Challenge Yourself This Summer!

Summer has set in, and for those who are not taking summer courses, the homework and papers piled up are a thing of the past...until fall semester begins.  The last thing you may want to think about is writing.  The weather is nice, the beach sounds like a great option for the summer.  Some of you may be taking summer classes and plan to continue the academic work with only a small break.  While the idea of spending your free time writing could seem a bit daunting, it can be fun.

Creative writing is a great outlet for many people.  It can be as simple as writing in a daily journal, tackling a daily prompt, writing poetry, or as complex as tackling a novel.  Rainy summer days, with a fresh story in mind, can challenge you to do something you never imagined.  There are many sites online that give out daily writing prompts and this can help you if you get stuck on what to write about.  

While the academic writing can burn you out, you may be surprised by how much creative writing can inspire you.  It is not for everyone, but some people may not realize a novelist lives inside of them until they put their ideas down and run with them. 

Here are some great blogs to help you get in the mood to write:

Check out "The Write Practice," which is a great blog/site created by Joe Bunting and contributed to by other aspiring authors.
http://thewritepractice.com/

Another great site is "Goins, Writer," written by Jeff Goins.  He answers lot of questions and helps people on the path to great writing and publication.
http://goinswriter.com/about-me/

Larry Brooks, bestselling author, and writing blog writer, provides a plethora of information in his blog, "Story Fix."
http://storyfix.com/about

These are just a few of the thousands of blogs out there that can help to teach and inspire you.  So when the pool is closed, the rain pours, the heat becomes too much, or you want to try something different, take a plunge into your heart and create a story.  You may surprise yourself.