Nature's Promise

 

Our summer weather cooled considerably to more Fall like temperatures yesterday, and I was quickly reminded how much I love Fall weather and all it brings--cooler temps, a crispness to the air, beautiful trees and scenery. Not to mention pumpkins, gourds, mums, cinnamon and spice. I find it all energizes me and brings new life to my brain, my focus...and, hopefully, to my current WIPs as well.

How about you? Do you find certain times of year or specific seasons bring you added rejuvenation and inspiration? I would love to hear about it if you would like to share.

Finding Inspiration

So, this morning I knew I wanted to write a blog post as it has been some time but wasn't sure what I wanted to write about as my brain appears a bit stagnant at this point. I started looking for inspiration in quotes which is what I often do and found the following.

For me, the struggle is real. It has been recently anyway. I've been working on edits of current WIPs, but my overall creativity and idea generating for new work has been minimal. Life has been chaotic with many aspects of life as is the case for all in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic but such is life. One must forge on, butt in chair, so to speak. And I am trying...some days better than others.

As I read through quotes, another caught my eye...

Yes! Why not think of it this simply? Just sit down and think...and write while thinking. That, I can do! Sometimes I know I over-think things and make it more difficult than it is actually.  Small steps and one thing at a time are important which leads to my final quote for today...

Break things down to small, achievable chunks and build from there. This is true in all facets of life, but especially so in writing. Thus, this is going to be my new mindset.

How about you? What are you experiencing and what works for you currently?

Picture Book Inspiration

In the start of a new week, in the beginning of a new month, at the dawn of a new year and commencement of a new decade, where do you find your inspiration? This fun puzzle was great fuel for the creative fire for me. I believe I will shellac it and hang it on my wall for continued incentive.

How many of these classics have you read? Which are your favorite? I would be hard pressed to pick just one though would probably say THE GIVING TREE followed closely by GOODNIGHT MOON and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Any all time favorites you feel are missing?

Wishing you all renewed and continued inspiration and fruitful writing in the new year.

Inspiration

Thank you to my mom and dad for these awesome birthday treats! New writing journals and pens always foster inspiration for me. I'm looking forward to an upcoming SCBWI writing conference this weekend and am hopeful new ideas will be plentiful. One of the quotes in this Life's Little Instruction Book really hit home for me as I often seem to let life get in the way and wait for the "perfect" time and place to write which, very often, is hard to find. I will leave you with these wise words as you embark on a new writing week...

"What are you waiting for? Perfect conditions? Conditions will never be perfect. Today's the day to dust off your dreams. So get out there. Get going. Get moving. Shoot down a star. Lasso the moon. Stare down a rhino. Life's not going to ask you to dance. You've got to run towards it with arms open and eyes flashing. Tackle it, wrestle it to the ground and kiss it on the lips. It always kisses back."
                                                                                                   H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Happy writing!

Making the Most of Inspiration

I apologize for my absence.  Life, as usual, seems to get in the way and magically make time disappear with a poof!

While I haven't been blogging much, I have been writing some.  I was pretty stagnant for a while dealing with various activities and life happenings.  And then, one night, inspiration struck.  Typically, I would just continue to lie there, tossing and turning, too tired and lazy to get up and make some notes on what popped into my head. Because, of course, it was such a great idea that I would no doubt remember it in the morning, right???  I am guessing you can all relate to that idea.  I don't know about you, but, more often than not, that wonderful idea is but a distant memory come morning with no ability to recall the specifics or ideal title I just knew I would remember.

This time, however, I leapt from bed to write down my title (which is still my working title, and I love it), so I wouldn't forget.  I crept quietly back to bed so as not to wake anyone only to spring from the covers once again as ideas started pouring and the story started to unfold begging to be written.  IT WAS FUN!  It has been a long time since I've been this excited about a WIP, and I know it helped that I had no pressure to make it any certain level of greatness.  I just wrote and shaped my story from the ideas that flowed.  I am learning to (or trying to!) ignore the pressures and self expectations to have my first drafts be great from the get go and just write, butt in chair.  Revising and editing can come later; hence, the quote above is my new mantra.   I certainly don't write well every day (maybe any day, for that matter), but it sure does help to have words to work with rather than a blank page staring back at me.

I'd love to hear about your writing process when ideas come knocking!