Start with a true life story, but follow these guidelines to turn it into good fiction.

Sep 14, 2007 - Jennifer Jensen

Here are some tips to use news stories as starting ideas for your fiction.

Oct 5, 2007 - Jennifer Jensen

A personal writing journal is different from a diary, and can be a helpful strategy for writing a book and plotting a novel or short story.

Aug 7, 2009 - Suzanne Pitner

While sleeping, when the subconscious runs free, new ideas may appear in the form of dreams.

May 10, 2012 - Vickie Britton

During dreams, the brain manipulates visual and sensory stimuli so that one believes he is actually experiencing the visions.

May 9, 2010 - Terri Parrott

Pictures and paintings can stimulate your imagination, leading to great fiction ideas.

Nov 5, 2007 - Jennifer Jensen

Suffering from writer's block? Every person has a wealth of memories, ideas, and experiences that can be expressed through fictional short stories.

Dec 30, 2009 - Rebekah Richards

Journals provide students with an open forum to express their thoughts, a penalty-free place to write. If a teacher uses journals properly, they improve student-writing.

Mar 31, 2010 - Ben Lingenfelter

If you are keeping a journal and are having trouble finding ways to fill up those blank pages, try a few of these topic ideas for your journal.

Jun 20, 2007 - Katelyn Thomas

Keep a garden journal as a garden record, reference and resource full of factual information but pack it full of personal garden design ideas and inspiration, too.

Dec 12, 2006 - Barbara M. Martin

Ideas for novels and short stories abound. It's all about organizing your ideas and finding just the right one to fit the story you want to tell.

Sep 1, 2007 - Vickie Britton

Songwriters in search of ideas for their next project can rely on the power of dream journals. Dreams contain visuals that can make excellent sources of inspiration.

Feb 28, 2010 - Julieanna Aliwarga

Some beloved novels, poems and songs and well-known scientific breakthroughs and inventions owe their beginnings to dreams.

Jul 28, 2010 - Sylvia Somerville

The fine line between love and hate finds its way into journal-like satire.

Feb 2, 2012 - Patricia Faulhaber

7 creative topics and ideas to inspire children to write in a journal. Great for summer journal writing, homeschooling or daily classroom writing.

Jun 14, 2010 - Linda Wongkee

5 literary journals worth their weight in gold that aspiring writers should submit to as well as buy a subscription.

Jun 4, 2010 - Ken Brosky

There's a saying in real estate that the three most important things are location, location, and location. It's the same for writing fiction.

May 17, 2010 - Jon Bradbury

People throughout history have tried to give predictions through dreams. It has even been mentioned in the bible, but how can you tell whether a dream is prophetic?

Mar 22, 2009 - Joanna Karpasea-Jones

Science fiction is a fun genre for stories and TV shows and can be a good writing activity for improving fiction writing skills and building creativity.

Mar 1, 2010 - Michelle Wright

Poets and prose authors can benefit by keeping a daily record of their thoughts and recording images and impressions for later use in a daily journal.

Sep 13, 2008 - Vickie Britton