8 Writing Ideas to Change Your Life

Not everyone likes writing; I get it. As often as it seems that everyone is working on a screenplay or selling a book, there's a whole segment of the population that doesn't write. You don't have to pen the great American novel to change your life with the written word. Here are a few ways that a little bit of writing can change your life:

Write a letter to the editor - your local newspaper is eager to publish opinions, so why not yours? I worked for an adult literacy organization a long time ago, and one of our students (a man who had been functionally illiterate before coming to us) wrote a letter to the editor to complain about highway odors. It's a way to connect with people and participate in our democracy. Apply for a grant - if you have a passion or an idea to help people live better, apply for a grant. Many funders require grant recipients to be IRS designated non-profits, but not all of them. There are grants for individuals and grants for small businesses. A chunk of funding from the government could get you started on a whole new career. Write a letter to someone you haven't seen for a long time - reaching out to an older relative, or a friend from high school could open pathways to communication you haven't considered. At the very least, someone will know you care. Enter a contest - There are lots of contests out there that anyone can enter, including the Pulitzer Prize. Did you know all you need is a published book (can be self-published) and $75 to get put yourself in the running? Then you could tell everyone that you were being considered for a Pulitzer. Start a website - Content is king online, and if you spend a little bit of time setting up some relevant posts, you could become the next viral sensation. Write a book - It's not as hard as it sounds. I firmly believe that everyone has at least one book in them. You may not think your life is interesting, but I guarantee that other people would find it so. Whether you take ten months or ten years to develop your masterpiece, once you're done it's one item off your bucket list. Write a no budget screenplay - There is free screenwriting software out there to download and if you take a moment to peruse a published screenplay, you'll get the hang of the format quick enough. To better your chances of having something produced, limit the film to four characters, four locations, no special effects and minimal props. (This is why Zombie films are so popular, they are often made with no budget) Write a cookbook - If you're the chef of your family, take pictures of your meals as you make them. Using Snapfish or some other photobook creator, place a picture of each dish along with a recipe one each page. You can even use pictures of your family or stories from your day to round out the book. Give it to people as Christmas gifts.