Ever since I've started to try and rededicate myself to writing and creating, one of the major problems that I run into is having something to write ABOUT.
At a glance, it's very daunting to think "I'm going to try and produce SOMETHING everyday". You wonder if you will have the ability. If you're going to produce anything worthwhile. You stress whether or not you can even keep yourself going to do it more than a few weeks.
I can say that one benefit I've given myself to ease my concerns is giving myself a day off on Friday so that I might have a bit more of a set schedule with a day I can rely on. Aside from that, providing myself the "Open Book Discussions" as well as the "Don't Break the Chain" posts gives me a way to break up my thinking so that I'm not dead set on HAVING to produce a constant flow of narrative every day.
Of course, the ironic part is that the more I fall into the habit, the less daunting it seems. In fact, I'm starting to experience something I haven't for a long time. Inspiration. Not twinges of desire to create, but a real, solid hunger to write based on something I see or hear.
Kaleo - Way Down We Go
Here's a great example:
Way Down We Go was a song I heard on the radio that got my blood flowing. The song is amorphous enough that I don't doubt many people might here different things, but the feel for it for me was "Bogs". Maybe it's because of growing up in the Southern United States, but the song makes me think of twisting, overgrown water ways and dark, moonlit swamps with hoodoo witches in the mist. It makes me think of longing and loss and night and monsters hidden in the deep places of the waters and woods.
To that point, it's got me currently beating around SOMETHING inspired by it. Not sure if it's a short story or a flash fiction or what, but you should see something come of it soon.
That brings us nicely to the whole point of the Open Book Discussion:
What are some things that really inspire or have inspired you to create?
It really could be anything. Maybe it's a song (as seen above), or a movie, a book, something someone said, something you saw...really anything! What out there has or does set your soul aflame and make you want to create something new? I'd absolutely love to know!
I am so pleased that the seeds of inspiration are starting to sprout. And look forward to hearing what inspires writers and artists.
ReplyDeleteThe more you do it, the easier it becomes. You've now found that groove.
ReplyDeleteIdeas don't come to me easily. Most likely I'll find them also in music or in movies. My last book was basically an expanded version of a song's story line.
When they flow away you must go. For me it can be anything at all and then off I go. My problem is I have too many ideas haha I know, such a bad problem to have.
ReplyDeleteI saw a garden fairy once that inspired a story.
ReplyDeleteAre you from Louisiana, Robert?
Negative. I grew up in the Carolinas with family in Georgia. Definitely a wood child more than a swamp kid, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've always had a fascination with the deep, dark of the bogs.
DeleteI've been told, the more you do something the better you get at it and the easier it is.
ReplyDeleteInspirations comes in many ways. I tend to not over think the process, but then again I usually write whatever my muse wants to say. Some of it is good and some not.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when writing every day meant some days I wrote journal entries about how I didn't know what to write about. Funny how writing about not knowing what to write about can generate ideas.
ReplyDelete