It's the beginning of May (AKA my birthday month) so it's time fore the Insecure Writer's Support Group.
The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Diane Burton, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!
This month's question is a goodie!When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
There isn't any one thing that inspires me when I'm working on something. For some books like The Sidewalk's Regrets and the one I'm just finishing off now (Guide Us) there were very specific pieces of music or albums that inspired me and kept me on track through the writing process. I listened to the album that inspired Sidewalks last week and was instantly taken back into that world. Music is amazingly powerful.
I also find films are often a good inspiration while I'm writing, not usually for the story so much as the tone and feel. Films and television are often my jumping off point for stories, especially documentaries. But that's usually before the writing begins.
I generally get so wrapped up and obsessed with my stories while I'm actually writing them that I don't really need anything else to inspire me. I guess I get inspired by my own imagination, although when I'm writing, I don't feel like it has much to do with me. My characters take over and go ahead and do whatever the hell they want to do. Which is actually really great, because if I had anything to do with it, they probably wouldn't make so many terrible decisions and the stories wouldn't be as exciting.
I know a lot of writers say they can't read other books while they're writing, but that has never been an issue for me. I always read a lot, and sometimes I find inspiration in other books. A description maybe, or a turn of phrase that strikes me as being particularly eloquent. That might spark something in me.
Because I draft quickly, I guess I have less need for in-progress motivation than others might. I tend to live in my story-world as much as possible while writing, so don't need anything to help find my way back in again. There's just annoying things like work and kids and cooking dinner etc that get in the way of writing...
I'm interested, though. What do you use to inspire you while writing? Anything?
It sounds like you're really self-motivated when you're writing. I wish I felt so passionate about my projects. I read a lot like you do too.
ReplyDeleteI find music to be a incredibly powerful source of inspiration. Which is why all of my WIPs eventually end up with a playlist. And definitely films for tone and mood. :)
ReplyDeleteMusic is a great source of inspiration. Each of my books have a playlist that I listen to while I'm drafting. Sometimes I'll hear a song which will inspire a scene or action for my characters.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI've never been the type of writer who can't read while working on something. Like you, I find it more inspiration to read when I'm writing.
It feels really good to be "in the zone," when the act of writing becomes its own inspiration. I have several times found inspiration for stories in poetry. A single well-turned line can be the catalyst of an entire novel. Or in my case, a couple of pages of rough notes which will at some point in the distant future become a story.
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