What Inspires You?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Okay, didn’t get much of a discussion going yesterday, so maybe we can today—as I’m still feeling uninspired as to what to blog about. So let’s talk about what inspires us to write.
Is there a certain movie/genre of movie you like to watch to get you in the mood to write? Certain music that needs to be playing? Does exercising before you write help? In other words, how do you get “in the mood” to write?
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KayeDacus.com 
What gets me in the mood to write? It takes a lot, apparently. 🙂 I haven’t written since graduating from my grad school program in writing two and a half years ago, and am still waiting for that special “umph” that makes me want to sit down and write. Usually, it’s watching really sad, depressing movies (an independent film works best), listening to Sigur Ros (their music is especially haunting), or–I hate to say it–sadness in life. Why is it that traumatic, or upsetting moments can be inspiring? Just look at all our prolific writers and all of them seem to have problems (i.e. Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, David Foster Wallace, Virginia Woolf, etc.). Heck, even J.K. Rowling wrote her Harry Potter series to get her through her traumatic childhood. I would love to hear of exceptional writers who are especially happy. Now THAT would get me in the mood to write.
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I write on schedule whether in the mood or not. But inspiration or eagerness sure makes it more fun. Reading or listening to a good historical novel, preferably set in the late 18th century, is enough to make me eager to get to my WIP, with the added plus of helping me anchor my imagination in the right time period. Or watching Last of the Mohicans, or a similar film. But there isn’t always time for that, and as slow as I write, I have to be disciplined to write every day no matter what my mood. Baring illness of course. I do give myself a break for fevers. 🙂
Really, what puts me in the mood more than anything are those sudden clear glimpses I get of my characters doing something interesting, or when I hear them saying words so clearly I might as well be eavesdropping on a conversation three feet away… then I’m running for the computer, instead of trudging dutifully.
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Well, this is my first real attempt at writing, but what gets the story flowing for me right now is music. I drive an hour to work (Nashville) back and forth, so I listen to a lot of music. Over the past 2 years, 4 story lines have played out in my mind. So I finally started typeing one of them up. Since I work full time, I’m writing on breaks, at lunch and at night. I play a particular artist for the story I’m working on now.
Oh, from yesterday’s discussion…I really want to write today…but I’ve been cleaning because all the dust and dirt was really distracting me.
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Since my WIP is set during WWII, listening to swing music gets me “in the mood” (pun intended) to write. It also gets my characters in the mood to turn on their radios, put on records, dance, quote song lyrics…any passage involving any of those things in my books was probably inspired by listening to music as I drafted that passage.
Get that counter up, Kaye! I want more of your books to read!
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This isn’t about the post I just had to say that I just finished reading Menu For Romance and LOVED it! I have one question though, when Beverly O’Hara says that Forbes is like Gregory Peck does she mean that he looks like him? If so I’m in love and if not I’m probably still in love! 😀 Can’t wait for A Case For Love!!!!
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Actually, writing blogs. They give me the urge to go work whatever I’m reading about into my WIP. And costume dramas and costuming sites, since historical fiction/romance is my “thing”.
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A good ole romantic comedy! When I’m in a funk in my writing… I just pop in “You’ve got mail” or “Runaway Bride” and it rejuvinates me. Country music too. Not the “I’m drunk WOOHOO” ones but the sappy love stories that make you smile.
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Oh, for me, it’s getting into comfy clothes. Just putting on my jammies and sitting on my bed gets me ready for writing. I feel most creative when I’m carefree. But that’s certainly not when I revise the best. 🙂
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I read a well-written book. Gets the juices going every time–once I can put it down, anyway.
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Historical research gets me in the mood to write. Whenever I hear of some interesting historical tidbit I like to find out more. My imagination soars. It’s loads of fun, one of my favorite parts of the writing process. If I am researching a specific story premise it makes it even better and often fuels the actual story. It becomes a real adventure. Definitely inspiration for me.
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