Inspiration

Google quotes about inspiration for writers. See you in a week.

Overwhelming…isn’t it?

Inspiration almost goes hand in hand with Motivation. In Venn, the red and blue would make purple out of their halves.

But this isn’t about the philosophical, deep-seated, *need* to write.

This is about getting something to write about.

I honestly have no fucking idea what that’s like for people in groups, or guilds, or retreats, or shit like that. The last time I “brainstormed” there were over twenty people in the room around a table full of bagels.

This is one of those “every moment is a teaching moment” posts. When you’ve pulled back the curtain so far that the fabric ripped, you can’t help but constantly see the Wizard working.

I like to annoy the spouse by walking behind him while he’s watching any hour long drama, and saying “That guy did it.” About half way through I hear “FUCK” from the living room.

So, where do the bereft of friend and foe find Inspiration? Who is my Fairy Godmother that makes my mice dance?

The toys are nice. Big kid toys like dice with pictures on them, magnets with words, journals, and the ubiquitous Writer’s Prompts. I like to warm up with puzzles, if I have the time. Brain Age, chess puzzles, word games. Get your attention away from life and your upper mind working.

There are the tricky questions of who’s your favorite writer, what’s your favorite book, what book influenced you the most. It’s different for everyone. You can’t get any information from that. So don’t bother Googling your Lit Crush and see what they liked. If you do, keep an objective eye.

Books to Film has actually taught me a lot. Some TV series have taught me really good lessons. Some books made the jump to movie and actually improved upon the concept. That’s your candy. There is the “they just destroyed the book I love” movie. Like cockroaches. But what you need to look for are the rare “this was done so much better on film” shows. Sometimes, it’s because the book just didn’t capture what the film could. Sometimes it’s because the book was just limp, and they are the luckiest motherfuckers on the earth to have a network pick it up. Bad movie and bad books are excellent teachers, showing you what to not to do and how not to do it.

Then there is Fan Fiction. Whether what you’ve just read or watched was good or bad, you see a hole, and it must be filled. This is a new, grey area for me. So let’s just say I’m experimenting.

Learning to play an instrument and studying music theory has helped. That one may be obvious to some, but if it’s not, then try it. You will never see patterns the same. Relying on a certain song can help sustain a mood. Sometimes, it’s a lightning strike, and you just see what needs to happen, or feel where the character is at in the story.

Watching how other artists make decisions with their work puts your process in perspective. In a film, if it’s a really good film, you can see all three layers. Where the director made decisions, where the screenplay holds its own in writing, and where the actors carry the material through their entire being.  

I mean, after all this, and that’s scratching the surface, if you still don’t have something to write about…there is always crochet.

You Watch Your Phraseology!

I love word meaning in the writing process. How a whole sentences structure, meaning, and impact can change with just one word, or switching two words in thier placement.
The first example is a quote from Disney's Tron. I really don't care how you feel about the film. It's allegorical techno sex, a basic, recognizable story frame and simple dialogue that let the visuals of where the story is being told stand out. I digres.
In the beginning, As part of his intro, he says "I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see." In trying to quote this, I would flip flop the order of two words to make it "a world I never thought I'd see."
The first implies exactly what's going on, Flynn making a world with the hopes of one day experiencing it. But switch those and it gives it almost a disregard for that world, an apathy that would have changed our idea of how much we should really be interested, too. Eh, never thought I would see it.
Or, I thought I would never see, but I was working toward it the whole time.

My favorite in word changing is Once Upon A Dream. Hmm, didn't intend for them to both be Disney.
The line is "I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem." I always accidentally changed it to "seldom what they seem."
I love how this vastly changed how the vision is seen.
When visions are seldom all they seem, you still have a vision on your hands, even if it's not as fantastical or spectacular as you think. And you know this about your vision, but fight the dragon and dance in the ballroom anyway.
But when your vision is seldom what it seems, at best it's not what was intended, but it's doing a good job fooling you. At worst, you are being horribly deceived by whatever you are imagining whatever this is to be, but it's certainly no vision.

Never underestimate the power of word order and word useage.