Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Inspiration
I'm going to keep this short and relatively not sweet. Because I'm not much for sweet. And inspiration is only everywhere when you're actually paying attention which isn't easy when horns are blaring, A/C units are busting, Medicare is screwing you, accounts payable is sucking wind, jet lag is wrapped around you like a wet blanket on a hot day.I've spent the last month unable to get any words out. I've relied on my trust old paper notebook, and have written some things but nothing comes to me when I'm on the computer. The pressure of the keyboard- the wicked, wicked keyboard. The blank page with the blinking cursor. Mocking you for your ignorance. Your inability to be creative. The laptop is not my friend.
So I ask you today-
What do you write for when you don't want to write anymore? When inspiration has flown the coup, who picks up the emotional pieces left behind?
As a writer, I pick up my own pieces and move on quietly. I'm still banging out the word count. I'm about 20k behind now. But the trick is to not panic. No head games mean I can get back on track. So tell me what games you play with yourself to keep you going? And if nothing else, let's talk about lack of inspiration. Or strippers. Whichever is better.
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52 comments:
I know what you mean Sin. After struggling with some complicated theory that isn't working out, slaving long hours into the night to figure out what's missing, with a half empty scotch bottle near by, I can end up emotionally drained and bereft of ideas.
To break the circle I do something completely different....like writing a short story or drabble. Or take my DW for a holiday break. Its amazing how often that 'missing link' unexpectedly comes to me over a pint of beer in a holiday tavern.
I guess this isn't very helpful though *g*
BUT you should see me when the theory does work out!!!!!
When I need inspiration, I generally hop in the car. Something about driving around gets me going. I listen to the radio (never CDs) and just let whatever spontaneous music is on inspire me.
Last week Colbie Caillat's Realize got me through a scene I was having difficulty with.
Wasn't there a male strip team on America's Got Talent last night? Dang it, I meant to watch that part. Sorry, you distracted me with strippers.
For some reason, reading about other writers struggles and triumphs inspires me to keep going. Last week an author talked in a blog comment about her long fight to get published and that she'd finally done it. Her last name started with the letter "O" and I thought, "Hey, I could end up next to her at a booksigning." Then I realized I'd have to have a book published first. LOL! It inspired me to keep going and get this dang thing done.
Also, authors like Kimberly yesterday saying to just get the rough draft done. Just get it down on paper and worry about the rest later. That helps me feel better about the dreck I'm spewing.
Marn - I love that song. And driving works wonders for me in plotting. In an eight hour drive, my brain seems to work overtime.
Ter - I love that song too! And her voice is so soulful and sweet. It was perfect for my first seriously black moment. I'll have to send it to you guys. It's rough but I cried.
I like to take a nice quiet walk. In a household as full as mine, it's hard to get past all the noise. There's always a television or radio on. Or worse yet a screaming child-well not as bad as that lately, but they still fight.
So anywhoooo-a nice quiet walk with no demands of my attention, my mind is free to wander.
Renee
It's not so much that I can't write or that I'm struggling with a particular scene but that I don't have the time right now to write and it's literally driving me insane. I've been working late into the night, getting up early and going back to work. I've been traveling like mad and I just think my brain is wore out. Going in too many directions. And the more pissed off I get about it, the worse my anxiety gets and the worse the cursor blinks at me.
My hand cramps now from using a pencil. Obviously even my fingers have become spoiled.
Q, dearest, I'd love to watch you work. I can't say what I do is complicated by any means, but I bet your brow furrows together a lot while you're thinking. I admire you a lot for your work. You really kick ass. I should give you secret ninja props and make you a part of the honorary society. Except I think Hellion would smack me.
For some reason, I've got this picture of you in my mind with a monocle and a top hat. And a sexy voice while you lean over a desk by a single light.
See, obviously, I've lost the last shred of my sanity.
Marn, I've done nothing but travel. Usually the car trip works for me. Or new music. What I need is a device that's like a stenographer, but looked directly to my brain. I need transcripts.
Ter- The strippers were meant to distract. And I got to see them last night. *fanning self* Holy hotness. I'd almost travel to the deep south to get me a piece of that action. I'm sure I could talk some wenches into a little road trip of goodies.
Renee, I love to go down on the trail and walk. There's something about fresh air and the wind brushing against me that makes me feel better on the inside.
Dude, those two chapters I'm supposed to have for you when we meet...oh, Saturday?...yeah, not done. Not even close to being done. I do have a notebook though.
I won't smack you; you can make Quantum a member of your honorary secret ninja society (that none of the rest of us are allowed in. *LOL*)
Sin wrote:
It’s not so much that I can’t write or that I’m struggling with a particular scene but that I don’t have the time right now to write and it’s literally driving me insane.
Welcome to my world. ;)
So you have an extra week, and I have an extra week (that I won't use to get anything done)..
Crap. I have to go pick up Gramma from the lake that next weekend. *scratching head*
Hm, lemme think about this.
Dude, I'm not even going to be in town. I'll be in Iowa for the Great Taylor Gathering of 08.
The Great Taylor Gathering. LOL!!
Marn- if you knew my in-law family, you'd understand. They are crazy. Crazier than me. And that's saying something. LOL
Ter- I'd say, time wise, you've got me beat. I dunno how you're doing it. I need Starbucks interveinously *pirate* to keep one foot in front of the other.
Hellion, the ways of the ninja are very old and sacred. You have your pirating business, which is a very honorable and profitable profession. And I have my ninjaing. With his monocle and top hat, he will fit right in with a ninja mask and sharp bananas.
I love that your ninja outfit comes with sharp, razor-like bananas.
Technically, the monkey carries the bananas. And now I'm picturing Q more like Sherlock Holmes than a Ninja. LOL!
Sin - I bet you could find inspiration in that Taylor gathering. Thankfully, my family never gathers. It's not pretty when they try.
Hey, we can do the same thing as all the chapters do: skip July as a meeting month.
Her sharp bananas aren't nearly as deadly as her poison dart eyelashes.
*scratching chin thoughtfully*
All ninjas have monkeys. I mean, if they didn't, how would they function as ninjas?
*lightblub idea*
Oh my, what if I wrote the ninja goes to the family reunion and must use the special spider monkey abilities to survive for four days? That could be quite intersting.
I tell you Ter, it ain't pretty when they get together either. Every year they try to outdo the year before.
We could skip July or we can meet later on or on a different day. I'm not sure which day I'm going to get Gramma next weekend. If it's Sunday, we can still meet on Saturday.
OKay so this post is about strippers, ninjas and mokeys right? Or did I miss something? ;-P
Sorry you're having so little time for yourself and to write Sin. As a non writer I can't tell you much about inspiration...But I can send you good vibes. And rum. Lots of it. Rum always helps.
Stef - you're in the land of good wine. Forget the rum, send us some of that. LOL!
LOL Last time I tried to send something to the USA, it never went through customs....At least I guess that's why it never arrived....
I live in Elsass (well Alsace, I don't know how you say it): you're right great wine here....and it's just waiting for you.
See it that way: True, if I cross the street I'm right in the vineyards....but I have a hard time getting Ben and Jerry's....Now let me think, B&J, French wine...mmm that's a tough choice! LOL
BTW Terrio, I want to thank you for recommending the Spymaster's Lady: It's a great book. I'm not finished yet but I'm loving it.
You're welcome, Stef. Glad you like it. Her second book is out and I've heard mixed reviews about it, but if you want to look for it the book is called Her Lord & Spymaster.
I'm going to get smacked but I don't actually like Ben & Jerry's.
*runs below decks*
Stef, I love when you send me good vibes. It's always smutty vibes that make me want to do the naked dance with a boy. LOL
Ter- I can't believe you.
Terrio, never fear! I'll guard your back as you run below deck. I'm not for Ben & Jerry's either, or Hagan Daas for that matter. Ice cream is ice cream to me, although Italian Ice is molto bene.
Strippers? Monkeys? Razor sharp bananas? Huh? I'm hallucinating. *Ah, need more rum.* How about a monkey stripper who eats razor sharp bananas? I'd like to see that trick. :-)
The dreaded blinking curser brings dreaded bleeping curse words to me mouth. It breeds disease, man. *Love the dude references, btw. Makes me feel like I've tripped out on psychodelic meds or something. Far out!* More rum, please...
Seriously, watch a movie in the genre you are writing. It relaxs the brain and creates zen. Especially important for historical writers. Remove yourself from the writing. Put yourself in another story, photo, lyric, anything to spare the brain from focusing on the same thing over and over again. By doing this, you allow yourself the freedom to resolve the writing issue stifling the flow. *E-gads, I sound like I'm on psychodelic meds again. Where's the rum?*
And I really do know how to spell relaxes. Geez!
Sin dear, I never work in my top hat. I am however a great admirer of Dorothy Sayers' great sleuth Lord Peter Whimsy. He donned a top hat and monocle so I feel honoured that you should visualise me so.
Afraid I'm not versed in the art of Ninja warfare, but if you could bend that banana a bit, I have been effective with a boomerang. *g*
I would love to become an honorary associate ninja warrior as long as I can stick to theory....I couldn't possibly hurt anyone. It would go nicely with my other hon title *g*
Anybody else hearing the catch phrase, "Bend it like Quantum"? LOL! Sorry, I'll go back to hiding behind Kathy.
Kathy, Dude, that movie thing is a great idea. I don't write Historical but when I watch a period piece, everything I write directly after sounds like stuffy Brits hanging out. Evidence this advice is very sound.
Dude, whoa, that was like totally cosmic, Kathy.
Seriously, what's in this rum?
I find watching movies makes my anxiety worse. I can't sit down for that long. I have to get up and do things. Like laundry. Or dishes. Or.. something. I recently watched Untraceable. Fabulous, fabulous movie and it's the job that my heroine has before she goes home to MO. So it was fun to watch. Plus it's violent, so the DH liked it as well.
Q, love, I'd do anything for you.
*batting eyelashes* Duck! Flying eyelashes. Sorry about that. These things go haywire without warning.
*bending a sharp poisonous banana* Here you go. Your very own ninja weapon. You don't have to hurt anyone. If you don't want to. Leave that to me.
Hey, let's get back to the strippers and the rum *g*
Sin--I cannot believe you liked Untraceable. That movie was creepy. When he put the FBI guy in the vat of battery acid! And the kitty at the beginning. EEK!
I think you should practice by writing a nice little rhyme about strippers. Or bunnies with horse parts *eg* Just sayin...
Bunnies with....uhm.....how do they get around? I'm suddenly envisioning bunnies on pogo sticks.
What IS in this rum?
Or for that matter, bunnies who need wheel barrels. LOL. *gurgle, slosh... more rum*
Sin, I forgot to mention I live in cosmic aura. :-)
Lord, I knew as soon as I saw the bunny comment that you'd been here, Kim, to tattle on our late night convo. LOL
And Untraceable... that's light for what I've got planned *giggling madly* I'm not one for watching those kind of movie, but I love to write it.
Wow. We've really gotta be trippin' some acid today. Cosmic auras, and wheel-barrel bunnies and bunnies on pogo sticks... And horse parts.
Hellion, you should stop letting Jack in the supply room!
I haven't seen Untraceable for the very reasons mentioned above. Eck!
I 'want' to see WANTED. It's supposed to be really, really good. *Suddenly I'm reminded of Jack who's always wanted on this ship, especially the Capn's cabin. But Jack is hung like a horse. Thankfully, he's not a one-woman man, so I can rest assured he will visit me on occasion, when enticed.* :-)
Oh, I want to see Wanted too. I need to go see that this weekend.
I have no idea what Untraceable is and after this conversation, that's a good thing.
Hey Terrio, Untraceable is a movie about a killer who posts his videoed murders on the web. I believe he stalks the investigator, Diane Lane, too. Eck! Not for me.
I want to see rousing epics like POTC, or POTO, or Master & Commander. Wanted looks like a cross between Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The Matrix. I think I'm going to go see it this weekend too. :-) Then there is always Batman, The Dark Knight, or the new Mummy movie, or Hellboy 2, or Hancock, or... the list goes on. :-) I love me some movies!!!
Oh, and I picked up a wonderful shirt at the beach, Hellion! It says: This pirate is rated... ARRRRRR! LOL! Couldn't resist! Got the DH a pirate cup: Bad To The Bone (pun on me name) and a little sign to put in me office which says the same. :-)
What the hell? Has Jack been dumping LSD in the rum supplies?
Love the shirt! *LOL* And the cup really fits...he should be able to drink lots of grog now!
I too have been jonesing to see Wanted.
When the Capn's away....
Oddly enough, even though I put off doing so, I always get inspired while washing the dishes. I do get ideas from lots of different things, but they never feel possible or gell until I wash dishes.
Evangeline - I've heard that a ton of time. But it would never work for me. I refuse to wash dishes. As it is, I put off loading the dish washer and it does all the work. LOL!
But use what works. Scrub those dishes clean!
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