Inspiration: It's in Front of You

As I worked out this morning, I watched the first episode of October Road from abc.com. The show reminds me of a grown up cast of Dawson’s Creek. It has the same lofty language and wit, emphasis on character development but all with grown-up problems.

In the search for everyday inspiration, we often go looking for adventures. The protagonist of October Roads, is likewise looking for inspiration—to write his second novel. After isolating himself from his hometown and ridiculing his closest friends in his first novel, he comes back to a difficult situation after ten years. After spending the weekend at his hometown, he discovers that his adventures are here—the place he stayed away from for lack of adverturish quality—in his hometown.

Many writers are like this protagonist. They search everywhere for inspiration when they can find it right in front of them. Although good stories come from the unfamiliar, better stories can come from what they already know. An author’s knowledge of something in front of her is often developed and thorough. There is still an unknown to the scene they are used to, but the details are already in place, in their minds.

Try looking at what you know. Try watching an episode of October Road. Maybe watching the protagonist searching for his next story amidst the familiar and the changed will help you to find your next story.

I Want to Write, But I Can't Get Started!

Every writer has problems getting started sometimes. Sometimes we sit down and there is no inspiration; there is nothing that sticks out in our mind to spark the writing on the page. Do you just quit and start tomorrow? Do you try to write a stream of consciousness piece to try to get started? Personally, I think the way to go is to go in search of inspiration.

My biggest problem with getting started often results from being in the same place I wrote in yesterday, surrounded by white walls and a chatty husband. I am easily distracted when my husband is in the room, and easily bored by the unalluring décor of my apartment. Leaving behind the distraction and the boring apartment often helps me to get started.

Many times all I need is the description of one person or the setting for my story. Just walking outside on my front porch opens up a plethora of story starters. If you are looking to work with a specific story and you know the setting, try to find a place that resembles that setting and go work. For example, if you are working on a story that includes a strong nature setting, try going to a local park to get in that mind frame. Or if you are writing a story about children in a school, try going to a McDonalds that has a play place or another place you know will be filled with kids.

If you really cannot leave your house and your writing spot, try surfing the internet for images, videos, or stories that have a similar setting or character type in mind. If you are really at a loss look through all of your magazines. (You will find it helpful to subscribe to or pick up an eclectic mix of magazines.)

Be sure to examine the details closely. Note things that you haven’t noticed before. Is there anything that seems odd in the magazines? These types of details will help get you started. Just don’t let the big stuff like plot get in your way. You can always go back—in fact there should never be a time that you don’t—and do some fine tuning.

What's the Deal With Writing?

With so many outlets for writing today, finding the right outlet to display your writing can be rather difficult. And with so many places calling for writing samples and submissions, it can be even harder to determine where you have applied or what work you have sent out. Creative writing outlets make this the most difficult. With so many places requesting that you do not send out simultaneous submissions, but receiving no response months after you sent in your work, how do you determine when it is appropriate to resend your piece? Creating a spreadsheet to keep track of your work is almost necessary.

On my spreadsheet I have the following headings: Organizations Sent to, Works Sent, Address (if sending a paper copy)/e-mail address (if sent electronically), website address (to reference for guidelines and the types of work they accept), Reading Period/Response Time(to recognize when to expect a reply and to mark if my piece is published or not), and Simultaneous Submissions Accepted. Creating this spreadsheet has helped me to determine when I can resubmit my work.

The last two categories in the spreadsheet are most important for this purpose. If I can send simultaneous submissions, then I can send my piece out as much as I want. Also, the spreadsheet helps me to recognize where I need to send letters if my simultaneous submission gets published by someone else. The category that addresses the response time is equally important. If the response time is two months, and six months later I haven't heard anything, I am going to feel free to resubmit my piece to another organization or contact the editor of the literary magazine that has my piece. Either way, I am taking a proactive role in getting my work out there.

Set goals to determine how fast you should fill up your spreadsheet. Don't be afraid to send simultaneous submissions. Keep writing.