When you can't wait for the spark.

Pat Davids here.

One of Joan's comments this week really struck a chord with me. She said she was truly amazed by people who consistently wrote 3 to 4 books a year. Most years, I write three books. I have written four in one year, but that was tough. How do I do it? Not by waiting for the creative spark, that's for sure.

Multiple contracts and deadlines force a writer to understand that creativity does not come from somewhere else like the movies, music, or other books. The creative fire is, and always has been, inside the writer.

I'm not saying such things fail to inspire, I'm just saying I can't wait for inspiration. Every time I sit down at the computer, I face the blank page and the blinking cursor with the belief that once I start typing, creativity will follow. Sometimes, I write quite a bit of trash before the good stuff shows up, but it almost always does. Hey, there's nothing wrong with using the delete key.

Seeking outside inspiration is all well and good. My recent trip to Maine flooded my brain with inspiration and a desire to write. When I got home, I wrote like mad, not about the rocky coast and tree covered islands, but about an Amish school teacher daring to go against her faith to find justice.

I encourage everyone to use the tools that have been discussed here about sparking creativity as long as you remember that a spark is only a small piece of fire that can easily be snuffed out. The smoldering embers of your talent, however, lie waiting to flare into a bright blaze the moment you stir them. So, stir them often by simply sitting down to write. Let your inner light and warmth create the story you dream of telling. Write to music if that helps, write in a crowded coffee shop, write on your lunch break, just write. The world needs the story you have to share.