So many words. So little time.
Tag: writing inspiration
For my final paper in British Lit, I’m re-writing a scene from Le Morte Darthur from Guinevere’s POV. The Muse has decided to make Arthur the bad guy, and now has plans to turn this into a paranormal new/young adult (not for the paper itself, of course). I just wrote 500 words on this is about 15 minutes, so I know the Muse is loving the idea.
I already have two WIPs, Muse. I don’t exactly have time for a third one…
Chivalry is not dead. Yet.
When you’re tired and super busy and barely have time to think, much less write, it’s nice when God gives you a little nudge to get you motivated again. One of my classes this session is British Lit. Our final essay is due in about 2 1/2 weeks. One of the sample topics was to re-write a scene from Le Morte Darthur from Guinevere’s point of view.
Now, I’ve always wondered just what she was thinking, messing around with her husband’s best friend, when she knew her husband was renowned for his chivalrous ideas and principles, and she was surrounded by a bunch of men with animosity issues. So, naturally, the Muse really liked that idea. I checked with the prof to make sure it was okay to use one of the sample topics, and when she okayed it, I was thrilled. A final paper I’m actually excited about writing.
I got the first words down today. Only 100, but I have almost 3 weeks to write 1,000-1,500 words, so I think 100 words every couple of days will pretty much get me there without any forced writing sessions. And TBH…I still have no idea what she was thinking.
But it should be fun to find out.
Just a few pics I found that might provide some writing inspiration.
Beautiful. There, feeling inspired?
I’m pretty sure I can’t be the only person out there looking for ways to stay inspired. Naturally, while “researching” this topic, I hopped on Pinterest and found this list. (Seriously, Pinterest has the best pictures that my Muse likes to play with. I have a board entitled “Inspire Me: Toys for the Muse” where I collect them.) This list obviously isn’t a picture, but it has some great ideas. I’m fond of numbers 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22, 26, and 27. What about you?
I haven’t done any writing or revisions in the past week. Mentally, I just wasn’t up to it. Before I experienced depression for myself, I never realized how much my emotions could affect my brain. Does that make sense? Okay, before depression, I never realized that I just kept plowing through, no matter my mental state. Now however…I’m pretty susceptible to my emotions throwing me off my game. Stress. Exhaustion. Tension. Anger. Not just depression. And no, I’m not depressed. But one of my patients died last week unexpectedly, someone I took care of for four years and chatted and joked with. I didn’t realize how much he lifted my spirits at 5 a.m., and I’m feeling his loss. That sadness makes it hard to focus on the words.
But I’m working on it. Words have power, after all, and strength is a positive thing.
Have you ever taken a break from writing?
I have. To be honest, the “break” I just finished up was more of a three-year hiatus than anything. There were a lot of reasons for it–depression, a major health issue, school–but that doesn’t make me feel any better about taking it.
The thing is, I miss writing. An ex of mine used to tell me I needed to write if I started getting too grumpy, and that’s probably true. (Kind of explains my moodiness lately, as well.) Blog-writing helps stave off the attitude somewhat, but getting eyeball-deep in fiction will almost for-sure “cure” the problem.
I’m eager to leap back into the thick of things, to pull a blanket of words over my head and just snuggle into them. Except, of course, I have no idea where I was going with the Siren story….
Not to mention, I want to revise Witches, and I haven’t touched it in years.
So, I think a bit of planning is in order, first. Wait. Pre-work. I meant pre-work. I already have a plan: do all the things! NO. No. I need an idea of where the story is going, first, before I dive in and start writing. Otherwise, I’ll end up with another 300,000-word monstrosity to revise.
Okay, new plan: HTRYN for Witches, brainstorm a general outline for the Siren story and work through HTTS for it. Okay. I have a plan.
Now I just need to implement it.
How is it that my to-do list is longer now than it was before the semester ended? Seriously? It’s summer. Aren’t I supposed to be relaxing and doing nothing? Ha. Hahahaha. Not so much.
On the up side, at least it isn’t full of homework! And 2/3 of the items on the list are now writing-related, so that’s a huge improvement. Granted, it’s not actual writing, but at least it’s related. I gotta have a little bit of relaxation, too, so there’s some of that. Planning on seeing the new Avengers movie later today. And hopefully a brief (3-mile) workout, too, if the weather will cooperate. I swear Noah will be here any minute, which makes it difficult to train for the 20+-mile hike of the Grand Canyon I’m going on…two weeks from tomorrow!
On a side note related to my to-do list…does anyone know anything about either elance.com or odesk.com? I’ve seen a few things, and I’m curious/interested. Just looking for a bit of hands-on info.
Have a blessed day!
This semester is finally over! I’m thrilled, to say the least. It’s funny, I couldn’t focus on writing with school stuff floating in the back of my brain, but the last two weeks, I’ve been feeling the writing itch going stronger, so I know the Muse is ready to get back to work. And so am I. This first “off” week, I plan to get everything situated and organized, and figure out exactly what I intend to work on this summer (Yes, I have to have a plan.). Then I’ll get started.
I can’t wait.
So, finals are next week, which means I’ll (hopefully) getting back into the writing thing in a couple of weeks. Until then, I have essays to revise and a portfolio to put together. Eep.
It’s strange, considering I’ve never thought about a piece of writing as representative of my capabilities as a whole. Perhaps that’s because I generally write novel-length fiction, not short pieces. Long pieces of writing are easier to see as a whole, not as pieces of a whole, so looking at my writing in that slightly different way has been a learning experience.
I’ve finished the first draft of my long final essay–about my feelings on organized religion and why I feel the way I do. I’ve selected two essays to use in the portfolio–one a fictionalized account of two brothers in Hurricane Katrina, and one an account of my experiences with race in my hometown. (That one is pretty personal, but I am so happy with how it turned out.) I have to pick at least one more piece to include, which will probably be a literary analysis. Then I have to revise all of them and put the portfolio together.
So, I’ve been doing writing. Just…a horse of a different color, if you will.
It’s funny to me, just how big an effect your brain can have on the creative process. Like, I have no problem at all with conjuring up worst-case scenarios. They often keep me awake at night, actually. You would think that being in a mental funk wouldn’t interfere with the brain’s ability to be creative, since it’s so good at picturing horrible things.
But that’s not true. Instead, for me, it seems to have the opposite effect: if my mental state isn’t optimal, I can’t be creative to save my life. It just isn’t happening. The Muse goes on a (mental) vacation, and is not available for comment.
Currently, my Muse is probably on the beach somewhere in Bora Bora. Hammock. White sand. Blue water. Refreshing drink. Sounds about right…
Glad one of us is enjoying ourselves.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 