On (Not) Waiting for Inspiration to Write

Photo credit: Rayani Melo on Flickr

Frequently, when I get e-mails or questions from writers, I get asked a lot about inspiration, or I hear stories about how writers have lost their inspiration and stopped writing altogether. Many times those stories come with questions along the lines of, “What do I do to fix it?”

I give a lot of tough love here on Writability and my vlog channel bookishpixie. Because the truth is, as nice as it sounds, being a writer is not an easy job.

I love the days when I sit down to write or revise and I feel inspired and excited. When I can’t wait to dive back into whatever I’m working on and immerse myself in my story world. Those are the days when the hours pass quickly and progress flies and I forget all about any external stressors or (for better or worse) responsibilities.

It’d be great if those days were everyday. It’d be awesome if every time I sat down to work on a project, I was in that euphoric can’t wait to get started mode.

Unfortunately, that’s not reality.

Sometimes, I’m apathetic about starting. I know I have to, and it’s on my agenda, and I get up early, brush my teeth, then sit half-awake in front of my computer and get going. Those days are okay. I usually slip into my project relatively quickly and I make the progress I need to, then pat myself on the back.

Sometimes, I sit down to work and…I…don’t want to. Those days aren’t quite so fun. Those are the days when just about anything else is interesting. I’ll wash the dishes, check my e-mail and blog stats, troll on tumblr and Twitter and…my MS is waiting. Those days I have to buckle down and focus on my daily goal—whether it’s a certain number of revision points or a certain number of words to be written. And even with my initial desire to procrastinate, I get my work done anyway.

Why? Because no one else is going to do it for me. Because writing is my job—has been my job even before I got agented—and I need to treat it like one. Because more times than not, once I get working, I start to get into it again. And maybe the words don’t flow as well as inspired days, and maybe revisions are more painful today, but in the end, the work gets done, and that’s what matters.

If you’re serious about writing, you need to be serious about writing. And that doesn’t necessarily mean writing every day—that works for some, but not others, and that’s okay. But it does mean holding yourself accountable, and yes, it means writing when you don’t want to. Or when you’re uninspired. Or when you’d rather do just about anything else.

Because if you wait around for inspiration, chances are likely it’ll never come. Writing doesn’t just happen—you have to make it happen. And some days, that’s easier than others, but ultimately it’s up to you to do your job. Because that’s what writers do.

What do you think? Do you try to write even when you’re not inspired?

Twitter-sized bites:

"Writing doesn’t just happen—you have to make it happen." —@Ava_Jae #writetip (Click to tweet)  

Waiting for inspiration to write? @Ava_Jae says it's up to you to make progress regardless. What do you think? (Click to tweet)

My Favorite List: What Do You Want to Write About?

Photo credit: Chapendra on Flickr

When I’m ready to think about starting a new manuscript, the very first thing I do, before I even begin brainstorming, is revisit my favorite list of all time.

This is the list that reminds me why I love to write. It helps me to remember all of the potential for great stories out there, and most of all, it inspires me with all of the things I still want to write about. Because it forces me to ask just that:

What do I want to write about?

This is a list that I add to and rewrite and change all the time. It’s a springboard of ideas, both vague and specific.

I love working on this list, because it makes me excited, both for stories I haven’t written, and for books that I have that cross off items from the list. But most of all, it serves as guaranteed inspiration to launch me into brainstorming.

The list can include anything, from a specific manuscript idea to overcoming a struggle you have with writing. It can be an image, a character name, a trait, an idea, a world, a writing characteristic, or a goal.

I’ve rewritten my list several times (in part because I keep losing the hard copy, but never mind that). To give you an idea, here are a few items on my most recent list:

• Diverse characters
• Rich, interesting worlds
• Combining Sci-Fi & Fantasy
• Flawed characters 
• Sympathetic antagonists 
• Ninjas

I also have some characters names and more plot-specific items, but hopefully you get the idea.

This is the list I go to whenever I’m low on inspiration, or am struggling while trying to brainstorm, or even just want a refresher. It’s my favorite list, and one that I intend to continue to use over the years.

Do you have a what I want to write about list? What are some items that are (or would be) on it? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Do you keep a list of what you want to write about? Here's why one writer swears by it. (Click to tweet)  

What do YOU want to write about? Writer @Ava_Jae shares her favorite inspiration list. (Click to tweet) 

Inspiration is Everywhere

"Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in." –Ricky Fitts, American Beauty

It occurred to me not that long ago, that I've been taking something for granted. Something huge, that I'd forgotten and been too caught up with life to notice.

We live in a truly beautiful world.

Photo credit: darkrigel on Flickr

Seriously, we do! It doesn't matter where you live, if you really pay attention to your surroundings, I think you'll also find that there's beauty all around us— not just beauty, but inspiration waiting to be noticed. And we writers could always use a little extra dose of inspiration.

As writers, we need to learn to be alert and aware of our surroundings at all times— we need to be observers so that we can pick up on the little moments that most may miss, but could be the inspiration that starts your next novel. We need to be on the lookout for beauty.

In this case, I don't mean the conventional definition for beauty— I mean anything that could turn into inspiration.

Beauty is a rainy night and when the fog sits over the road and blankets the base of the trees around you and it's just moody enough to sit on eerie.

Beauty is a piece of broken glass on the street that's catching the sun just right.

Beauty is a new parent looking at their newborn for the first time.

Beauty is the morning after the first snowfall, when everything is perfectly pristine and white and quiet.

Beauty is an abandoned warehouse consumed by the Earth around it.

Beauty— inspiration for our writing— it's everywhere. We just need to become aware of it so we can see it.

 

Interestingly, I stumbled (or tumbled, I should say) across this video after writing this post. It’s a wonderful example of our majestic world and if you have the time, I highly recommend you watch a few minutes of it. Enjoy!

Hdr skies from Tanguy Louvigny on Vimeo.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

Dear You,

Photo Credit: William Arthur Fine Stationary on Flickr

Yes, you. Reading this right now. I don’t care who you are, if you read this blog regularly, if you clicked the link that brought you here just for the hell of it or if you happened to stumble onto this page by accident.

This letter is for you.

You are beautiful, unique and loved. It doesn’t always feel like it, I know. Some days are rough and though you are part of a body of 7 billion people, you feel absolutely alone. Sometimes those days turn to weeks or months or more and it feels as though you need to fight for every moment in order to be heard, in order to be seen, in order for someone—anyone—to care.

But you are not alone. There are thousands of others out there feeling ugly, feeling forgotten, feeling insignificant and every one of them—EVERY SINGLE ONE—is wonderful and perfect.

You are perfect. Say that aloud: “I am perfect.” No, I don’t mean unflawed—every one of us has flaws—but if you continue to be true to yourself, you need not change a thing. 

Here’s another one. “I am beautiful and loved.” Say that twice a day; once when you wake in the morning and before you go to bed at night. We don’t hear it enough. The world likes to make us think that we must be tall, blonde and a hundred pounds to be beautiful. But they’ve been lying to us. Lying to you. Lying to me.

You are already beautiful and wonderful because you are unique. You are YOU. You have a birthday, a favorite song, a family, and when you close your eyes at night you dream of faraway places and impossible lands. There are days when the tears never run out and days when you laugh so much it hurts to breathe. Inhale deeply for a moment—remember that you are alive, that every breath is a new one, that every second is a moment that is uniquely you.

You are beautiful. You are unique. You are loved. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Enjoy today, friend. Today, just as every day, like you, is special. Go outside and enjoy the fresh air. Smile. Read your favorite book, listen to your favorite song. Treat yourself to something delicious because you deserve it. Smile again—it’s good for you! 

Get in touch with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, but you wish you had. They’ll be glad to hear your voice again. Maybe they’ll cry a little, maybe they’ll laugh or maybe they won’t answer at all. I don’t know but try anyway because our family, our friends, they are the ones that have loved us from the beginning and will love us until the end.

Now, I know there are some of you without a family, I haven’t forgotten about you. Go out and create your own family. Find people you can trust, people you can hold on to for the rest of your life and spend holidays with. Maybe you don’t have anyone like that yet, and that’s ok. There are good people out there, waiting for you. They don’t know it yet, and it might take some time to find them, but they’re there, I promise, and you’ll know when you’ve found them.

Dear you, don’t let the world get you down. Don’t give up on your dreams and most of all don’t ever forget how beautiful and wonderful you truly are.

Now, go on. Enjoy today. Enjoy tomorrow. Enjoy every day, because every day is new and made for you.

And when you’re feeling down, read this again and remember how wonderful and perfect you really are. 

Inspiration Board. Get One.

I was blessed with amazing English teachers in high school. I know a lot of people say that, but really I had the best of the best. My freshman and senior years especially.

My final project senior year for my AP English class involved a lot of writing (it was AP, after all). Although the majority of the legwork involved writing analytical essays on books I didn’t particularly care for, I was especially delighted to learn that part of it included a creative writing piece. So I wrote about my secret love: writing.

I got an A, which I was kind of expecting. What I wasn’t expecting were the two notes tucked inside my project from my teacher.

The first was on a yellow sticky note:

I wish I had your dedication at your age (or even my age...). Very few students have the conviction to do what they want like you do; they may study because they know it’s good for them, but they still don’t know what the end game is. Keep reading and writing and calling representatives. Send me the first copy.

 

The second was written at the bottom of my creative piece:

Most people go their entire lives without loving something as much as you seem to love writing. Keep doing it for yourself and eventually someone else will catch on.

I must have read those notes a dozen times during school hours and a dozen more when I got home. I was grinning ear to ear when I read it to my mom.

I was elated when I ripped the note off my project and tacked it on to my board next to Ted Dekker, the most STUPENDOUS AMAZING INSPIRING author EVAR! To me, anyway.  

Now, what is this mysterious board, you ask? Why, it’s an INSPIRATION BOARD of course!

INSPIRATION BOARD AVA? WHAT IN THE SUGARY BLAZES OF HELLSINKI IS THAT?

Eh-hem. Allow me to explain. An inspiration board is that special place where you tack up the things that make you excited. That inspire you. This may be your favorite author. A cover mock-up. Nice quotes from your English teacher. Quotes from other writers. Fake quotes from the future New York Times article that calls your work a masterpiece (don’t be embarrassed, this is YOUR board!). If it inspires you, tack it on there.

Mine has Ted Dekker (of course), the aforementioned quotes (which I read whenever I’m feeling down), some Word Art I typed up to the effect of NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR AVA JAE (I can dream, can’t I?) and a few random pictures.

What’s on your inspiration board?

Don’t have one? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?