*Short Bio as of 1/6/14
Bryan Cohen's philosophy is to turn a few ideas into many. This concept was one of the reasons behind his passion of creating thousands of creative writing prompts. His books, including his bestseller 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, have sold over 20,000 copies. Build Creative Writing Ideas, a website created by Bryan which contains hundreds of articles of writing advice, helps over 25,000 people a month to get over writers block and come up with new creative projects.
Bryan also writes about comedy, self-help and embarrassing anecdotes from his life. He is also an actor, director and producer who enjoys dabbling in both theatre and film in Chicago, Illinois. Bryan graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with degrees in English and Dramatic Art with a minor in Creative Writing.
Bryan has published 33 books and plays. He lives in Chicago.
*Extended Old Bio
I grew up in an upper-middle class suburb in Dresher, Pennsylvania. For some reason, when I tell people that, they always do a Fran Drescher voice. Oy. My struggles with motivation and time management began in second grade. My parents could tell that getting work done stressed me out and I went to the school counselor to work on my organizational skills. The practices I learned helped me focus throughout grade school and they helped me become a pretty good all-around student.
In high school I loved both writing and math (I know, nerd alert!), I was on the Upper Dublin Cardinals Wrestling and Soccer teams and I participated in the Environmental Education Club. During the latter, we had campfire skits to crack up the kids that we taught nature over some sleepover trips. This is where my love for comedy began.
At the behest of my high school girlfriend, I began getting involved with theatre. I went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I started with acting, then moved on to directing and writing. My parents were both teachers and while I always felt a draw to it, I didn't feel like teaching kids was quite up my alley. I also saw all of my high school friends getting involved in science-related careers and I knew right then and there that I would not be following their leads. I did not want a traditional career for my life.
I moved from Chapel Hill to Chicago with the intention of doing some improv comedy. I took an office job and almost immediately felt like I'd lost my soul. When I got home at the end of the day, I wanted nothing more than to work on my acting or writing, but there was something holding me back. I did not have the structure of school that had kept me honest for so many years. I was back to second grade all over again.
I gave up on the temp career and started working at a coffee shop. I produced a couple of improv shows and plays on the side, but I still felt like I wasn't giving it my all. I stumbled upon some personal development work online and I knew there had to be a way I could hone my life in the same way that these online gurus had.
After several years of hard work, I am now able to write and act on a consistent basis. I have been giving advice since the beginning of the process trying to help my peers improve their own productivity. It suddenly hit me that this was what I was meant to do. I can use the teaching in my blood and the skills that I've picked up to help people.
This website is an attempt to allow people to lead the creative lives that they know they're capable of deep down. I will do everything I can to make this possible. Read on. If you want to talk to me about anything I've written, feel free to contact me using this form.
Good luck on your process of improving your creative writing lifestyle. You have already taken the first step. I hope that my writing and ideas can help you.
Sincerely,
Bryan Cohen
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Use the above prompts or article as inspiration to write a story or other short piece.
