Comment

Comment by 私貨珍藏 49 minutes ago

Three six five: prompts, acts, divinations (an inexhaustible compendium for writing) by Lucy Ives

Why the Best Writing Advice Is Often the Weirdest

“Three six five,” a new collection of writing exercises, belongs to a venerable tradition of goofy, esoteric, and avant-garde guides to unlocking the creative mind.

The best writing advice is often the weirdest because traditional rules (e.g., "always show, don't tell") can encourage safe, formulaic prose. Bizarre or unorthodox tips bypass our logical, self-conscious brain to stimulate true creativity, forcing fresh perspectives and helping authors break through rigid conventions.

Why Unorthodox Advice WorksBypasses the Inner Critic: Logical rules make writers second-guess themselves. Weird instructions distract the analytical mind, allowing raw creativity to flow.

Forces New Perspectives: Techniques like swapping gender pronouns or writing from an inanimate object's perspective reveal blind spots you wouldn't otherwise notice.

Breaks Formulaic Thinking: If everyone follows the same "save the cat" plot structure or pacing rules, stories start to look identical.

Weird prompts disrupt these patterns.Encourages Play: Writing shouldn't feel like a sterile math problem. Bizarre habits turn the craft into an exploratory game rather than an arduous chore.Examples of "Weird" but Effective Advice"

Honor the diarrhea" - Quote from Lady Gaga regarding her creative process. It means to let the initial, messy, unedited thoughts flow without censoring them.Swap Gender Pronouns / Write the opposite - If a scene feels flat, change the character's gender, age, or motive completely. It helps identify if the character's core actions remain compelling.

Write immediately after doing 30+ minutes of cardio - A heart rate above 120 beats per minute triggers an endorphin rush while exhausting your analytical brain, resulting in free-flowing ideas.

Write the lake, not the stones - Ernest Hemingway's "Iceberg Theory" implies that the most impactful writing trusts what happens beneath the surface, rather than spelling out every detail for the reader.Could you tell me what specific writing challenge or scene you are currently struggling with so I can provide some unorthodox tips tailored to your situation?

Comment by 私貨珍藏 on May 12, 2012 at 12:23am

有個朋友也告訴過我這情況。

他說他開了一間小書店後，忽然慈悲起來。以為到處是不快樂的人，販賣激勵書籍應該受歡迎。

以前，這想法好像還行得通。劉墉、吳若權等作者的勵志書籍有一定的粉絲。

可是，這一兩年這想法似乎過時了。

現在，大家心情不好時就上FB宣泄，每個網友馬上變身免費而熱心的“張老師”、“激勵大師”。