Do You Ever Look Through "Discussions I've Responded To" For Great Writing...
@peaceful (3294)
United States
April 20, 2007 5:34pm CST
...Prompts?
I was looking through this area today for some of my own responses to past MyLot discussions and I realized that some of the responses that I came up with were really good for writing "prompts"- because most of those responses came "from the source" or as some people put it, "from off the top of my head" and were simply written here and forgotten about...
The discussions weren't popular enough to generate a lot of traffic, but some of the responses were still very good... and now they are just sitting there.
You know what I'm going to do about this, right? I'm compelled to go back and get that stuff that I wrote and archive it in my Virtual Office... saving them for the time when I need good ideas for a poem, advertising or even a book... these "fresh meat" ideas are simply too good to leave on the table.
What about you, my beloved MyLot Writin' Crew, do you think you've got some good stuff just sitting here and you've forgotten about it?
Do you find yourself at a loss for ideas and not realize that you've got a treasure trove of great stuff just waiting to be mined?
I believe that this is your GOLD and that you should go back and claim it...
What do you think about that?
Everyone who responds to this discussion can have a free Virtual Office if they feel the need for one:
http://thinkfree.com It's got all kind of goodies! :)
7 people like this
11 responses
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Well, You have pulled off another interesting discussion. I find that my discussions and comments are not getting enough viewing here. I am going to be visiting other places more so I can get more exposure. I have not heard of the Virtual Office that you mentioned. I will go check it out and possibly begin to save comments that I have made as you do. Thanks for the tips. You are just so much help.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Wow, I am checking this site out now and it just wonderful. Thanks for suggesting it.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Peaceful,
I do alot of reviews of web sites and I enjoy it. Would you mind if I did a review of this website that you suggested and post it to both Gather and Mylot?
I wont if you are going to be doing it.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
29 Apr 07
I have actually done that too. Sometimes you amaze yourself with your own brilliance! LOL
1 person likes this
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
10 Aug 07
I've had some shocking moments when I re-read some of my old stuff... especially when I see some of the mis-spellings and syntax errors! LOL! :)
@creativedreamweaver (7297)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Yes, I do that quite frequently actually. It is a gold mine. I have found many great prompts, not only in what I have written, but with some of the responses to...as far as spinning ideas off of them, not using them directly. I am always on the lookout for good prompts, especially when I am a "block" point. Thanks for the tip...I hope other writers among us view it, and gain insight from it as well.
1 person likes this
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
20 Apr 07
As a copywriter, I cannot afford to have even a minute of "Block" for any reason... this available store of "Goods" is simply worth money to me and I really be amiss if I just let it sit there...
As a creative writer, it's ditto the above and even moreso... some of those remarks can be the start of some great writing contest "short story" material! :)
Thanks for responding! :)
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
21 Apr 07
The best response I've ever had (maybe even seen)is yours to my discussion entitled "Too Late".
Wether it was the fact that your response opened my mind a bit and made me more aware of my innate power or that you went to the trouble to explain things to me - your response changed me.
Strangely enough, around the same time an American dear friend sent me a book "Key to Yourself" which follows the same lines as what you were saying.
Thanks again for your wisdom.
1 person likes this
@KATRINKA (1624)
• United States
22 Apr 07
Peaceful, I hope you do share your writing when you do go claim your gold. I usually don't intentionally look for writing ideas when I read responses, but often I've jotted down a prompt or an idea that popped into my head after reading the boards.
Thanks for the link to the virtual office.
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
21 Apr 07
There have been times that I have gone back and read what I wrote because I forgot...and then I was in awe...Me? I wrote that? Where did that come from?
Or there are times that I will share a story that I do not share often and I am wow'ed by how I was able to express myself and the story at that time.
The first couple of months I started on myLot, I would occasionally copy and paste the discussion and my response in MS Word and print them out. I think glued them in my journal. But now my journal is overran with myLot discussions and responses. ha ha
So, I think I am going to have to start a folder on myLot. Actually print them out and keep them. Because you never know...one day...my children or grandchildren may run into it and learn more from my writing than they knew about me in person. :)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157481)
• United States
21 Apr 07
Yes, I love to go back and see what I have written, it actually makes me feel proud, most days. I have thought about using some responses as gestational areas for new discussions. I get lots of new information on here. You are a goldmine yourself. I need to make a date with myself to investigate some of the sites you have suggested. This one sounds like it is just up my alley. I have folders for recipes, and text mechanics, so a Virtual Office seems to me to be a next logical step. Thanks for keeping us up to date.
1 person likes this
@ethanmama (1745)
• Philippines
21 Apr 07
I do look at past discussions I've responded to and I am sometimes surprised at my responses. You have given me a very good idea. The thinkfree looks good too, I might try it out!
@arcadian (930)
• United States
2 May 07
I had responded to a discussion a hundred years ago about Mylot guidelines and wanted to find it, because the person posting the discussion had a lot of detailed information on a link which I thought I had listed in my favorites but I can't find it. So, I was looking for that discussion. And discovered that I have responded to 636 discussions.
With an average of four typoes per response- I've created about 2500 new words-useless, unpronounceable, but hey-
In three months. Dang!
And I learned to swear Southern Man style saying expletives that either sound like they deserve a twang and ya'll or they possess asterisks. Hmm.
So- do I want to wade through all that in search of a usable gem? Doubt it.
But I did realize that Mylot has sure stimulated my little grey cells-and a few little ripples of feeling that never would have happened in my narrow universe.
I coulda been writing the great (size)American novel- or not.., in that amount of writing and time-but would i have. No I would have been staring at the tv. So the polished little gem found in my responses is me. So much better for having been here. :D
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
2 May 07
You deserve a BIG FAT HUG, you Genius, you!
I went searching for stuff a few days ago and it caused me to have a session of what I call "thread mending" that is some of the stuff could actually be woven into a good "tapestry" of thoughts feeling and motives, it's a good way to learn about yourself within your reactions to others...hmmmmmm! :)
1 person likes this
@arcadian (930)
• United States
2 May 07
You're right- and there are a coupleof times I wanted to expand on the thought someone provoked, maybe I will. like you said-weaving it all- I like that.
@arcadian (930)
• United States
23 Apr 07
One of the really exciting things in any good relationship is how it brings out parts of you that are normally dormant. Mylot is great for me because so often I'm stimulated to reveal to myself at least but out loud here what I think and feel about such a variety of things- whether its just fun joking with one another, or opening up a private issue in a public way. Its good stimulation. My remarks or posts don't get alot of feedback , but they are the rough draft of issues I've never thought consciously about. It is worth pulling together as it is a writer's journal.
