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Inquiring Minds

Inspiration …and pulling yourself out of the quicksand

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I never liked the phrase “writers block”. It always seemed to much like an excuse for saying its okay to give up.  But sometimes I think a writer can get stuck in the mud or in a bog of quicksand in their writing.  To get out of that quicksand sometimes you gotta look around at your surroundings and look for something to pull you out….a  rope, a vine, a ladder, a stick, a friend, a distraction of inspiration.

So here are some of my distractions of inspiration. In this era of the internet some can be found in various places on the web..they may be pictures, poems, videos, music, etc…now of course you are not regulated to just the website…talk a walk, look around ..look at the stars,   talk to a friend about the story you are working on. Bring up what ifs and  scenarios and let there mind tangle with it like yours can’t seem to do at the moment.

Studies have shown that the oddest places bring up spontaneous ideas…the bathroom is such  a place, So  go to the bathroom, or take a shower or brush your teeth.  A small nap in bed no matter what the time…walking your dog, petting your cat. Try consciously thinking of the thing that is causing the sloooowing down of your writing before you began your routine.  Then forget about it and let yourself be distracted and see what happens.

Maybe some of these things will give you some inspiration…see below:

Credit above pic to:  http://apolonis.deviantart.com/art/Deception-315967675

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What inspires you?

Inquiring Minds

Who am I….know yourself before you write.

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I wanted to expand a little bit on the previous  blog I wrote,regarding Write what you know. Yes, writer what you know of course…how could you not…

If you don’t it’s  a pretty short fall to people, your readers,  realizing you don’t know what the hell your talking about.  BUT even if you have that base covered and you know what your talking about then you actually have to make what you say interesting.  You can’t  just spout the right words in the right order and make a sentence and hope that person on the receiving end of it all is interested in what your saying. Hey slap that kid in the back he’s dozing off.  SLAP..thanks

I found out  when I went to back to college and started studying literature and creative writing that people just dont know how boring they are to listen to when it comes to the written word.( it can carry over to normal conversation as well but not always)  I can’t tell you how many times I sat around in a huddle with my writing group and we’d all take turns reading a particular writer’s story and then proceed to give our own critique of it.

I always hated critiquing people’s work because I have this thing in my mind that likes to leap out and wreak havoc on the poor soul who wrote it.  Basically, that creature inside my head is honesty.  What made it worst for me was that the three people before me, giving the guy their own opinion , who read the  same exact boring  going nowhere piece of crap  story that I did, didn’t have the balls to step up and say “Hey buddy, see this part right here, yeah,   I don’t get it..or could you be a  little more descriptive..this isn’t a grocery list your writing here, hell a grocery list would have been more exciting…and look what you did there…what were you  thinking?”     SEE WHAT I DID? ..I totally just bombed this whole guy’s story and he thinks I’m a jerk.

Raise your hand if you have ever seen Amercian Idol, or some version of  such a show.  Stop me if I’m wrong but of the 70,000+ entrants maybe 200 have actual talent to go further. The rest of the 69,800 just have one thing…..courage.  Now where do they get that courage from?  From the same people like in my writing group who don’t know how to give an honest critique but instead pump them full of misguided praise, misinformation, or worse yet..just silence, leading the writer to think whatever hell they want to think. (which is usually oh I must be kinda good)

NOW here’s my point to all this blah blahing above. If those 69,800  others really really really really took a look at themseleves.  Reviewed their talent in all the clarity of a microscope, you would see would them BE BETTER. Some might not be Idol material but they would BE better when they went up to that mic. Because they would KNOW themselves.  KNOW what they need to work on, come prepared,  work at their craft. But they delude themselves and will continue to delude while someone pats their hands and tells them what they want to hear.

I soooooo  want people to tell me whats wrong with my work it hurts. (yes I occasionally  would like adulation from my adoring fans…bring it)

I want to get better…but I want to get better. For real better.

So as a writer I will always try to be true, to myself  and not short change myself. I  will do my best not to lie to myself…the truth will set you free they say. (will somebody get me out of this straight jacket)