Hello again!
I don't know about everyone else, but I think it's safe to say that we all had a very harsh winter. I, for one, am so flipping happy to see the sun and to feel warm breezes on my face, and I'm excited to see what summer has in store.
Moving on.
Today, I would like to touch on writer's block, and the use of generators.
Writer's block is a righteous jerk, and loves to watch authors suffer daily. It takes your dreams and rips them into shreds and then laughs over the carnage it leaves behind. This can go on for days, or even weeks and months. It causes our productivity to dwindle, projects get left behind and we lose our darn minds. So, what do we do to combat writer's block? If you look around on the Internet, you will find various tools and tricks of the trade, but I have found that there is no clear cut way. Everyone is different, and all of our minds work differently, so what works for one person may not work for another. My advice is to find what works for you, look up some writing prompts (there are plenty on the Internet, reddit is a good site for prompts,) read different books, or if you can, write another section first. My train of thought is pretty linear, so writing another section doesn't usually work for me, but I have found that different writing prompts have been useful. Also, share your writing with a friend, you never know what they can come up with.
Generators are a wonderful addition to the writing process. Have trouble finding a perfect name for your characters? Hit a generator. Have an idea in mind for a description for your land, but don't know how to describe it? Hit a generator. I could go on, but really, the possibilities are endless and each generator that you find on the Internet brings something different to the table. The main generator I use is fantasynamegenerators.com due to the wide range of generators they offer. Even if you are gaming, let's say on World of Warcraft, there are generators for each race in the game. Give it a shot, but keep your options open. As I said, there are many different generators out there; use them all!
The last topic I would like to discuss is book banning. I've been seeing many different articles lately about different books being banned from schools due to content. The most recent one I have seen is the banning of Of Mice and Men and The Kite Runner from high schools in Idaho and North Carolina in America. As far as I can remember, this wasn't a huge issue when I was growing up. I don't believe in banning books, especially from high schools, because how are students going to learn? If we are banning books from schools, we are depriving students of literature that opens their minds and hearts to different cultural, societal, and life lessons. In all honesty, none of these books are going to hurt students in the long run, if it's executed correctly. Instead of banning books based on content or language, (the use of the word god damn is NOT a valid excuse to ban a book,) keep an open dialogue with students about what they are reading. They are going to read these books regardless of whether they are banned from schools or not. Frankly speaking, these are high schoolers, grades (depending on where you are) 9 or 10-12. If you tell students what they can and cannot read, how will their minds grow? How will they learn to see the bigger picture in life? Books are priceless when you think about it, our brains grow while we are reading, and they open our minds to different topics. For example, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown helped me to realize that there could be something else out there than the Pie in the Sky, that Jesus and God's stories may not be what we were lead to believe our whole lives, and it is perfectly okay to question religion, and life in general. Will it change a person's faith? Sure, it partially changed mine, and I am a better person for it. My faith was not strong to begin with, and it has helped me to realize that this is perfectly okay. I don't need religion or faith in my life to be happy. For someone else, it would have a completely different meaning, and that is okay too. Also, don't get me started on banning Harry Potter books. I think that may be a topic for another day.
I think that is all for now. Happy reading and writing!
T.
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