INSPIRATION

Music moves me but I find myself unable to think when it is playing. My little brain can get stuck on a ripple of notes and I can't think of anything else until I'm able to repeat it. Sometimes it takes days. Or some songs seduce my entire attention--like the Chicken Dance. Then I'm unable to put the little gray cells to anything else but another chorus of the song. Even humming it under my breath to the dismay of those other people in the meeting...

Paintings or other visual things make my eyes play with the shapes as my mind gets lost playing in the sparkle, colors, and shapes. Yes, I like paisley.

I'd like to say there are things that inspire my imagination and spark my writerly creativity, but I haven't found out what they are. If I did, I would invoke them. Regularly.

However, being a bit short on being able to rely on actual inspirational material that I know will do the job, I have to rely upon my tricky little mind. It seems to work best when I'm not under pressure to think of things I must do. It seems to need to be relaxed and then I must put my body to doing mindless things. These mindless things, so far, are sleeping and driving long distances between turns (our nearest town of any size is Garden City or Dodge City--both about a hundred miles. There are six corners from my garage to Garden City and six to Dodge City also.) So I guess I live in a good spot for those driving miles. Vacuuming and showering have been good for a few good notions. None of the mindless activities are reliable. Even when engaged in these actions, ideas are like lightening strikes--few, far between, but fraught with extremely high voltage.

Thank God for the voltage. It is what powers me through until the story gains a life of its own. Like a newborn baby, the idea grows, becoming a wondrous being of its own, able to run, skip, and cry. Eventually, if I'm really lucky, the power stays with me until the story ends. Maybe a a fizzle or a sputter occasionally, but still, 'the end' finally comes.

I doubt if this true story is inspirational to anyone, but I hope it will let other know that you're not alone when stories don't flow or wonderful ideas ignore you. We are all writers and come to our talent in various and curious ways. Be gentle with yourself. But keep writing--no matter what on or if the material is drivel. It improves your grammar skills and keeps the finger muscles flexible--if lightening strikes and your story moves ahead, you'll be ready.

Overactive Creative Juices

Sometimes I don't know when to calm down my overactive creative juices. They drive me to work on too many projects at once. I write multiple stories for my different publishers and struggle sometimes to keep each character assigned to ONLY his/her story. Sometimes these characters want to jump into someone else's story just to drive me nuts, contrary people that they are. In this instance, I think they're using their own creativeness by wanting to see themselves somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else. Nutty characters! (Oh, no, maybe that's me for even thinking this way.)

Recently I went to and joined a quilt guild where I ran into a couple hundred truly amazing quilters. My meager skills really looked bad, but I'm still learning. These people create some beautiful quilts, most of them from familiar patterns (to them, not to me). But the lady doing the program that day was so entertaining, so enjoyable as she showed off about 40 of her collection of finished quilts. She started off by asking the crowd of long-time quilt fanatics if they had fabric stashed in their closets, under their beds, in various nooks and crannies. I don't, but my sister does.

Anyway, this reminded me of writers. Most of us talk about having early works stashed away under beds, in boxes, on flash drives, etc.

She went on to show us her first quilt, less than as perfect as her newer ones but still far better than my first one was. She retired from IBM (a big dog with the company) and decided she wanted to quilt. She got a book, skimmed through it, and dived into making that first quilt. Then she took it to a quilting group and they asked her, "Did you wash the fabrics first?" Of course, she gaped at them, not having known this RULE.

Again, this reminded me of a new writer. We read how-to-write books, then dive in and create our first book. Missing a few gazillion of the "rules."

The lady went on to show us quilt after quilt, each with some kind of history of her stepping stones in her quilting career. Making mistakes, learning the "rules," but not giving up. Over 400 quilts later she is still whipping these babies out. Now she is designing some of her own patterns, using her creative talents in another way.

That's how I see my writing career. Writing, learning the "rules," and continuing on my merry way.

I also do this with my quilting, of which I prefer to do quilt photo art projects. Meaning I take a photo from a favorite place I've been, sketch it out, plan what fabrics to use, and then create a one-of-a-kind quilt project. They're not perfect, probably never will be...but I don't care. They mean something to me. This is one I'm still working on, the Tuck Box, which is a funky little restaurant in Carmel, CA and a favorite place for my daughter and I to go. Forgive me if I've shown you this before.

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.

Creativity?

Many non-writers believe that authors can jot down words easily and smoothly at a moment's notice.  Not true.  Composing is hard work.  The old saying "If it was easy, everyone would do it," rings true.  You have to love writing in order to master it.  There's no quick method around it.

That said, "What sparks your creativity?" is not an easy question to answer. 

For me, it depends on the situation.   For instance, when I attended my 25th high school reunion a few weeks ago, the feeling of youth, energy and giddiness resurfaced and the memories of  unrequited love, dances and a less complicated life sent my muse flowing. My high school crush was standing before me and I thought of all the things I could have said and done, if I had been as brave as I was now!  I was desperate to sit down and write, write, write.

Another time, I was feeling rather good after a workout and when I looked in the mirror, I felt sexy.  Yeah, I did.  My hair was mussy, my heart was pounding and I felt good!  I smiled and thought, "I could write a really cool love scene at this moment."

Sometimes, with the rain falling is a soft whisper, my fingers tap, tap away at a sad point of my plot.

There are episodes when I am with my family at the park, a cool breeze rustles by and the sinking sun warms my skin.  That's when the mood to write itches once again.

Of course, the mountains always call to me.  Anytime I am in Taos, New Mexico, my need to create stories seems to overflow lik the water cascading down the rocks into the base of the ski valley.

Music!  Music is key!  I play tons of music when I write, but it matches the scene.  If it's scary, I play the soundtrack from Signs or The Village.  If the scene called for sadness or poignance, it's Adagio in G Minor.  If it's holidayish, the strains of Manheim Steamroller's "Silent Night" or Trans Siberian's Christmas pieces can be heard.

Basically, beautiful moments in my life spark my creativity.   When this occurs, I quickly jot down or voice record the moment and the feelings I am experiencing.  I either compose it in one of my blogs or it's filed away for a future or current manuscript.

Each writer is different.  You just have to choose what works for you!

What Sparks Creativity?

cre-a-tiv-i-ty
  [kree-ey-tiv-i-tee, kree-uh-]
noun
1. the state or quality of being creative.
2. the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships,or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination; the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.
3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity (dictionary.reference.com)

On the surface the question What sparks your creativity? might seem simple, but in truth, it can be complicated.  For the purpose of this blog, creativity has to do with writing, and depending on where I am in my writing--at the beginning while looking for a new idea, in the middle while I'm juggling to keep the story interesting, or near the final chapters while knowing that characters and a story that have become part of me are about to come to an end--I'm going to use different things to spark the creative elements I need.

The idea for a story is usually sparked by a character or an incident.  Both of those can be sparked by different things, including lyrics of a song, a mention of something in the news (print or other media), a movie, a book, a photo, or a snippet of overheard conversation.  In other words, anything.

Before I begin to write the first words of the story, there are things I have to know, and those things spark creativity in a different way.  Although I didn't do it in the past, I now search for pictures of my characters.  Some have come from magazines, and others are ones I've found online.  If a house is going to be integral in the story, I might search for a photo with floorplan and save & print both.  I've researched areas of the country that have netted some great information, opening up new possibilities for a story or future stories.  I start creating a music playlist, and while I don't constantly listen to it or other music while writing, when I hit a spot that's giving me trouble, I'll key up the playlist and listen to the songs I've chosen for that character or storyline.

If an idea strikes at a time when I'm not able to write--which happens often--I'll make short notes so I don't forget.  Struggling with aspects of one story can do this, as will coming to the end of writing the one I've been working on for some time.  If I'm having problems with any aspect of writing the story, I brainstorm with one or both of my brainstorming buddies.

And when there are times that I absolutely cannot find anything to spark even a shred of creativity, I let it go and take a breather.  Creativity has never failed to return.  Because it's been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember, I'm not too worried. :)

Sparks Creativity a prompt does as Yoda would say. J Vincent

So what is a prompt that gets one writing? For me it can be one of many things. A word list, a phrase, a sentence, a photo, an old barn or house you drive by, an unusual rock formation, an overheard conversation, a memory, a dream, even another story. I’ll give some examples of some that have worked for me:

Word Promts: In Mission Possible a list of words is sent out and the object is to write a story with all the words.

A phrase prompt: Penny is very good at providing these. Check out her May and her August 31^st blog. She gave a list of prompts and invited us to play . Mine was

"After the door shuts and the footsteps die there will come the moment you know you are truly alone. Alone and safe.

“What if I don’t shut the door?”

“That’s a choice. Consider a door. Open. Anyone, anything can intrude, can disturb, can overwhelm you.”
“But to be alone forever . . . “

“To be safe forever.”

“But then you’d be gone.”

“Never. I am always with you. Am I not enough?”

“Enough?”

“With me you touch and stay on the edge of sanity. That is what you wanted? After all you’ve done all I’ve asked.”

“Yes, the room is empty.”

“Then take the knife and close the door.”

The woman gripped the handle of the knife. All she had to do was make one swipe across each wrist. Just one. She knew how. She knew it would close the door. Still she hesitated. Would the voice still be there is she did it? She needed the voice.

A photo: You’ll find the story I wrote from this photo about a Garden Bench

A Memory: This is what I wrote after recalling a favorite Christmas memory. Santa’s Hand

An unusual rock formation: In Colorado from La Junta to Walsenburg runs a very barren seventy miles. About half way to Walsenburg outcrops and steeply cut hills start to appear. They made me think of Roman Breton hill forts. Because of this scenery I wrote a Roman Breton romance---not yet published. You can read a rough draft of Chapter 9

These are a few of the things that inspired me. What type of prompt do you find most inspiring!

YELLOW SNOW & STEAMING PILES by Reese Mobley

This month we're blogging about what sparks our creativity. Are you kidding me? My brain never stops. Like most writers, I see potential material in literally everything. Doesn't everyone get giddy after watching a really good movie—or a bad one you think you could have written better. A good book gets the creative juices flowing more so than a rotten one because there is no reason to finish a book that stinks. Once, I was inspired to write a ghostly short story after inheriting my great grandmother’s rocking chair. A silver dollar moon was the catalyst for a story about a young soldier going off to war.

Newspaper stories that tug at your heartstrings, people arguing in the street, the impatient lady you stand behind at the bank or the stick-thin man walking his overweight dog can all be jumping points.

For example:

The newspaper piece could be about a drop-dead sexy man with amnesia who turns up on the steps of the sperm bank and his foiled kidnappers are getting ready to duke it out by the curb about whose fault it is that their get-rich-quick plan turned sour and their not-so-silent partner, the irritated female, is trying to cash the ransom check before the dog-walker/private eye can park his pooch and call his employer, the crafty cobbler who had his best foot model kidnapped while he lingered over a mocha latte last Tuesday.

See what I mean? The possibilities are endless. You just need to open your mind, don’t eat yellow snow and steer clear of steaming piles.

And take a break from the caffeine.

So tell me, what sparks your creativity?

Hugs, Reese