Story Inspiration Sunday
I blog about what inspires me both here and over at Book View Cafe. Feel free to comment either here or there.
There are lots of things that inspire me to write, like fashion and weird photography and poetry and food and things.
For the month of August, I’ve been doing a challenge. Basically, it’s writing 3000 words per day, every day, for the first 20 days of the month, so I’ll finish a 60,000 word novel in August.
Sounds crazy, right?
But I’ve done it so far. In the first ten days of August, I’ve written 30,000 words.
What’s my inspiration? How do I sit down at my writing computer, day after day, and come up with things?
One of the things that’s made this challenge easier for me was a talk given by the brilliant Matt Buchman. He’s been a project manager for 30 years, and he gave a presentation on applying some of those principles to managing your inner writer.
As I do a lot of project management for my day job, I was really interested.
One of the questions Matt asked was, “Why do you write?”
I actually didn’t find that question, by itself, that useful. Why I write is personal, and quite frankly varies from project to project. Instead, I had to break that question into two questions: “Why do you write” as well as “Why do you share.”
Me-the second answer, is both obvious and entertaining, and has been a huge part of my inspiration for getting my butt in the chair and writing 30,000 words this month.
And here’s the hint:
In case you can’t read that, it’s Julie, from the Love Boat, your cruise director.
Someone else once said that writing is the closest thing we have to telepathy: It goes from my brain, out my fingers, in through your eyes, and to your brain. I cause you to see the pictures I’ve seen in my head, deliberately.
I have weird shit in my head. Seriously. Very strange stuff.
Part of why I write, and the main reason why I share, is because I want you to see that stuff too. I am the tour guide. Let me show you these things, these exotic places, these strange people.
I’ve always called myself writer/traveler. I hadn’t realized just how true that was until I figured out why I write and share what I’ve written.
And this is what has inspired me, day after day in this challenge.
Every time I sit down at my writing computer, when I’m even a little stuck, and I think about what I’d like to share with you. What characters would I like for you to meet? What kind of life would I like for you to see? What exotic places can I show you?
This has led to some really interesting characters in this novel.
As well as to 30,000 words.
So what inspires you to write? Or to write, and then share that writing?
A lot of writers are entertainers, or story tellers. That’s not me. I’m your tour guide.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.