A phrase came to mind last week. It's simple, and one you've heard before. But it struck me as something that could spark a host of marketable ideas.
You might be a writer if...
These are the answers that came to mind right away:
- you get writing ideas wherever you go.
- you spot typos when reading, well, anything.
- when reading, you critique the author's style or word choices.
- you practice smiling in the mirror for your book cover photo.
While we're on a roll, how about another:
You might be a grandma if you carry fruit snacks in your purse at all times.
True story. There are two packs of gummy fat free deliciousness resting in the bottom of my purse as we speak. You never know when a certain grandson might need fortification.
How about:
- You might be an artist if...
- You might be a blogger if...
- You might be a musician if...
- You might be a fiction fan if...
- You might be a firefighter if...
- You might be from the northeast if...
- You might've been born in the 70's if...
Fill in the blanks and take it wherever you like. Or create your own customized version. If nothing else, this idea makes a good writing prompt or brainstorming tool. It has great potential to fuel the writing fire in many directions. What could you do with a handy phrase like this?
Special Notes
Congratulations to Tyrean Martinson! Her book, Champion in Flight was released
on May 31. Champion in Flight is Book 2 in the Champion Trilogy.
For more info visit Tyrean's blog or check it out on Amazon or Smashwords.
Congrats also to Patti, the winner of Becky Povich's book! Thanks to everyone who stopped by for the interview last week.
What might you be if...? Have any ideas to share?
Have a great week!
Happy writing,
Karen
Photo credit: Stock Exchange
The last one-practicing in front of a mirror for your author pic-is funny. Thanks for sharing and have a great week.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I hope you never read my writing this - typos GALORE!! LOL.
ReplyDeleteYou might be a blogger if you always are saying "that would make a good blog post" :) I do that constantly!
Musician - I dissect every song I hear, listening for the guitar.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Tyrean!
I catch typos and grammatical errors all the time. My kids refer to me as the grammar police!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week...and thanks again for doing the giveaway of Becky's book..and for choosing me to receive it. I can't wait to read it.
Blessings,
Patti
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't say that I've done it, but I wonder if anyone ever has..:) You have a great week too!
Keith,
Now there's an excellent one! Happens to me all the time, too. :) Hazard of the job? LOL
Alex,
I knew that would be a factor for you! Comes with the territory, right? Good to see you back. Hope your break was good! :)
Patti,
My daughter and I are the official grammar police here, actually. Our local paper is notorious for them, so it makes life interesting. :) So glad to know you are excited about Becky's book!
Happy writing,
Karen
Your topic is very interesting. Some times I sit with a pen or pencil in hand as I read our local newspaper just to mark the typos. I also catch mistakes in books I read. Those mistakes and typos stand out to me like a neon sign. So, I must be a writer, :)
DeleteYour list is spot on for me. I've done them all, but the author pic only a few times. Congrats to Tyrean.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've done the author pic one, but I definitely have had the daydream that includes a long line for my book signing. :) Thanks for the shout out, Karen!
ReplyDeleteYou might be a blogger if you can't resist catchy ideas.
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess I'm a writer. The only thing I haven't done is pose in front of the mirror, but I'm going to do that now. Then I'll be a writer for sure.
our church had a typo this Sunday. it was all I could do not to teap my husband on the shoulder and show it to him.
ReplyDeleteYou might be a mother if every time you meet a nice young person, you suggest they tell their mother what a great job she did.
ReplyDeleteI forget about dads, shame on me.
LOL - you might be a B&W photographer if you see the world in textures, shapes, and lines!
ReplyDeleteKaren you are onto something; you could make fill in the blank book marks.
ReplyDeleteYou my be a writer if you get up in the middle of the night to jot down a scene you just dreamed.
ReplyDeleteTweeted and pinned!
Cecelia,
ReplyDeleteI think you must be a writer! And a dedicated one, at that. Most typos jump out at me too. Our local paper is notorious for them. :)
Medeia,
It is interesting to see how many of us have these things in common. These thoughts were just off the top of my head too. Great minds think alike, right? :)
Tyrean,
Congratulations on the book! Wishing you all the best with both your books. :) I hope you do get those lines out the door someday! :)
Lee,
I think you are exactly right! The mirror thing - yes, I suspect then you'll have clinched the writer thing for sure! :)
Terri,
I am glad you showed restraint and resisted the urge to point it out! My daughter and I often compare typo notes from local signs and flyers. I guess after a while it's just in a writer's blood! :)
Joylene,
Now there's a good one - I like that! :) Yes, I suppose especially with Father's Day coming up, we should give the dads their own.
Diane,
I like that one. That's great! I'd never thought about B&W like that, but I see what you mean. :)
Linda,
That's a good idea! I need to give that some thought! :) Glad you liked the idea.
Susan,
Oh yes, now there's another one too! Thanks so much for spreading the word. Appreciate it! :)
Happy writing,
Karen
Ha, had to laugh at the grandma one since I carried packages of Mott's fruit gummies in my purse for the little ones just yesterday! Great subject for a post and for writing prompts, Karen. Loved this. You might be a writer if you see alliteration, acrostics, or a poem in words that randomly jump out at you!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen .. can I acquire a grandson or daughter if I have piles of sticky sweets at the bottom of my bag!? Mind you I have Lenny .. and he's great ...
ReplyDeleteThere are certainly ideas out there ... lots of them ... When I grow up I'll be a writer ... never entered my consciousness ... being not the brightest spark around ... but then blogging didn't exist - and how that came around at exactly the right time for me ..
Cheers Hilary
I can also tick all those boxes relating to writing - and the oma thing ( grandma) well, I have photos instead of lollies as my grandchildren live half a world away. that way I have them with me all the time. Love the question concept. Might use it myself somewhere! Maybe ask my grandchildren personalised questions. That way I might get to know them even beter - and they themselves! Thanks Karen!
ReplyDeleteKenda,
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a grandma thing for sure! :) And they can come in handy once in a while if grandma is grocery shopping and is super hungry, too. :) I like your version of might be if, too!
Hilary,
Yes, we should get one for you, because sweet things in the purse really should be a staple item to carry around. :) I think you grew up to be a writer, and an interesting one, at that! How is that project coming?
Anita,
Photos are good as well! They come in handy, although I suppose you don't want to eat them, right? :) I think it would be a good line of questioning to use!
Happy writing,
Karen
I am going with artist
ReplyDeleteYou might be an artist if you see the world as a blank canvas ready to be filled with inspiration.
I certainly do notice the typos. I get distracted when reading anything with a mistake and want to fix it. You are a good grandma to keep snacks handy in your purse. They sure come in handy sometimes!
ReplyDeleteLilith,
ReplyDeleteI like that! And I can tell you are an artist. :) A blank canvas has so much potential!
Connie,
I always want to fix mistakes and get rather aggravated when I find a typo in my own work. :) Snacks really do come in handy for him and me!
Happy writing,
Karen
Wonderful post! I think you are a writer if......you scribble notes, thoughts, verses, ideas, anything that crops up in your mind, on paper serviettes, sticky notes, scraps of paper, any available bit of note paper, and absentmindedly stuff them in your purse, handbag, pocket, desk drawer...and are amazed when you discover them later!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true, Karen!! Yes! The smallest thing can spark a post or, better yet, a whole column. The tiniest thing!
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to the grandma thing yet, but I like listening to you tell about it. :) Happy Wednesday, my friend.
Hi Karen! You might be a writer if...you are constantly thinking about ideas and phrasing, and are always saying "What?" to people who try to talk to you. Oy. I do that all the time! I'm not sure if I'm a writer or a space cadet. Could be either!
ReplyDeleteGreat writing prompt too Karen. Thanks :)
Ceil
Haha . . . love this. You might be a writer if . . . your purse contains more pens than pennies . . . even a trip to the mailbox provides fodder for a story.
ReplyDeleteFun, I tried completing all!
ReplyDeleteYou might be a writer if you warn people they could appear in your blog one day so they better behave. Of course my grand kids don't heed this advise and they're in there all the time. But they're special. Wink.
ReplyDeleteOh, what fun!
ReplyDeleteYou might historical romance if you can't leave a second hand book store without a colonial diary, biography or book of someone's letters in your grip. :)
Have a wonderful weekend, Karen. :)
Joy,
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head here! I also have notes on scraps of paper all over my desk. What would we write on if we did not have paper available, I wonder? :)
Rhonda,
The tiniest thing, you are so right! Everything has potential, that's for sure! :)
Ceil,
Well this is so true! I sometimes wonder if we can be writers and space cadets all in one, at least for a few minutes maybe? :)
Lisa,
Yes, I do think I have more pens than pennies! LOL And those trips to the mailbox, well, you just never know what you might see! :)
Nas,
It is a fun exercise, isn't it? Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Susan,
You are so right, you just never know! LOL You might also get written into a novel, perhaps too! :)
Dotti,
Oh, this is true, isn't it? And I know you are speaking from experience, too. :) Ah, the writer's life suits us, doesn't it? :)
Happy weekend,
Karen
Hi Karen, "you practice smiling in the mirror for your book cover photo," it makes me think you were reading my mind ;) I kept nodding to all the points.
ReplyDeletehehe, this made me giggle. I definitely can't escape spotting all the typos. Maybe I'm a real writer?
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the typo thing strikes the most nerves... hmmm...
ReplyDeleteWonderful exercise!!!
Blessings!
Rachna,
ReplyDeleteWell we are writers, after all, aren't we? LOL Some things we just have in common! :)
Lynda,
Yes, I would say that you are a real writer. That's for sure! :) Glad you got a giggle out of it.
Cheryl,
Typos, yes, the pet peeve of most any writer, I'm thinking! :) Well, someone has to do it, right?
Happy writing,
Karen
What fun prompts! I could take a few of them and go on a roll. :)
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh out loud about the typos- but I have to say I can find them everywhere- except in my own writing. ;)
~Jess
Jess,
ReplyDeleteI know, aren't they? I like to play with prompts like this. :) Glad you liked them. I've yet to see any typos in your writing, so you are indeed good!
Happy writing,
Karen