Not writing has been a weird place for me. I think about the act of writing during most of my free time now, but my muse has been strangely silent. I think about the fact that I am close to finishing and know I have a few scenes left to put together, but there is no spark. This leads me to believe that writing, the actual act of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard actually sparks the muse and keeps the creative juices flowing. The more you write the more these creative pathways open up and tap into that right side of the brain and free the little fireflies of imagination.
I have often heard people ask writers where they get their ideas. I've had people ask me that very question, but from everything I've read or every time I talk to other writers they all say the same thing, ideas are the easy part. Writing seems to snap into place a cable in your mind that lets the creative side of your brain be heard over all the stuff the left side of the brain is dealing with on a daily basis, trying to get you through your work day. (unless you are an artist of some sort of course).
The answer to where do the ideas come from is, they come from the writer's brain. It's almost like a muscle though, it needs to be exercised. You need to read...a lot! You need to actually write, not just think about writing or talk about writing. You need to actually do it! World building is fun and is a nice creative outlet, but don't stop there. Create some characters and give them a problem to solve and write some scenes. You will be surprised what your mind will come up with if you give it a chance. The more you do this the more other ideas will pop into your head, stuff you never dreamed of. Then you get to connect the dots or rearrange the puzzle pieces to make a story outline. It's really that easy to get started.
Good luck with your writing!
Clear Ether!
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Great post and so true! I recently hit a snag with my current WIP. Usually I try to work through it, but nothing was coming. Instead of stepping away from writing altogether and taking a break, I started to work on some writing prompts. I would just write short stories and snippets of stories just to write. It was fun and freeing and most importantly it jump started my story again.
ReplyDeleteI also am a big believer that part of being a writer is to read what is out there, in your genre and out.
I find that the hardest part about writing is opening that file on my laptop and putting my hands on the keyboard. Afterwards, I think, "Now, what was so hard about that?"
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
@Karen You know I hadn't thought about doing writing prompts, but that is a great idea! I have a second novel I have on the back burner and would probably try working on that if I had the time. Thanks for coming by and commenting!
ReplyDelete@Teri I agree 100% with you Teri, my schedule is different from day to day, so it makes it that much harder to get into a rhythm. I find that cutting out TV seems to work for me(Except for Glee or a few other select shows) =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great comment!
So there's no for you to squeeze in 15 wee little minutes per day, to write? Hope you get back to it soon. Good luck :-)
ReplyDelete@Ivy My problem now is that my muse is quiet, I think it will take more than 15 mins a day to get back in the swing. I am going to try to work something out though, maybe on Saturday mornings or something before I start studying. Thanks for the good wishes! =)
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest for you, the book, Pen on Fire! Written by, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the idea thing. I always thought I couldn't write a book because I didn't have any good ideas. Then I decided to just write. It was junk, but I wrote. It wasn't until I got words on the page that ideas started to flow. It really is a muscle that must be used.
ReplyDeleteI just wish exercising the rest of my body was as much fun as writing!
I hope you find time to write, even if you only write short stories, or blogs. Even a little bit might bring your muse back.
Ivy I put that book on my wish list, I'll check it out, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Stacy! Good news I am working on your chapters and actually wrote some yesterday, I finished off a chapter and made progress on another. It felt good! Thanks for the encouragement!
Great post, again. I love what you've written here because you've simplified what is mysterious to so many. To get ideas, to be a writer, you need to read, and you need to write. Even if there's "nothing" brewing idea-wise when you sit down to write, if you work at it, amazing things can come out of nowhere. (I keep trying to remind myself of that all the time.)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisette! I've learned a lot about the writing process the past couple of years, but the learning continues. I suppose that's a good thing. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
I love this so much that you inspired a blog post, my friend. :) Look for it Thursday morning with link to here.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Jami! I'm glad you had time to come by and comment, I'll be over to read yours!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right! I procrastinate and dither and think I can't get there, then when I sit down and write, things happen. Thanks for the interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh! I find that the muse is much more active when I am actively working the story, even when I am away from the keyboard, but when I stop the muse goes quiet. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! =)
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