Finding Inspiration

Today I'm welcoming back author, photographer, and pilot Mark Danielson to Terry's Place.

Sometimes it’s easier to find Nemo than it is inspiration. You sit down to write and then mindlessly stare at the silent keyboard and blank screen. The closer you are to a deadline, the more difficult it is to find the words. Authors refer to this as writer’s block. As a pun, Writer’s Block is also the title to my next murder mystery, which happened to be one of the easiest novels to write. Since my characters led me through this story, I never had to search for words and it was fun learning from them. Now they are leading me through its sequel.

People often ask, “Where do you get your ideas?” Honestly, most have been fermenting for some time, and when some event triggers my brain, suddenly I’m delving into the new story. But sometimes my ideas come out of the blue, perhaps in a dream. This was the case for the sequel to Writer’s Block while I was well into a different one. I ended up postponing that story to write the new sequel based on a true haunting in Fort Worth. Both stories are fun.

The problem with subconscious thoughts is they are so transient they may be lost if not immediately written down. Later, I’ll create a Word document to keep these ideas for future use. Thankfully a few key words mind can usually take me back to the story behind the thought. Assuming I don’t lose that document, I probably have enough ideas to last decades.

When Inspiration Strikes

Karla Brandenburg writes contemporary romance with a hint of paranormal thrown in. She’s blogging today on finding inspiration.

If you ask Nora Roberts, she’ll tell you that she has a million ideas roaming around in her head so she’s never at a loss for a story line. I think it’s like that for most authors. The challenge, on my part, is organizing those ideas into an interesting story.

I’ve been working on a project that I’d completely written, but it was fairly lackluster. Even I knew that. When I finished it, I let it “rest” and moved on to something else, figuring I could revisit it later, when I could take a more objective look at it and figure out what went wrong. It was a story that I wanted to tell, but I needed to find a way to tell it better. That time is now.

As I began reworking it, I started getting all sorts of new ideas, and attempted to weave them into the fabric of the story, until I realized I was pulling in too many tangential threads and losing any semblance of cohesiveness to the story. So I stopped. I redrew the story outline and plopped in the places that needed to be jazzed up and the places that were nothing more than “blah-de-blah.” And then I started with the “what-ifs.”

Now, the “what-ifs” can take you on a wild roller coaster ride, but ultimately, the thrill of the ride will leave you with something worthwhile. I had myself laughing with the ridiculousness of some of my ideas and bored with some of my “are you kidding?” ideas. And then, once I found some that stuck, I had to look at the bigger picture. The “if this, then that” repercussions of the changes I wanted to add. That process culls out more of the “that will never work” ideas.

On the Road - and SleuthFest Sex Panelists

Normally, I'd have a Friday Field Trip posted today, but I've been taking a 'real' field trip, but at 70+ mph on the Interstates, there aren't a lot of nifty photo ops. Plus, I'm not exactly sure where I packed the cables that let my camera talk to my laptop, and my cell phone camera doesn't do anything justice. And, most of my travel shots are on my PC, not my laptop.


Some observations – interesting signs at one of the rest stops:
Also, I had to stop and think about the signage where one sign directed people to "wheelchair accessible stalls" and another to "ambulatory access stalls."

After the stress of trying to cram everything into the back of hubby's pickup and my Honda Fit (my neighbor made out very well with things that didn't fit), we did one last "I hope we have everything" pass through the house. The electric and water companies were timely in shutting off service.The closing was relatively painless. One last trip to Panera for a sandwich and WiFi, and we hit the road.

Hubby and I have different driving styles, so rather than frustrate each other, we set up rendezvous points at rest stops along the route. Tuesday night was spent in Tallahassee, and Wednesday in Hattiesburg, which is where I'm writing this. The Holiday Inn chains offer free WiFi, which means I can check in twice a day.

Scenery isn't breathtaking, although there are some glimpses into the wetlands with cypress trees festooned with Spanish moss. And there was the long-haired man wearing a backpack with a cardboard sign strapped into the back reading "I-10 West" walking along the highway with a small dog on a leash. Of course, questions arise, all of which would make for an interesting character. And man driving a pickup towing a U-Haul, with the woman obviously following behind, her small car stuffed to the brim with household possessions. Very similar to our situation, although we nixed the U-Haul after seeing the cost, and have managed to keep all the "stuff" in my car below the level of the front seats so I can see out the rear window. But one wonders if they're moving to something new, or away from something bad, or if they even know where they're going.

Jason is doing photo shoots in the Everglades this week, so I'm hoping he'll have more of his great nature photography to share, if not next week, then shortly thereafter. I'm still open to guests sharing pictures.

And, for anyone who's been curious about the answers to the Sex panelists identities, here they are:

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1. At the age of 12, one read "Forever" by Judy Blume, and considers it a major literary influence. Our absentee panelist, Barry Eisler

2. One is a former hairdresser who once weighed 250 pounds. Amy Fetzer

3. One graduated from high school before being legally old enough to drive a car. Rhonda Pollero

4. One was a misfit in high school who sported a brown, black and gold Mohawk. Traci Hall

5 At a publisher-sponsored launch of this author's book, models with painted-on bustiers strutted on a makeshift catwalk. Leanne Banks

Sparks of Inspiration

Today my guest is author and friend Nancy Cohen, who began her career writing romance, and switched genres into mystery. If you wonder where writers get their ideas, Nancy is sharing some tips on how she finds inspiration for her stories. Welcome, Nancy.

SPARK OF INSPIRATION: Seven Tips For Writers On Finding Ideas

They say writing is half inspiration and half perspiration. Perhaps “they” are right, but where does the inspiration come from? At booksignings, someone in the audience usually asks, “Where do you get your ideas?” As a writer, I don’t understand why it isn’t obvious. Ideas are everywhere. But if you really want to know our secret, here’s where you might pluck an idea out of the air:

1. NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES

I am forever cutting pieces out of newspapers and magazines, whether they are celebrity photos for my character file, an analysis of the boa constrictor population in the Everglades, or a profile of a teacher accused of porn. When I’m looking for ideas, perhaps a crime, or a local issue, or a motive for murder, I’ll thumb through these clippings until something sparks my interest. Don’t forget to look in the freebie community newspapers, too. Or maybe your library has a book sale where gently used magazines are available for a good price. Some writers cut out photos and word phrases to make a collage, either as an inspirational tool or to represent their characters and/or story. The Internet doesn’t work for me in this regard. I need to feel the real paper, although printouts can be filed same as above.

2. TV SHOWS AND MOVIES
Maybe a show on TV will stimulate your train of thought. For example, you may like the premise of a particular episode, but if you wrote that story, how would it turn out differently? Or, a news report might score a hit against your emotional armor and make you want to write about the issue. Or perhaps a story on the daily newscast will inspire a new idea, like the kid who disappeared years ago. His body was found in a car in a canal. His best friend hid the secret of his death for years. Even though the boy hit his head accidentally during an argument and the friend panicked, covering up the incident could be the motive for murder in present day.

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3. DREAMS
Do you dream in detail with color and sound? Write down the sequence of events as soon as you wake up before reality pushes away the cobwebs of sleep. Sometimes I get story dreams that are detailed enough for me to scribble down several pages. A dream inspired my first published novel. Recently, I had one that could kick off a new murder mystery. Let’s make use of this subconscious message to stimulate our wakeful plotting brain.

4. BOOKS

Do you ever get an idea for a story while reading someone else’s work? Or maybe their book stimulates a new plot thread for your work in progress. Ideas cannot be copyrighted. Say you’re using a familiar archetype. How you develop the characters and plot will be unique to your voice. If you find that you get inspired while reading someone else’s story, scribble down notes and then return to the book you’re reading.

5. WRITER’S TOOLS

If you’re totally stuck for ideas, there are various writing tools available to help. I like The Fiction Writer’s Silent Partner by Martin Roth. You’ll find each writer has their favorite how-to book or software program for generating plot ideas. I don’t generally use these tools, except if I’m stuck on a particular profession for a character or maybe a motive. The book I recommend above has lists in different categories that are easy to scan. Check out the reference section in your local bookstore or go online and ask other authors what they use. Software programs, books, plotting charts, decks of cards: you’ll get as many varied responses as there are subgenres.

6. PEOPLE

Friends, relatives, and even strangers can provide inspiration. They might generate an idea for a plot twist or give you thoughts on character development. For example, I met a fan once at a booksigning who told me she used to own a boutique shop. A man would come in and try on lady’s clothing. This gave me an idea for a suspect who would be a transvestite in one of my books. My own aunt was the model for Aunt Polly in Dead Roots. So beware: if you befriend a writer, you become fodder for her story files.

7. LIFE EXPERIENCES

Our experiences influence our stories throughout life. For example, I overheard a woman sobbing in the hallway at a hotel when I attended a beauty trade show. That conversation became the premise for Perish by Pedicure. I’ve been on over twenty cruises. Marla, my sleuth, takes a cruise to the Caribbean with a killer on board. Whatever happens in our lives infuses our stories with reality.

So where do we writers find inspiration? It’s everywhere: in the air we breathe, in the people we meet, in our dreams, and in the stories we read or see on the big screen. It’s snippets of daily life, capsules of personalities, issues of gravity or humor. The problem isn’t finding ideas. The problem is having enough years in which to develop and write them.

Nancy J. Cohen is author of the popular Bad Hair Day Mysteries. KILLER KNOTS and PERISH BY PEDICURE are the latest titles in this humorous series. Visit Nancy at her website: http://nancyjcohen.com, her blog: http://mysterygal.bravejournal.com or on
Facebook. Nancy's books are available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Just Do It

What I'm reading: Contest entries: 4/5

What I'm writing: Chapter 26

Get off your ass and write something. I hear you whining and kvetching out there, "I don't want to... I can't... I don't have time... I'll do it tomorrow." Ha! You don't have the time... you make the time, if you want this badly enough. If you burn you will write because you can't live without it, because you'd surely go mad if you couldn't write. Everyone gets just 24 precious hours every day, and no one is going to give you any more than that because you're a suffering artist. Quit whining and write.
~Molly J. Anderson-Childers

I've spent the last two weeks trying to be a "full time" writer. I don't really know what that means. I know that many days, aside from my begrudging trips to the Y, I didn't leave the house. I know when I had a full time, get in the car and go to the office day job, there were schedules and routines. Arrive, check my inbox, get a feel for the day's workload. Do the work. A break for lunch. Do more work, then go home.

Writing doesn't quite work that way. I'm home, so there are all the distractions and chores. When I worked the office jobs, I had to take care of 'real life' either on weekends or after hours. Now, I can hit the grocery store and do all my other errands any time I want. To date, I've been unable to say, "today I will write from 10 until 2, and then again from 7 until 9." Instead, I try to think that everything I do is "writing" whether it's doing promotion --like last night's fight with Access to create mailing labels from an Excel spreadsheet that someone else formatted -- or wandering the house listening to my characters, or surfing the 'Net to find Australian sheep station terminology. Some days, the words on the page seem to be gravy. But without any self-imposed "have to get this done NOW because it's my "writing time," I've been cranking out at least a scene a day. Yes, if I sat and simply typed it, it would probably take an hour, tops. But one can't wait for the muse. I've taken several story detours, but my process is "write it and see." So, I don't necessarily mind spending four hours thinking about a scene, writing it, and then deciding it's not really going to work. Because once I know why it didn't work, the road congestion clears, and I can speed forward.

Another quote:

Don't loaf and invite inspiration. Light after it with a club, and if you don't get it you will nonetheless get something that looks remarkably like it.
~Jack London

Tuesday night, I finished a scene and had what I thought was a pretty good page-turner of an ending. This was reinforced by my daughter's comment that even though she knew where the story was going, she wanted more. NOW.

So, yesterday, I re-read that scene to get a running start, and began to move my hero and heroine that much closer to uncovering the vital clue to the mystery. But, somehow, they ended up in bed. I re-read it last night, and will look at it again this morning. Was I just trying to get something on the page, or was this a logical, significant to the story bedroom scene?

I'll read it again this morning and see how it looks in the clearer light of day.