Create Your Very Own Inspirational Portfolio
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Hope Schmidt
Create Your Very Own Inspirational Portfolio
It's time to write a blog post, a Facebook update, a tweet, or maybe even start a new book. And…your mind is blank. You normally have plenty of ideas, but that perfect line eludes you when you need it most. Perhaps it's time to create your own inspirational portfolio. Not only are they exciting to put together and enjoyable to look through, they also are a number one weapon against writer's block.
Books
Anything and everything goes. Whether for fiction or nonfiction, inspirations is everywhere. Unfortunately, inspirational moments also tend to slip our minds as soon as they slip out of sight. The good news is that they can be easily written and cataloged for quick rediscovery.
Words will be the largest category in your portfolio. Scribble down random sayings, fun facts, or bizarre words on a paper you carry with you constantly. Then, once a week, transfer these lines to a computer document. As cool as diaries filled with quotes and ideas look, it's much easier to categorize them on the computer, with tags ranging from 'love' to 'war' to 'humor'.
The same process applies to descriptions, ranging from a few lines describing a headache, to a paragraph about a misty morning, or a random escape scene prompted by an exciting dream. Lists can also be created of titles, catchy one-liners, and lines for riddles or prophecies. Another document can carry all your random ideas, from single scenes, to subplots, to fifteen book series. Characters, names, actions, habits…anything which could be included in a story can be included in your inspirational portfolio.
The beauty of using a computer is that you can easily locate your different categories or you can simply search for a keyword – love, for example, and skim through all the lines and ideas which contain that word.
Then there are pictures. Pinterest is wonderful for quotes, settings, inspirational scenes, character pictures, or research. You can create boards of general prompt pictures, sorted for optimal management. Once a story comes to mind, you can create a storyboard where you collect all the quotes, characters, collages, and anything else which brings your story to life.
Finally, there are songs and videos. You can create a YouTube playlist of all the strange, weird, or inspiring songs which fill your mind with ideas, or you can merely save the links to a document. Music videos are perfect for this as well. And there is the occasional movie clip or fandom montage which teems with possibilities and begs be saved.
All these categories can be added to continually so you never forget that cool dream or fleeting idea. And one day, when you are stuck against that notorious blankness of writer's block, you can visit your portfolio and come away with fresh ideas.
Blog Posts
Compared to the book portfolio, it might seem small, but one document is all you need. One document filled with questions and lines. What sorts of things, related to your area of expertise, do people frequently ask you about? Write them down. Are there questions you have about topics relating to your interests? Write them down. Have you thought of a stray line summing up an idea, such as 'the advantages of having a mailing list' or 'how to promote on social media'? Write it down.
In another section, collect quotes, jokes, anecdote, and catchphrases, all equipped with keywords for the time you will need them.
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram…the list of social media sites shifts with each year, but that doesn't mean you can't be prepared. Write down everything as you think of it, transferring your ideas to documents later. Save pictures on Pinterest, your computer, or your mobile device so you can access one whenever you need it for Instagram or Facebook. Keep a file of random lines and internal comments on life for twitter. A phrase, a title, a rant, nothing is too small to record and save away for a later date.
One Rule
There is no single way to create an inspirational portfolio. A computer may be the easiest way to organize and find each idea, but the portfolio can also be created on paper, online, with Pinterest, or in photo books. The key is cataloging everything so you can find it later and keeping a pen and paper nearby so you can write everything down as you think of it throughout the day. Later, these jotted notes can be transcribed in an orderly fashion wherever and however, you please. There is only one rule. Write down everything that shows promise and even those ideas which you doubt you'll ever use. You never know when you might need them.
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