Pictures of Inspiration

One of the blogs I follow recently suggested that pictures can be used for inspiration. That they spark an idea when you’re struggling. This post even suggested different places to find pictures and what you can access and use them for.

Now when I read the post I was having some trouble coming up with what I might write about this weekend. I have dived headlong into my fantasy draft and everything I do seems to revolve around something for that at the moment. But even though I am writing consistently every day and it’s moving along, I have moments where I think I am not going to be able to write all the words required to make it what I want it to be.

I have all the big scenes in my head and working towards paper; it's the bits in between that worry me.

I was taking some time to look over some of the completely unrelated to writing blogs and websites that I very occasionally visit when I came across an amazing photo. Before I could think about what I was doing, I had a scene forming in my mind and half a page typed out.

It is important to note that I wasn’t out looking for inspiration at the time, I just got lucky. I think we should try to experience a wide range of things because you never know where inspiration or ideas might strike from. And, of course, it depends on what you are doing or thinking about at the time.

It could inspire a scene, a story, a poem, a blog post, a painting or an article. Keep the mind open and enjoy. My scene came from three little spotty blue eggs in a glass bowl. I once wrote a short story inspired by one line in a country and western style song, and I don’t even like country music.

Happy Scribbling.

Group Discussions

I have become one of those people. You know the ones that seem to think anything is possible. Like the ex-smoker in a group that says you just need to stop.

I have been lucky enough to be asked to join a new writers group. I didn’t realise how much I missed talking with other writers and hearing what they are doing and writing. We are all unpublished and there is a mix of genres being written and of course different ways of going about that.

One member of the group, at our last meeting, read a first draft piece to introduce one of her main characters to get an idea from the group as to how it was working. It was great to talk it through, everyone had good ideas on ways to tidy it up and we talked about how she would use it, or whether it was a good exercise for her to develop more background on the character but that the actual piece itself may not end up in the final version.

I think with a first draft it is important to get the story down on paper and then rework. So this is where I turned into “one of those people”.

I asked how much of her story she had written down, and then suggested that if she gets the story down, she could work on the order, detail and so on later. She said she has the order and the plot quite well planned as it has spent several years moving around her head and taking over her thinking. But she has written very little of the story down.

‘But you want to write it.’

‘Yes, but I don’t have time.’

‘Just an hour a day?’

Here she scoffed and it was driving home that I realised we can’t put our own ideals and goals onto others.

She wants to write her story but she needs to work out herself the best way to do that. I should have suggested 10 minutes a day. Everyone can find 10 minutes and then build on that. An hour really does sound daunting when we have so much else happening in our lives.

I have recently decided that writing is what I really want to do above all else. I still need to spend time with my family, go to work and the gym, and do some housework. But if I want to be a writer then I need to fit writing in too. I get up early to get that writing time every day.  And sometimes if I’m really lucky I can get some more time of an evening or weekend.

But just like kicking the smoking habit, just because I can do it doesn’t mean everyone else can too or in the same way. We each need to work out what is best for us, and the best way to get that. And tt is worth noting that another member of the group also gets up at 5am to spend a quiet, uninterrupted hour writing. At least I know I am not alone.

Happy Scribbling

Whoahoo...

Finally it is done. Finished. And complete.

I'm not sure that it is really any good. But it's done.

I finished entering the last of the corrections this morning. Only a couple of days behind schedule, which is not too bad given the number of years it has been a work in progress.

Next step is to try and get it published...a very scary thought.

And it also means I can start reading other people's books again. I am keen to dive into the pile of novels beside the bed.

And start drafting and creating again by getting back into my fantasy draft.

Just as soon as I stop jumping about.

The Perfect Writing (Head) Space

I have found my perfect writing environment. Actually I have been using it for some time but it was only recently that I realised how well it did work. My writing habits slipped momentarily to writing of an evening, but they are back to mornings. And sometimes if I am very lucky I get to write both of a morning and an evening.

My body seems to have realised that morning time is best for me and my eyes spring open three minutes before my alarm goes off. They do this every morning, weekend or week day. The number of times I press the snooze button is dependent upon a combination of how tired I am and how cold it is outside the covers.

When I do get out, and it’s usually only 10 to 20 minutes after the alarm does go off, I go straight to the study and turn on my heater. Then make tea and back to the study. I find that as soon as I sit down at my desk I am ready to write, or edit as the case has been lately.

It only occurred to me how effective my space was when I realised how productive I was for that hour. When I thought about it, there was no lead up time, no fiddling with pens, trying to find motivation. It was all there in my routine. And I do sit and work.

The only delay to all of this is how long it takes me to get out of bed. The earlier I get up, the more time I have. If I managed to get out as soon as my alarm went off I would have a full hour and a half before the morning madness starts. The getting dressed, finding school shoes and library books, packing bags and lunches and making sure I don’t walk out the door in my slippers.

There was a time I couldn’t settle, I would be up and down and my brain would not engage. I even wrote myself little notes to help motivate me of a morning (see kitchen door). Now it seems so easy. I just had to work out my place and routine. And now that I know I can, I think I can do it anywhere I need to, or want to. The procrastination monster doesn’t even get a look in.

Happy Scribbling

So Close

I can see the end and so I spent my usual blogging time on the weekend editing. And then I went out to a poetry reading. It is not usually the type of thing I get to, other writers reading their work and I did enjoy it. But I didn’t read any of my own work even though some of those I was with did.

One of the guest writers was presenting her newly released memoir and the other read his poetry focused on the body. At a forum like that I love the variety; that everyone has written something so different, that they see the world differently and then how they express their version of the world.

But I can’t seem to focus on much of anything outside of my editing at the moment.

I promise a better update next week and hopefully good news.

Happy Scribbling