Priorities

Sometimes, it can hard to find the time to write. Heck, you may have the time, but you have other things you want to do, need to do instead. How do you make the decision to write instead of what’s hanging on your shoulder?
Me…I do a couple of things, tips that I picked up from other writers and organizers.
First, before I even sit down, I try to map out what it is I want to write about in my head. It could be a scene, a moment, a feeling that I want to convey to the reader. This helps me get into the right frame of mind. I also tend to only write dialogue. Not a lot, but when my mind starts to work faster than my hands, that’s when I turn it on. I may not finish the scene, but the dialogue helps me get back into the moment when I find a chance to write again.

Another thing I do is carry a little notebook with me. This is great when you are at the Dr’s office, getting the car looked at, anytime really when you have at least 15 min of just you time. True, you may have other things to do in those spare moments, but the time comes when you have to ask: What is more important? What is calling you louder than all the rest of the errands?

Now, one of the issues that may arise is that writing starts to feel like a chore. True…it can and could. That is when you step back…take a breath and do something else. I know, writing is in your blood, but do you really want to be burned out on something you love? Take a break and when you come back, you’ll be refreshed and ready for something new.

On my days off, I nearly live on the computer. Not a good thing, but I do. When this happens, I leave whatever story I’m in love with at the time minimized on my task bar. That way, when the moment hits, I can just pull it up and start typing. I may only get a line or two, but it’s enough to keep my mind focused.

What are some tips from you or that you have gotten that help you prioritize your writing?

Inspiration

I know, I’m a little late in my blog post. I just could not come up with anything to talk about. That’s not true…it’s more like I had too much I wanted to talk about and didn’t know where to start.

So…

Let’s talk about inspiration and where it comes from. Sometimes, I will be sitting on the couch, watching a commercial and an idea will hit me. It could be the weirdest thing ever, but it will spark something in me that makes me want to write a story. Or other times, I will have a dream and wake up with crystal clear images. Like a story that I’m itching to work on. I had a dream about a writer that was having one of her stories made into a movie. Of course she gets with the main actor of said move, but there were twists and turns in it that I’m not sure I could have thought up fully awake. As soon as the sleep cleared from my eyes, I had the basic outline written down on paper. It may be a while before I get to the story, since I have a few others, but it’s there.

Patiently…

Other times, I’ll read another person’s story, a fairytale and think…what if? What if I changed it, made it newer, set in a different time, and changed the people around? That’s my next step that I’m taking, once the stories that I’m working on get finished. I want to see what I can do with the classic, other than the ordinary. I mean…I’ve seen enough of the Cinderella stories to know that the usual bores me to tears. I want to spice it up…make things different and new.

Where does your inspiration come from?