Finally, Inspiration Strikes! But...

I've been having a lot of epiphanies lately about several of my projects. Major, breakthrough epiphanies. Things I have been stuck on for MONTHS. Problems I haven't known how to fix. Plot holes that were so deep I thought there was no fixing them. And then, all of a sudden, for no logical reason at all, I've had these strokes of super-insight and BAM! Inspiration strikes. I've got answers to questions I didn't know I had. Motivations I didn't know I needed. New directions I didn't know I wanted to take. And a few fixes I knew I needed to boot :)

I'm thrilled. Elated. Over the flipping moon excited to implement these changes.

One problem....

None of these epiphanies apply to my current project :D Because of all the stucky-suckiness I've been experiencing regarding my current novel-in-progress, I put it aside for awhile and decided to work on a short story I've been wanting to write. And I've been editing (again and again) the picture book I'm working on with the amazing Lisa Amowitz (who is running an AWESOME contest on her blog today. Head over!)

I am about 2 scenes from finishing the short story (life got in the way for a few days. Hopefully we are back on track today). Yet, instead of finishing the dang thing, I'm having creative bursts of literary awesomeness for a book I haven't touched in months.

Honestly, I think I have issues with finishing projects and I'm starting to think this is my brain's way of preventing me from finishing yet another one.

"Oooo almost done with that story, are you? Well take THIS *throws inspiration mojo for another book* Mwahahahaha!"

Well, crazy little mixed up brain. Joke's on you. I've taken lots of notes. I'm going to finish this short story THIS WEEK and then....then, I'm diving head first into that poor, neglected WIP of mine and finishing THAT too. Thanks for the motivation. Sincerely, Me :)

Do you ever have this happen? Get sudden inspiration for one project while working on another one? What do you do? Do you abandon one for the other, or finish Project B before going back to Project A?

Things That Make Me Go WOW...and Grab a Pen

Okay, bear with me through the fangirl gushing for a paragraph or two - I promise there is writing related stuff coming :D

Has anyone seen that Sherlock series on PBS (or BBC depending on what side of the pond you live :) It comes on right after Downton Abbey)? Like Downton Abbey, I resisted watching it despite glowing reviews from my friends. And like Downton Abbey, once I saw one episode I was completely hooked and found a way to watch ALL the episodes, seasons 1 and 2. And I'm completely bummed I have to wait until next year (most likely) for season 3.

The show is, simply put, brilliant. There are so many twists and turns - and not just regular twists and turns, but COOL twists and turns. The situations are serious, the dialogue is awesome, and the characters make me laugh and sometimes cry. 

When I watch something like this, I sometimes sit back and just think, "Man! I wish I could write like that!" It makes me want to pull out my WIPs and rewrite them, or add to them, or just amp them up in a million different ways. It makes me think harder about the twists I put in my own stories. It makes me try harder to be more original, to surprise my readers more, to make them care more about my characters.

The hubs will sometimes ask me why I'm watching shows like this instead of writing. I do it because of all the reasons above. Sure, it's an enjoyable way to procrastinate :) But it's also a wonderful inspiration and motivation to make my own writing BETTER.

Have you ever watched anything that just made you think - Oooo that makes me want to be BETTER?

Odd Inspiration Moment

I love love LOVE when something about a WIP finally clicks. I was struggling a bit figuring out the backstory of my book, and since the backstory is a HUGE part of this particular book, this was kind of a problem. There were several things I was struggling with:

• why my MC had ended up where she had
• why her love interest was also there
• how he got there, and how he came to be her love interest in the first place (I needed their families to be against their being together, but I didn't want it to be too Romeo and Juliet with all the hate and family feud issues going on)
• and there were several other issues about my MC and her family/background/personality/character, etc that I just was having a really hard time figuring out.

So, needless to say, work on this WIP has been pretty slow because I needed this stuff worked out before I could really dive in. Oh, and add to all that the fact that I've been toying with making this book a partial verse novel (and hence needed to decide when and where to use poetry...and what type of poetic form(s) I wanted to use) and yeah...issues LOL

And then last night, I was sitting there watching Drop Dead Diva (awesome finale, can't wait for next season!!) and all the answers just fell into place. And I'm not really sure why. There was a murderer on death row on the show. He'd killed somebody = he was bad. But he loved his sister, wanted her to have his heart after he was executed, and he seemed genuinely sorry for what he'd done = maybe he wasn't so bad. 

And something about his character sparked an idea and everything about my story that I was struggling with just fell into place. I'm not even sure what it was because I'm not going to make my MC (or her love interest) a murderer or anything like that. It wasn't in any way a literal "ooo I'll do the same thing." 

But something about that character's story, the conflict in him, tweaked the right creative thread and the issues I was having in my manuscript were suddenly clear...as were their solutions. 

I grabbed a notebook and wrote out 2 pages of notes. And for the first time in a long time I am excited to start writing :D

Have you ever had a weird inspiration moment? Where something totally unexpected inspired an idea or made that problem area you'd been working on suddenly fall into place?

This is What Happens When a Writer Can't Find Paper...

I used to have a notebook by my bed. Someone moved it last night. I had my pen...but no notebook. So of course inspiration chose the perfect moment to strike - a couple new stanzas for my picture book - and frankly I was too tired to go in search of paper. So I grabbed my pen and used the only available surface around (my furniture was too dark or I really think I would have just written on my dresser...or headboard :D ). I woke up with hands covered in ink.

Do you ever do this? What's the weirdest thing you've ever jotted a note on?

Friday Funnies Inspired by KM Weiland

Writer's block is a luxury most people with deadline don't have.

~Diane Ackerman

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” 

- Jack London

(I know I've put this on here before, just Jackson just cracks me up) :D

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE CD

 K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Find her at her website and blog.

For a chance to win a copy of the CD, comment on any post this week. One point per comment (one per day). Entries accepted through tonight, winner announced tomorrow!

Quote Thursday with K.M. Weiland

 The first thing I do when I hit a speed bump in a story is to start asking questions. The reporter’s old standby “5 W’s” (Who, What, Where, Why, When) come in plenty handy for novelists too, particularly “Why?” and “What if?” Keep asking long enough, and, eventually, you’ll find the answers.

                                     ~K.M. Weiland

For a chance to win this CD, comment on any post this week. 1 point for each comment (one point per day). Entries taken through Friday and winner announced on Saturday!

CLICK HERE TO BUY CD

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Find her at her website and blog.

Inspiration vs. Determination by K.M. Weiland

Inspiration vs. Determination

As writers, we do everything possible to encourage inspiration in our lives. Sometimes that means creating generally good writing habits, and sometimes it means routines that border on the superstitious (gotta have our lucky pens, right?). In my recently released CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration, I discuss all kinds of ways we can lure inspiration into our lives and give it a comfy place to live so that it’s sure to stick around. However, it’s important that we don’t overlook the vital connection between inspiration and determination.

Inspiration is bit of an airy-fairy kind of beast—not too far removed from J.M. Barrie’s preoccupied, self-absorbed Tinker Bell. It flutters in and out of our lives without too much concern for our needs and wants. Even when we do our best to foster its existence, it can be frustratingly uncooperative. For a writer—someone who pretty much lives on inspiration—this is not a very cheerful state of affairs. But can we can do about it?

Right on top of the list is the necessity of accepting this as a fact of the writing life. Number two on that list is realizing that we all have access to a much more dependable workaround:

Determination.

Inspiration may sometimes fail to show up for work in the morning, but determination never does. Instead of waiting around on the unpredictable whims of our ethereal friend, who may or may not flit in on gossamer wings and zap us with that potent mixture of brilliance and adrenaline, we can always harness her hardworking older sibling. When we put determination to work and write even when we don’t feel like it, even when inspiration has decided to pull a no-show, we discover a couple of very important truths.

Truth #1: We don’t always need inspiration to write. Particularly if we’ve put in our time studying the craft, our fingers will move on the keyboard from sheer muscle memory, the words will appear on the page in surprisingly coherent lines, and what we have at the end of the day might be rough, but, not only will it probably be better than we think, it will also be words on paper—and that’s always an accomplishment for a writer.

Truth #2: Determination creates a healthy atmosphere for inspiration. The single most important thing we can do to foster inspiration is to be ready for it. Being ready doesn’t mean keeping an ear to the sky, waiting for random epiphanies. What it does mean is that we schedule an appointment with inspiration every single day. She may not always show up, but how will we know if she’s there or not, if we aren’t sitting at our computers ready and listening?

We’d all like to think that inspiration is freebie given to whoever is wanting and waiting. But the truth is that inspiration needs the extra incentive given by someone who is also willing. Inspiration doesn’t come gratis. She requires the hefty price of endless determination. But in return she promises that where determination leads, inspiration will follow. Always.

~

For a chance to win this awesome CD, comment on any of the posts for this week. 1 entry for every post you comment on (one point per day). Entries accepted through Friday, winner announced Saturday!

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE CD

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Find her on her website and blog.

Welcome to K.M. Weiland! Announcing the Release of her CD for Writers!

I am very happy to welcome author KM Weiland this week! She is releasing a CD for writers all about how to deal with writer's block and gain inspiration called Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration. Please help me give her a very warm welcome!


Today, Ms. Weiland will be joining us for an interview -

1. What inspired you to create a CD about inspiration?
Over the last several years, I’ve been sharing writing tips and essays about the writing life on my blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors. Posts on inspiration and fighting writer’s block have always been some of my most popular posts. It’s ironic, really: Here we are, a bunch of people who discovered this whole writing business because one day we woke up inspired with an idea for a story—and yet consistent inspiration is something most of us struggle with on almost a daily basis. I wanted to put together a presentation that shared some of my own tricks for encouraging inspiration. Thanks to the Wordplay podcast, I already had some experience with audio productions and thought it would be an interesting adventure to create a CD that would be accessible and helpful to others.

2. Can you share one of the important tips from the CD?
It’s hard to pick just one! But perhaps one of the most crucial is doing away with the fallacy that inspiration is something that just happens. Too often, we sit around, waiting for inspiration to hit us like a lightning bolt. What we fail to realize, though, is that inspiration is much more likely to zap us in the head with its lightning bolt if we’re already doing our part: sitting at our desks every day of the week, typing away, diligently putting to work what we know about the craft. Readers of my blog are probably already familiar with my favorite Peter de Vries quote: “I write every day when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”

3. What has been your personal experience with writer’s block?
The trite and easy answer would be: I don’t believe in writer’s block. But, of course, that isn’t entirely true, or I wouldn’t have recorded an entire CD on the subject! What I mean by that, though, is that writers tend to empower writer’s block by making it out to be some horrible, foul-breathed, unconquerable boogeyman. Most of the time, writer’s block is just us psyching ourselves out. That’s been my experience. I get blocked just like anyone else. I bang my head on the keyboard. I wander around the house, pulling my hair out (and generally looking scarier than even the unconquerable word-sucking boogeyman himself). But I’ve learned that patience and persistence are an almost infallible cure. And prevention is even better!

4. What’s your #1 trick for living an inspired life as a writer?
Passion. If you love this writing life, it’s difficult not to be inspired. Of course, there are mornings when I wake up after a horrendous writing session and vow I’m going to become a plumber or something. But those moments never last. In the CD, I talk about how inspiration is act of will more than a state of mind. If we approach our writing with a passionate, positive, and persistent attitude, we can hardly fail to be inspired 90% of the time.

5. Other than your CD, where else can writers go to find more inspiration and writing tips?
Along with the CD (which is available, this month only, in a great special offer (HERE)), I’m excited to announce the launch of my newly redesigned website this month. Other than the spiffy new look, it also features lots of goodies for helping writers along the road to publication and fulfillment in their writing. Probably the most exciting additions are the Helping Writers Become Authors Network , which offers an excellent package deal on some of my best writing programs and products, and the First Chapter Story Consultation service. You can also find links to my blogs, podcast, monthly e-letter, and my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters.

Thanks so much for joining us, Katie!

Please join us tomorrow and Thursday for a few bits of awesome wisdom and on Wednesday for a guest post. And go get that CD!!!!! CLICK HERE TO BUY

CONTEST!! For a chance to win a free copy of this CD, simply comment on any of the posts this week. 1 point for each comment per day (one point per post). Entries taken until 11:59 EST Friday the 8th and the winner will be announced on Saturday!

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

You can find Ms. Weiland on her website  and blog

Blog Chain - Inspire Me :)

The incredible Shaun started this chain - and before we get into it, you simply MUST check out his newly released book, The Deathday Letter. I devoured this book in one day. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was just completely AWESOME :D Go to my MUST READ BOOKS tab and take a look. Congrats Shaun!!!!

I am the last link in this chain, but be sure to swing by Shaun's to start at the beginning and don't forget to check out Laura's answer from yesterday :)

Now, for our topic, Shaun wants to know:

From where do you get your inspiration for stories? Give me the oddest, coolest, things that have inspired you.

I don't know if I've gotten a ton of ideas from cool places, but odd, yeah - if you count the inside of my head LOL But for the most part, I find inspiration everywhere. From the wicked cool cemetery next to my house, weird things I might see, funny things people say - just, well, anywhere and anything. For fiction, especially. But with fiction, it’s more about the emotions that are evoked by what I’m experiencing…the songs I hear, the things and people I see and hear.

Like several other wonderful writers in our chain, music inspires me a great deal. But usually not a whole book idea. I pick up on the general mood of a song and scenes pop into my head; it’s kind of like watching a movie with that song as the background music. And it’s never happy music or scenes. It’s usually music from groups like Evanescence, Apocalyptica, and Rob Dougan. I absolutely LOVE the music from these groups, but it usually isn’t happy-go-lucky stuff. I have gotten some really good, heart wrenching death/separation/despair type scenes from some of these songs.

And of course, the Romeo and Juliet type of love, the all consuming, burning, make-your-heart-jump-into- your-throat-every-time-you-see-him type love is just pumped into every note of some of these songs, and when I hear them, I can’t help but write about characters who feel the way the song feels and sounds. Listen to Apocalyptica’s Bittersweet (which has lyrics) or Romance (which does not) – or Evanescence’s My Immortal or Good Enough – or Sarah Brightman’s Deliver Me – or Rob Dougan’s Nothing at All or Furious Angels or I’m Not Driving Anymore…..these songs just stir something that I can’t shut off.

I also often use things that have happened in my own life….I have had an…interesting….past at times :) A lot of it has made it’s way into my stories. Of course, I change names, combine different people I’ve known to make one character, greatly embellish situations….but some of the more colorful parts of my own history have made it into my books. It’s therapeutic in a way, to write about my own life through other characters. I can make them do the things I wish I had done, or change things I wish I had not….I can finally requite that unrequited love :) or kill off the jerk that broke my heart. Really, some great real life situations make perfect fiction situations – it’s all in how you spin the tale:)

When it comes right down to it, I suppose I’m inspired by life in general. Events of the past, my own life experiences, the experiences of others expressed through music, theater, art (a really great painting can get all kind of creative juices flowing – the walls of my house are plastered with historical romance inspiring art), movies, books, etc, watching the world around me, experiencing that world, living in other worlds through vivid dreams….all of this combines to create the stories that run through my head at all hours of the day or night.

With NF, I’m more inspired by the needs I see and the subjects I enjoy. The struggling student’s need to understand what is going on so they can pass their hated English course without pulling their hair out. The desire to share the things I love – history, poetry, reading, writing. I want to share the joy I find in these things and show people who may not be interested in these subjects that they aren’t as bad as they might seem.

For my children’s books, I get most of my inspiration from my own children and the stories I hear from other parents. Honestly, while my kids make me pull my hair out in abject frustration most days, they are completely hilarious little people. I just sit and watch them, listen to the things they say, how they play with each other, the crazy things they get into in their little make believe worlds. And when I am done cleaning up the mess, I write :) And then I test my stories out and them and if they like them, we are golden.

So how about you? Where do you find your inspiration?

Blog Chain: So Many Authors, So Little Time

The topic for this round of the ol’ Blog Chain was chosen by our fabulous Christine Fonseca who wanted to know:

“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”

At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer this question. I guess because I think of it more in terms of authors who inspire me – inspire me to write better, write more, write in different ways. And the list of those incredible people is endless. So, I chose two. These two authors are the ones who inspired me to write in the first place.

Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert – this incredible woman wrote under eight different pen names, but the ones I read the most were Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, and Philippa Carr. In fact, the books of Victoria Holt were the first novels I read. Her books have everything. She was able to blend history and romance and danger and mystery so flawlessly that I would get sucked into a story and read it cover to cover in one day. I am on a mission to own every book she ever wrote and have read the entire series of books under each of these names more times than I can count. I always keep her in mind when I write and try to aspire to include and blend the elements of my stories as seamlessly as she did.

Diana Gabaldon – again, an amazing writer whose storyworld is so expertly created, with historical elements blended so perfectly into her stories you feel like you are running through the 18th century with a bunch of Scottish highlanders. And her characters are so alive and real that I am still in love with Jamie, the Scottish chief that marries her main character, Claire, who feels like she is one of my best friends (which makes the fact that I am in love with her husband a little awkward *snort* Oh, and I swear I’m not insane, these characters just REALLY feel…well, REAL) :D

It’s been 2 years since I’ve reread the Outlander series and I still think about her world and characters on at least a weekly basis. Because of her, I aspire to create characters and settings that stay with my readers long after they’ve read my books.

Other authors who make me want to hang up my pen and inspire me to pick it up and use it better include Suzanne Collins, Charlaine Harris, Scott Westerfield, Orson Scott Card, Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephanie Meyer, J.K. Rowling, and many, many more.

Be sure to check out Shannon's answer from yesterday, and swing by Amanda's blog tomorrow to find out who influences her!

So tell me, who influences and/or inspires you? Why?

How To Get Inspired

Quote of the Day:

A writer should concern himself with whatever absorbs his fancy, stirs his heart, and unlimbers his typewriter.
~ E.B. White

This is a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately, mostly because I am looking for some inspiration for a Middle Grade book I've been wanting to write. Unfortunately for me, I had an awesome idea the other day and neglected to write it down. Which means that idea has flown the crazy and cluttered coop of my mind and I'm stuck with bubkiss, nada, nothing, zilch *le sigh* Maybe it'll come back to me ;-D

People often ask me where I come up with ideas for my stories. The answer...everywhere. Seriously, watch what you say to me (no worries if you are a writer and start out by saying "this is my idea for a new story" - I'm not going to steal it from you) :D But in every day conversation....yeah, something you say to me may end up in my next book :D

I recently showed my husband a scene from my currently in edit mode WIP - and he burst out laughing because it was a pretty close rendition of a conversation we'd had once.

Inspiration is everywhere, in music, art, people, movies, books (have you ever wanted to write a retelling of a fairy tale or a cool twist on an old story?) When it comes right down to it, I suppose I’m inspired by life in general. Events of the past, my own life experiences, the experiences of others expressed through music, theater, art (a really great painting can get all kind of creative juices flowing – the walls of my house are plastered with historical romance inspiring art), movies, books, etc, watching the world around me, experiencing that world, living in other worlds through vivid dreams….all of this combines to create the stories that run through my head at all hours of the day or night.

And how is this for inspiration? A friend pointed me to this site and I just had to laugh. Do you need help getting motivated to write? Help sticking to those writing goals? Well check out Write or Die. Hands down, one of the best writing motivational tools I've seen. I'm still laughing...in a good way :D

You set your time or word count goals and start typing. There are different settings for this application, everything from gentle reminders when you stop writing, to annoying music that plays until you start typing again. But the real kicker is the setting that will delete what you've already written unless you continue to write. Now how is that for motivation? :D

Also, I know I posted a video from her last week, but I absolutely love author Jackson Pearce. She just cracks me up. She tells it how it is, describes writers and our lives perfectly. Just hilarious. This is her take on where she gets her inspiration :D



So where do you get your inspiration?

Monday's Muse

Okay, in an effort to yank myself out of my comfort zone (and to appease my mother who wants to see all these hidden little things I have been hoarding to myself), Monday's are going to be my Muse Day. More specifically, it's poetry day. I will force...nope, torture...no, I mean delight you with various tidbits from my twisted mind and I want to see the same from you.

I know there are a bunch of closet poets out there - I want to see what you've got! So every Monday, post whatever catches your whimsy in the comments section (but keep it clean...well, cleanish) ;-D and I'll try to be less timid when it comes to sharing poetry and post my own stuff :) Sometimes it'll be goofy (see below) and sometimes a little more serious (also see below).

For today, as we are starting things off, I've got one of each for you :) Don't make be post alone!!! Even if it's something like "Roses are red, violets are blue, poetry sucks and so do you" I want to read it! :D

Here are my offerings for the day :)

The Doritos Sonnet

Oh orange chip, divinely made of cheese,
You make that awesome crunching noise when chewed.
No other chip could be as good as these.
There’s nothing like those cheesy fingers, dude!
They are the stuff from which much good is made.
They bring much joy to hungry bellies, yes!
I bet with chips alone you would not fade,
For their cheese essence is just awesomeness.
Though gone, we won’t forget our bag of chips.
It will live on inside for hours to come.
The taste will be remembered on our lips.
The pantry always stocked with bags, oh yum!
As long as the upholstery bears the stain,
The cheesy chips of awesome will remain.


Untitled

You are my muse, my melody,
The inspiration that I fear.
For when you’re near
I can do naught else
But obey your heart’s command.

I neither eat, nor sleep;
I disappear
Under the force of your desire.
Release me, I beg
From the spell of your soul -
Or let me just expire.

Cross Inspiration

Quote of the Day:

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
~ Jack London

So, I was working on my non-fiction over the weekend, writing a sestina (for the chapter on sestinas, naturally) and the poem I was working on gave me what I think could be a cool idea for an Urban Fantasy. On the one hand, I'm thinking "Ooo, cool, another idea!" And on the other hand, I'm thinking "Oh crap, another idea." Hehe...I love it when the ideas get backlogged.

In any case, it got me thinking how many times this cross inspiration thing has happened. And I realized that it happens a lot. In fact, most of my ideas come from cross inspiration.

A lot of my ideas come from when I am researching details for something else. For instance, while researching goddesses for my current YA, I came across an obscure goddess that would be really fun to write about = new entry in the idea file.

Then there have been a few like the one I just had...when something I am writing sparks an idea for something else. A couple times, it has been an idea for a spin off book on some of the secondary characters. Or like this poem...it would be awesome expanded into a short story or novel.

How about everyone else? Do you ever experience cross inspiration? What kinds of things have you come across that spark ideas for something else?

Blog Chain - Inspiration or Plagiarism

Quote of the Day:

There are only two things to write about: life and death.
~Edward Albee

Time again for the Blog Chain. The fabulous Christine answered before me, and our wonderful Cole Gibsen, who is returning to us after a long absence, will be up next.

Annie chose our topic this round. She wanted to know...

Do you ever get inspired by a real-life event or news story and fear you're ripping off the story too much? Do you ever get inspired by a song or poem or line from a book and worry you're stealing that original person's idea?

My answer – yes, and no. I love the quote above, because it is so simple, but so utterly true. Everything you could possibly think of to write about, no matter what genre, deals with something involving life or death. So yes, of course, I am often inspired by real-life events, songs, poems, lines from or titles of books. In fact, as a sometime historical writer, I very often look to real-life events for inspiration.

But no, I don’t ever worry that I am ripping off the story too much. As several others before me have said, once you start to create your story, your own creativity takes over. It becomes your own. To be honest, I think you’d have to try really hard to actually rip something off.

For the most part, when I am inspired by something, it is more about how my object of inspiration made me feel then the actual, literal words in a song or story. I’ll listen to a song and a dozen images will pop into my head…like possible scenes in a movie that would work well with that song for background music. I’ll see a tragic news story and think of how a fictional character might react in the same situation. But I don’t ever feel like I want to tape the newsreel and write it down word for word.

As others have said…you can’t copyright an idea. And everyone is going to have their own take; you have ten writers with the same idea, you’ll end up with ten very different stories with similar elements. Look at all the “Cinderella” type stories out there.

Now, when you go too far, like John David California did with his “sequel” to Catcher in the Rye…that is another matter. But even this situation had to go to court in order to prove wrong doing.

Annie also asked...What if your research is overtaking your originality?

Really, I don’t think this is possible, for all the same reasons I listed above. I could research the same thing as ten other people, and we’d all come away inspired by different elements.

If this does happen to you, stop researching. If you are researching to the point that your own creativity and originality is getting lost, you are bordering on plagiarism. Research to that degree shouldn’t be necessary in any case. Research is necessary to get certain facts straight, to get the setting or mannerisms or clothing of a certain era or event correct. To add the little details that help bring your story to life. Your research should support your original idea, help to make it realistic…it shouldn’t overpower your own work.

Be inspired by real-life events, news stories, songs, poems, other written works…take whatever elements that touch you about those things and use them in your own way. If you are researching those things to the point that you have no original thoughts about them, you are going too far. Stop researching or find something else to write about.

In other words, take the idea, the situation, or the emotions a situation or work of art has inspired, and run with it. But don’t copy and paste. Don’t research so much you might as well be copying and pasting because all that’s left in your mind is someone else’s thoughts. Where’s the fun in that anyway? :)

Creative Writing Short - Music Inspiration

A few months ago, some friends and I decided to do a monthly creative writing short - someone would pick a theme and we'd all write on it. The first theme was flowers, started by Elana. June's theme was waves, started by Christine. And this month, Kate chose our theme. She wanted us to write something inspired by a piece of music. So.....the song I chose was Decode by Paramore - and my short piece is written below. You can listen to the song as you read or before or after or whatever suits you :) I couldn't get it to embed anything but a 30 second preview, but if you click the link that says "play full song here" it will take you to the site so you can hear the song.

Decode (Twilight Soundtrack Version) - Hayley Williams

I was going to lose him. I knew it, could feel it with every breath I took. He was slipping away from me. No. That wasn’t strictly true. Because you couldn’t lose what you never had. And he had never been mine, not really. Every word that oozed from his lie-ridden mouth had been false, meant to keep me around for as long as he needed me. Keep me coming back for more while he was off finding the “true” love of his life.

But then, he still needed me around, right? Of course. He needed me because he couldn’t very well go around mauling HER, the future mother of his children. He would never think of blowing into a room, grabbing her hand and half dragging her back to his bedroom with barely a glance at her. He would never paw her and kiss her and treat her like a little toy, to be used and tossed aside as soon as his lust had been slacked. Oh no. Whoever she was would be his wife someday. She deserved respect. But me, now I could be treated that way. Why not. I was nothing to him……….

I reread his letters dozens of times. No, I hadn’t just been deluding myself. Over and over in the letters he had told me how much he loved me, how he longed for me, ached to hold me. But he was home now. Surrounded by familiar friends and faces. He didn’t need me anymore. And suddenly his all consuming passion for me dissipated, leaving him with a problem he needed to get rid of. And why did I care anyways? Did I really want to spend the rest of my life with a man who freaked out because his dog was watching him eat?! Who stressed over the tiniest aspects of normal every day life? NO!!! But still.............

It hurt so badly. I couldn’t figure out why. Logically, I wanted nothing to do with him, had already moved on. But my heart still cried out for him. Even now, when he had hurt me so cruelly. While I stood staring at my wedding dress, hanging unused in my closet, holding his wedding invitation in my hand. Perhaps the worst pain of all came, not because I still loved him, but because I realized that he no longer loved me, perhaps never did. That…that was more than I could bear.

Mr. Sandman is on Vacation

Quote of the Day:

If I'm trying to sleep, the ideas won't stop. If I'm trying to write, there appears a barren nothingness.
~Carrie Latet

How many of you get your ideas from dreams? Does your brain go on overdrive the second you lay down to sleep?

I’m curious because I’ve noticed that when I am up in the middle of the night, plugging away on one of my WIPs, there is almost always at least one writer buddy of mine doing the exact same thing. In fact, the middle of the night is the time it seems to be the easiest to get a hold of my friends, the time when we chat and email the most. Also, most writers I’ve asked rely on some sort of sleep aid to get to sleep at night. Because, like me, they suffer from that irritating habit the mind has of saving up every worthy thought and replaying it over and over as they try to sleep.

Like Ms. Latet said in the quote above, sometimes I will sit, staring at my computer or open notebook, and get nothing. But the second I lay down and close my eyes, a million thoughts start dancing through my head. Some persistant enough that I have to get up and write them down. Taking a shower or doing the dishes often loosens the mind muscles as well. But trying to get to sleep is the worst.

In fact, it’s so bad that I will often stay up until I can barely keep my eyes open, just so I will fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow (doesn’t usually work, but it does help). I assume this happens because when I try to sleep, my body is still, the house is quiet, I have nothing else to focus on. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t married…it took my husband a while to get used to my tossing and turning. On a good night I can fall asleep within an hour. A bad night it could take 3 or 4.

I also got in the habit of waking up constantly during the night (courtesy of my children) and have never really gotten over that. So I have very vivid dreams as well. Now, this is kind of cool. I’ve gotten a lot of really good ideas this way. But the preliminaries of falling asleep are a bit irritating.

So I was wondering how many other writers are insomniacs…or at least night owls, like me. Do you fall right to sleep or toss and turn for hours? If you have learned how to shut your brain off…share your secret! :D

When Garbage Inspires

(see more awesome demotivators at despair.com)

Quote of the Day:

If you are going to learn from other writers don’t only read the great ones, because if you do that you’ll be so filled with despair and the fear that you’ll never be able to do anything near as well as they did that you’ll stop writing. I recommend that you read a lot of bad stuff, too. It’s very encouraging. “Hey, I can do so much better than this.” Read the greatest stuff but read the stuff that isn’t so great, too. Great stuff is very discouraging. If you read only Beckett and Chekhov, you’ll go away and only deliver telegrams at Western Union.
~Edward Albee

I came across this quote and immediately thought, “Oh that is so true.” I’ve read books where I’ve just sat and shook my head at the awesomeness of what I held in my hands. I was filled with the desire to produce such incredible prose while at the same time knowing that I never would. And each time this happens, I have that moment of supreme discouragement. That thought of “I’ll never be this good, why do I try?”

That thought invariably disappears the second a new idea pops in my head, or the moment I sit down to write. Because whether I am producing a great novel or the worst sort of drivel doesn’t matter to me so much when I am in the grip of whatever story is clawing its way out of my head. All I want to do is write, get the story out, quiet the raging voices in my crowded mind.

But those doubtful thoughts will of course return the next time I have an unbelievably awesome book in my hands.

On the flip side, as Mr. Albee says, if I am reading something that isn’t so great, it is very encouraging. I was actually inspired to write the WIP I just finished because I was reading a book that, while I enjoyed it, inspired the thought of “Okay, I can do better that this. Or at least something just as good.”

And it spurred me to write, to start a project that would be better, more popular, and more successful than the book I had read.

To be honest, I’ve never read anything truly dreadful. If it starts getting too bad, I just put it down and move on to something else. My time is too precious and my spare time too limited to waste it on something horrendous. But it’s those in between books that encourage me to put all my effort into a project. Those books that are okay but that have you thinking through the whole thing, “Ooo, I wouldn’t have done that there, I would have done this instead. And this would have been so much better if this whole section was cut and maybe replaced with this.”

So, next time you start getting really discouraged…find a book that is complete garbage and bask in the knowledge that you can do better than that. Honestly, thinking of any book as garbage sends a huge twinge of guilt through my system, because I know how difficult it is to complete a book, any book, and I don’t like to negate the efforts of anyone. But, let’s face it, we’ve all read books where we sit in complete stupefaction that something like that could have successfully made its way through the maze of agents, editors, and publishers that exist to filter out the trash. I suppose that saying is true of all things…one person’s trash is another person’s treasure :) I am quite sure that someday, someone will be using my book to encourage them, knowing they could do better. But maybe another person will hold my book, shaking their heads at my awesomeness ;-D I’m not holding my breath on that one though :D

In any case, every book serves a purpose. Turn manure into a flower and let it be your inspiration :)

My Music Muse

Quote of the Day:

Music is what feelings sound like. ~Anonymous

Music has always inspired me, always brought incredible scenes to my mind, kicked my creative muse into gear. I'm one of those people that will sit and listen to a beautiful song with tears running down my face (while non-musical hubby looks on in confusion and disdain), or will listen to a song over and over and over just because I don't want to stop feeling the way it's making me feel.

I suppose it makes sense then that I'd be the type of writer that makes playlists for my projects. And it got me curious as to how many other writers do this. So this is what I want to know - do you listen to music while you write? Before you write? Do you have actual playlists or just a specific song on repeat?

For my current book, I've been listening to a lot of E.S. Posthumus, specifically the songs Nala and Nineveh (which I liked so much, I'm naming a character after the title of the song) - and a song called River Flows in You by Yiruma that is so beautiful I bought the piano music (though my sorry version doesn't sound anything as wonderful as the original) :)

Apocalyptica (especially their songs, Bittersweet and Romance) and Evanescence are always major players on my soundtracks. And the Twilight soundtrack is almost on constant repeat - it's just got some great songs! Rob Dougan is another favorite of mine (wow, that man's voice makes my toes curl!) And for the more upbeat, funny scenes, I listen to just about anything...well, upbeat :) Lady Gaga is a current favorite (fun to dance to), Sweet Home Alabama is a favorite song, as well as Everybody Got Their Something by Nikka Costa.

How about you? What songs are on your lists?

How To Stay (or get) Motivated

This week’s topic actually goes along real well with my previous post for the Blog Chain. Staying motivated is actually something I struggle with. Writing is hard work. I enjoy it. But when Real Life rears it’s sometimes ugly head (and it always does), finding the time, energy, and motivation to write isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

So, here are a few things I do to help get me “in the mood.”

1. Find something to make me laugh.
When I am in a bad/sad/stressed mood, the last thing I want to do is write. I’m not sure why that is. I have a great time going over the stories in my head. But getting those stories from my head onto my computer sometimes takes more effort than I want to put in just then. But if I can lighten my mood, laugh a little, I start to relax, and suddenly writing seems like less of another “to do” item and more of a fun activity. Things like this…
make me laugh and help me take myself a little less seriously. A good British comedy or standup routine is always good for a few laughs as well.

2. Take a short break and fix what is bugging me.
If I am not motivated to write, chances are, there is something else bothering me. Maybe I need to fold some laundry and I just can’t settle in to write because I can see the 15 loads of clean clothes from the corner of my eye. Maybe I promised my kids I’d have cookies waiting for them when they got home from school, or maybe I forgot to make my bed, or any one of a hundred other things. Now, I’ll admit I’m a little more…anal than some people :D However, if I just go take care of whatever it is that is making me feel guilty for writing, then I can sit and write and enjoy myself instead of fixating on other things.

3. Get inspired.
So many things inspire me that this one is actually a good way for me to get motivated. A few of my favorite inspirations are:
- Music. Some songs just really hit me hard and make me want to write. For one of the stories I am working on, I pretty much have James Blunt’s “Same Mistake” on repeat. A few other bands that always inspire me are Apocalyptica, Coldplay, Everlast, Rob Dougan, Evanescence….those haunting melodies are just great inspiration for the drama needed for some good fiction.
- Art. My walls are plastered with art. My husband teases me about it because there is not one blank wall in our house. I also troll the internet…photobucket.com is a great place for inspiration. I collect gorgeous nature shots and other pictures like this…

or

or
I see some of these places and want to write a scene that takes place there. Can't you just see your long lost love sitting on that bench beneath the gorgeous red tree, or see a royal fairy court peeking from beneath those incredible pink trees, or feel something stalking you through the eerie red haze of the last picture? Or I’ll see a picture like this…

or

or

and I want to write a scene where my characters feel the way the people in the picture look like they feel.
- Movies. Certain movies just really hit home and tweak emotions that are hard to contain. My current favorite is P.S. I Love You. I’ve watched it I don’t know how many times, because it makes me laugh and cry and drool (Gerard Butler…ummm gorgeous!). It makes me want to write something that will make people feel the way I feel when I watch it.

4. Read.
I read. A lot. And I mean A LOT. If you are going to be a good writer, I think it’s a necessary part of the process to read. I call it research. It gets me an eye roll from my non-reader husband, but it really is research. Most of the time I get lost in the story, but now, as a writer, I can never really shut off the edit mode. Sometimes I’ll come across a passage or a really good (or bad) dialogue sequence and think, “wow, I love how she did this,” or “ooo, I never would have worded this like this, it just doesn’t work.” Reading other’s work makes it easier to spot both the good and the bad things in my own work.
And, like the movies and the music, sometimes I’ll read a book that just inspires me to write, inspires me to create something that will invoke the emotions that I felt while reading.

5. Last, but not least, I go to my patient and saintly friends.
They put up with a lot from me. A have a few very good friends who get a copy of just about every email, passage, chapter, query letter, and synopsis I have ever written. They deal with my insecurities about everything I do. They love me enough to tell me when I suck and are genuinely ecstatic for me when I succeed. They encourage me to write when I’m in a slump and they support me when I need to slow down a bit.
They make the whole process easier. In fact, just recently, a good friend of mine suggested doing a weekly write-a-thon. I think there were ten of us that showed up (online). We set a timer and wrote for fifteen minutes and then got to chat for fifteen minutes. Not only did I get a ton done that night, I had a blast doing it. It’s like having a buddy to go to the gym with. It’s easier to do if you’ve got someone there to do it with. If you don’t have any writing friends yet, I highly suggest finding some, because this is a tough business and it is more wonderful than I can express to have people to go to who understand what I’m going through.

These are just a few things that I do get myself motivated and in the writing mood. Everyone is going to be different, so these things may not work as well for you as they do for me. All you really need is the right mindset, a little inspiration, and the support of a few good people, and the motivation takes care of itself.

As February is the month of luuuuv, the How To posts for next month will focus on how to write four different forms of poetry. First up is my favorite form, heroic couplets. So come back next Tuesday to find out how to write your special valentine a heroic couplet poem!