I am inspired by everything around me, however can never seem to make the time for writing which is one of the most important things in my life. Are you in the same boat? Visit my blog and let me know! Sharing is caring after all!
Tag: Inspiration
A Day In The Retail Trenches
Work can be extra taxing at times, and today was definitely one of them! But we pulled through and I wrote another 2k words bringing me 12k ahead of target at this point of the month! Also, two publishers have both suggested I send my work to them, and they'd better be careful what they ask for! I just might!
The World, As I Write It
A simple idea tore down the dam holding back a world I never knew existed. As ideas flowed forth of demons and magic, angels and war, teleportation and necromancy; I stared at the poor notes app on my iPhone. What had I done? What had come from the simple idea of mashing all my stories into one? A world of beauty and depth, one I didn’t know I had in me.
I made the decision while I was away on holidays to convert all of my story ideas into a singular world. This meant a story idea in which the USA created an enemy the whole world would have to unite against in a science fiction setting had to become fantasy. Short stories set in the modern day were suddenly thrust into the middle ages. Characters who depended on technology now were inventors, dependant on their intelligence. When the notes began to come together, it felt incredible.
I don’t expect everyone (or anyone perhaps) to understand the feeling I have for this world. It is my world, and not everyone will like it. Not that it matters to me. I’ve always wondered how these fantastic writers build their stories and worlds. Do you populate a world and tell a story in it? Or does one write a story and then build the world as they need it? I am in the latter category. I began writing Jefferson with five plot points in mind. As I wrote, I felt some characters would die, so I introduced new ones. I made new towns with new friends and new experiences. The whole time I was being led by my characters through the world as they experienced it. This meant if a character was deep in thought or distracted, you as a reader have no idea of the world around them. Unlucky for the reader, my protagonist spends much of his time fighting to survive and not so much smelling the freshly baked apple cinnamon pies from Floria or sampling the watermelon cotton candy of Villenoire’s famous carnival.
The more I write into the history of this world the more I sense a richness flowing from its veins. Using Jefferson’s story itself as a historical backbone, the tale of magic and its history are built from there. Because of Jefferson we know why magic exists. Through his actions we know how Gods grow stronger. We find the most powerful kinds of magic through his trilogy. Then, suddenly he is built into this new world as a legend. His name is butchered through the years. Jehovah? Jeremiah? Who knows. I don’t yet, but I plan on finding out.
World building is almost more fun than the writing itself as the world grows richer with every short story or idea. Fables grow into fact. Lore becomes reality. A neat concept becomes a required part of the quest. As I write it, the world begins to tell me its own stories. The merchants guild is in with the thieves guild, to not only avoid being robbed but for save passage through hostile areas. The thieves guild has grown their own city. A kingdom is abandoned as undead overrun it. Five realms are united under a single king through arranged marriages, leaving another five ripe for the conquering; whatever will they do?
I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling; allowing the world to unfold before my eyes. Perhaps it is time I gave writing the focus it deserves and begs me for. Why am I investing my time into things that might be fun at the time, while I could be creating something not unlike Star Wars. If I were to write three novels right now from my newly compiled world, then I already have three stories about the origins of magic and how the different arts came into being. It wouldn’t be hard to write more after that.
It is good to be back on the computer and typing away. I’ve been asked to write a post and I’ve finally received my inspirational macbook case: a BookBook Rutledge case by TwelveSouth. Maybe these are signs. Maybe they’re not. But I won’t know what they are if I never follow them!
In closing, I need you all to answer a single question for me:
Did your chicken (story) come before the egg (world), or vice versa?
NaNoWriMo's and Other Writers Unite!
Bam! Before I write anything, thanks again to everyone who is now following my blog! My visits went off like crazy and my phone is constantly vibrating with other writers commenting and messaging me to talk about writing! This has been a great time for me and I am so glad that I have opened up this Pandora’s Box of writers! I feel like I’m not using enough exclamation marks! What do you think?
Excitement aside, the effect of the community has pushed me to hit back at my editing and hit hard, going from being halfway through to editing roughly a quarter of the book in my past two days off. I edited from fifty six thousand words up to the eighty five thousand mark, and now all I see is the Matrix… but instead of numbers it’s nothing but Arial font, size ten. Thanks to all of you who have commented or followed me back, I have made these strides. If we all stick together, there is no telling how we can affect and influence each other’s writing!
Today’s post is a post to see where everyone stands in their NaNoWriMo or Current Writing target. So consider this a support group. I don’t expect names or anything like that, but post in the comments your goal, your current word count and if you’re looking for a writing partner. When I say partner, I mean someone to check up on you. I’m fully on board with checking up on all of you if you’d like (I know I would) but if you wanted to break off and just check in with each other. Not everyone posts their progress everyday and knowing that random stranger is going to email you, may be the push you need to give it the priority you want.
I know from past NaNoWriMos that it is easy to make excuses. Family events pop up, Christmas shopping to do, cleaning, sleeping from working hard, yadda yadda yadda… They all sound important. But I personally think the one thing that helped me the most get to my target of one hundred thousand words was making time for it. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong. I am in no way a morning person, in fact I can avoid sleeping and be just fine(ish), but once I sleep, getting up is the devil. After re-evaluating my priorities, I decided that the only time that was never interrupted was the early morning. No one ever calls you at five AM to say “Hey, Let’s hang out!” So I woke up before work, before my partner, before the sun… and I wrote.
Some of it was drivel for the first while. (Did I mention I’m not a morning person?) Once the routine developed, I began to feel better. My creative juices began flowing easier. I was writing, with NO interruptions! It was a hard fought battle, but I had won! I will do it again for my next novel and I won’t think twice. So, I’ll leave you with the above homework (Comments, Goals, Partners) and the following things I did to get to my “redonkulous” target of one hundred thousand words!
1) Find an uninterruptable time to write, make it routine.
2) Do NOT include research time as writing time. Wikipedia will devour your soul (And free your mind).
3) Instead of setting a time goal, set a word goal. I used to say, I will write two thousand words today. I sat there. I wrote. It was painful sometimes, but it happened and it got easier as time went on. This also ensures you hit your goals.
4) Do NOT over structure. I set plot targets at every twenty thousand words, for example: the following events need to happen before this word target has been met. This allows you much more freedom and allows your characters to “play”. I found that if I designated every scene, the structure confined me where sometimes the characters were enjoying their moment.
5) Always write. No matter what. No matter how terrible you think it is. No matter how boring or unrelated to the story it feels at the time. Write it. The reason is forcing yourself to write through a block can offer inspiration into other directions and forces your brain into the routine you want. Only you can stop yourself from writing altogether, even if you can’t think of anything… just do it.
Okay ladies and gentlemen, this has been a fun post to write and I am open to questions, comments, concerns, arguments (or discussions as I call them) and homework! If you’ve got the time- homework below and I’d love to know what you guys think of the five things I did to get to the one hundred thousand mark! Embrace the community I am trying to build here within my comments! Participation is key! Talk to you soon and happy writing! 😀
(PS- Thanks again, you… yes you! You may not know it, but you are my inspiration!)