How to generate ideas for practice:
Sitting, BIC as DirectorRic puts it, and staring at a blank sheet of MS Word or Celtx is the best way to creatively constipate yourself.
"MAKE UP SOMETHING! MAKE UP SOMETHING CLEVER YET EPICLY MEANINGFUL!!! NOW!!!"
Yeah.
That ain't gonna end up too good.
Once upon a Neanderthal to Cro-Magnon transition period in high school the coolest teacher I ever had, (English class, of all things) began one day's lesson with a single wooden match.
I know, I know. Today kids would be iPhoning their attorney-daddies and filing HAZMAT safety complaints with the bored of idjitkayshun, but back then it was cool. (I think teachers actually smoked in class. Maybe).
"Write me a full page story about a match".
Wha... ?! He had to have been joking.
He went on to tell us to consider how the match was manufactured.
What tree was used to make the wood?
From a old growth forest or tree farm?
Where were the trees harvested and processed?
How were they transported?
Tell me about the mill.
The people at the mill.
Where was the match dipped into the flammable concoction?
What's the flammable stuff made of?
Is the white stuff the same as the red stuff?
Packaging. Marketing. Distribution. Uses. History of development. Product competition. Blah blah blah.
Hmm...
"how do you practice writing? free writing? do you just come up with scenarios? write for many hours? what do you do to get better?"
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/todayspaper/index.html?src=hp1-0-P
Review the day's top news stories.
See if any of those jiggle any ideas using the "Matchstick Principle".
- What are the sons of bin Laden saying on their cell phones to each other at supper time?
- Tell me the story of the board of directors meeting where Microsoft agreed to pay eight-point-five billion dollars for Skype.
- Chancellor Merkel had what kind of pillow-talk with her husband last night about aid to Greece?
- What happened when the law of unintended consequences rose its head regarding driverless cars?
- Tell us a family's story about Utah immigration law.
Write about two or three dozen of these.
Five to fifteen pages each.
One every two weeks or so.
See what your writer-peers think.
Listen (read) to what your audience thinks.
Consider "That's how the audience thinks!" rather than rejecting criticism.
People don't make sense. Get over it and just go with it.
Write to entertain others, not to waste your time.
GL