovative author, a candid teacher, and a fascinating human and weaves them together with her own experience and commentary for a dynamic and snappy read consistent with Kurt's irreverent communication style.
Letters to Yourself, an exercise from Elizabeth Gilbert
Liz invites us to write letters from different parts of ourselves and discover what we have to say. Shared by coach and writer Bianca Bass from Liz's 2015 Big Magic book tour.
"The most important thing is to have something to say. If you have something to say, the writing will come easily."
Bird By Bird, by Anne Lamott
"Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs: our need to be visible, to be heard, our need to make sense of our lives, to wake up and grow and belong. It is no wonder if we sometimes tend to take ourselves perhaps a bit too seriously.”
Jennie Nash on Your Creative Push
"Even the most successful writers are having the same struggle that you are. It doesn't end, it's what the work is...that struggle, that doubt...it's not going away. And you might as well make a place for it and recognize it and know it's always going to be there and make peace with it...Project: easy. Editorial solution: easy. It's the emotion that's hard."
Pity The Reader, by Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell
McConnell collects Kurt's words as an innovative author, a candid teacher, and a fascinating human and weaves them together with her own experience and commentary for a dynamic and snappy read consistent with Kurt's irreverent communication style.
Letters to Yourself, an exercise from Elizabeth Gilbert
Liz invites us to write letters from different parts of ourselves and discover what we have to say. Shared by coach and writer Bianca Bass from Liz's 2015 Big Magic book tour.
WRITING CRAFT |
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When The Rewards Can Be So Great, edited by Kwame Dawes
A collection of craft talks and essays from university professors so inspired and wide ranging in perspective and in style, it invites the reader to reconsider their beliefs about how writing and communication ought to look, and possibly to reevaluate their line of work.
Writing Class Radio Podcast
Writers and teachers Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer explore how we write our way to the truth because, “There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other than by writing and telling our stories.”
Writing Tools, by Roy Peter Clark
A dense book of concise and practical wisdom for writers on process and craft, including writing a mission statement for each story, preparing the altar for the next day of writing, trying to recreate for the reader the evidence that led a character to a conclusion, and using voice to reach the reader "through his ears, even when he is receiving the message through his eyes."
A collection of craft talks and essays from university professors so inspired and wide ranging in perspective and in style, it invites the reader to reconsider their beliefs about how writing and communication ought to look, and possibly to reevaluate their line of work.
Writing Class Radio Podcast
Writers and teachers Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer explore how we write our way to the truth because, “There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other than by writing and telling our stories.”
Writing Tools, by Roy Peter Clark
A dense book of concise and practical wisdom for writers on process and craft, including writing a mission statement for each story, preparing the altar for the next day of writing, trying to recreate for the reader the evidence that led a character to a conclusion, and using voice to reach the reader "through his ears, even when he is receiving the message through his eyes."
HUMOR |
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Jerry Seinfeld on How To Write A Joke, The New York Times
One of the most prolific comics of all time dissects one of his jokes to explain his infamous yellow legal pad method and the job of wasting inappropriate amounts of time on undeserving subjects.
The Comedy Bible, by Judy Carter
Nothing to do with religion, but the single best guide for writing jokes and getting started with performing stand up comedy.
Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, by Jessie David Fox
Vulture Senior Editor and masterful interviewer Jessie David Fox talks to professional comedians and gets deep and nerdy about the art of crafting a good joke on the page and on stage.
One of the most prolific comics of all time dissects one of his jokes to explain his infamous yellow legal pad method and the job of wasting inappropriate amounts of time on undeserving subjects.
The Comedy Bible, by Judy Carter
Nothing to do with religion, but the single best guide for writing jokes and getting started with performing stand up comedy.
Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, by Jessie David Fox
Vulture Senior Editor and masterful interviewer Jessie David Fox talks to professional comedians and gets deep and nerdy about the art of crafting a good joke on the page and on stage.