Life of An Author (Part Two): Finding the Inspiration

After realizing I hadn't done one of these since...January??!?! after PROMISING you guys I would do one every month, I thought I'd change this to a more quarterly thing. ;) Or, a whenever-I-have-time-to-squeeze-one-into-my-hectic-schedule thing. :P 

HOWEVER.

I'm here. 

And I have a subject I think all we authors can relate to, and something that has been on my mind a lot this year. (It also happens  to be the topic I chose to write for Project Canvas...so, yeah. ;) Hope you enjoy!  

How do we find inspiration? 


​Inspiration is a funny thing. It comes, it goes…or sometimes, it doesn’t come. If you’re just beginning a story and trying to figure out what exactly you want to write, trying to come up with a new scene/character/plot twist, or seeing the light at the end of the story…but not really being sure of how you’re going to get where you were supposed to end up, and wondering who else has problems with those areas, rest easy knowing that you’re not alone. The struggle is real. It happens to all of us writers. 
​The question is; how do we do it? How do we inspire ourselves?
​Well, unfortunately, there’s no easy, step-by-step guide to inspiring yourself. Why? Because each author’s way of getting inspired is unique to themselves. However, I have some good news for you. Inspiration WILL come.
​There are ways you can trick your brain into gaining inspiration faster. Over the years of being a writer myself, I’m going to give you some of the things I use most when I find myself stuck in a certain area.

I Make Sure I’m Following an Outline:
​As a very strong panster, I totally get those of you who kind of brush over the fact that a story needs an outline. Outlines are one of my writing nemeses. I dislike using them as a general rule…but I have to say they are a necessary part of a book. After all, nothing helps your inspiration like having a place you know you need to end up in the next chapter.
​So, if you’re like me, sometimes you need to take a moment when you get hit with writer’s block and find out where your book is headed and where you want it to end up.

I Question My Writing:
​I’m also a somewhat scattered person, so I can get caught up in a conversation between characters and completely forget where I was going with my plot line. When this happens, I inevitably will end up against a wall in my writing. Even if I have an outline to follow, I don’t always know how to get to where I want to be with a certain scene or chapter. This is when I begin a self-interrogation of my story.
​Where do I want this scene to end up?
​What should my characters do in order to get there?
​Which direction do I want this to go?
​How can I make it work with the rest of the plot line?
​How do I get from point A to point B in my story?
​These questions, among a couple others, usually work to get me past whatever made me come to a temporary halt. ​

I Listen to Music:
​Maybe it’s just me, but music can add a lot to my writing. I use it in several different ways, besides just having it as a background soundtrack to my story. Often I’ll hear a song that really works with a certain scene through its lyrics, or music that is perfect for keeping the rising and falling action exciting and intense.

I Talk with Friends or Family Members:
​There are times when I feel especially lost in a certain area. Maybe a character is acting up or I’m drowning in descriptions but completely dry of plot, among other writer issues. This is when I find someone to talk to, either an online buddy or a friend from church or family member.
​It can be so helpful to get out pent up problems by talking to someone about them. Sometimes, I just need a fresh mind to take a look at my work or a set of willing ears to listen to the wrinkles and help me smooth them out. There’s no way an author can get a book perfect without a lot of assistance from people they trust.
​Countless times I’ve been inspired by a conversation with someone, whether for a scene, for a character, or even for an entire plot line. Never underestimate the imaginations of fellow human beings.

I Go to Pinterest:
​Don’t laugh. Pinterest gets a lot of flack from people, and I can understand where they’re coming from…I myself have wasted countless hours on there that I will never get back.
​However, I’ve found Pinterest to be helpful too. I’ve had my writing juices set on fire many times by character pictures, setting ideas, and dialogue and story prompts.
​Yes, it can be time consuming and even wasteful of time I could have spent writing…but in the end, I think it balances out and is worth a try.

I Read Helpful Blogs:
​I have a few blogs by fellow writers that I follow and read on a regular basis. Often these authors have gone through what I’m going through and have helpful insights, tips, and tricks to get me back on track and writing again.
​It’s always nice to know that I’m not the only writer out there that has struggles.There are a lot of people out there who have gone through writer’s block, loss of inspiration, procrastination, etc. They all have tips on how they got over the various roadblocks in their writing. I promise you’ll come away both encouraged and inspired.

I Read Books:
​Sometimes, there’s nothing as inspiring as sitting down and reading a good book. We all have our favorite authors, our favorite writing styles to read, and our favorite time periods to read about. We write what we love, we read what we love…see the connection? Not all copying is bad. (As long as you don’t break the law, of course.) If you know what you love, do that. Then you’ll never fail to want to write more.

I Take Breaks:
​Ok, so this sounds counterintuitive. Stop writing in order to be inspired? Well, not exactly. Hear me out.
​It is possible to write too much. It’s true. If you force yourself to continue writing when you don’t feel like it, your story is going to end up sounding really dry and boring. Trust me, I know. If your story doesn’t have drive behind it, it will end up falling flat.
​There’s a time to keep writing, and there’s a time to step back and reevaluate your life. That’s almost a Biblical principal.

I Write Other Stories:
​Most authors can relate to me when I say that I usually have five to ten stories going at once. Often times more, sometimes less. If I hit a wall in the one I’m currently working on, I switch to a different one.
​While that might sound confusing, it has helped me lots of times. Occasionally, I finish an entire different story while waiting for inspiration for the one I’m supposed to be working on…but at least my time isn’t being put to waste, right?


​Like I said before, every author is different when it comes to finding inspiration. As you can see, there are so many ways you could get inspired. Now it’s up to you to find a way. You will, but it might take some time. Thankfully, you have time. So relax and enjoy the writing process instead of stressing over your lack of inspiration.
NEXT "LIFE OF AN AUTHOR" SUBJECT: GETTING STARTED
 

Life of an Author: Part One

In this "Life of an Author" blog post series, I am going to dig into my life and other author friends of mine and divulge some of our greatest secrets as well as answer some commonly wondered questions and hand out tips that I have found immensely helpful. Your job? To sit back, read my post, and enjoy! (Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on each post in a comment. But no pressure. ;) 

Ever hit a wall in your writing? Ever feel like you JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONTINUE? Ever have a great scene in mind...but no idea which story to put it in?

Welcome, my friend, to the life of an author. 

Sometimes inspiration hits us in waves that overwhelm. Sometimes our brain feels about as useful as an empty candy wrapper. Sometimes life gets busy and our poor book takes about three times as long to finish as it should. Sometimes our characters, plot, AND outline all gang up on us and somehow twist OUR beloved story into something THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE. 

Such are the problems we writers face on a daily basis. Such is our life. And yet...somehow we decide to continue writing. 

Why? 

I was hoping someone would ask that. *rubs hands together* The answer to that question is what this entire blog post is about. So thank you for asking. If you hadn't...well, this post would fall flat on its face and die a gruesome death. 

So why? Why do we writers continue writing when the very thing we pour our time and effort into seems to turn on us at every corner? 

Well, I went on a social media spree and asked some of my fellow authors "Why do you write?" The following answers (compiled and edited by yours truly) are what their responses were. 

It is our passion:

Nothing is as thrilling to an author as the feeling of holding their own published work in their hands. The knowledge that every hour spent getting cramps in our wrists from typing, crying into our pillow late at night because we feel overwhelmed with deadlines, or killing a character because...honestly, you needed to take out your stress on SOMEBODY...it was all worth it because now you can hold your story in your hands and say to yourself, "I created this. I brought these characters to life. I made this world." 

It is one of THE best feelings in the world. Trust me, I speak from my whopping eighteen years of experience...ten of which I've spent writing. 

It is relaxing:

Believe it or not...writing actually helps calm our minds. When we sit down to write, everything happening in our crazy hectic lives melts away and we sink into the spiderweb of plot twists, changing characters and surprise endings. That may not sound relaxing to you...but it is. In a really weird way, it is relaxing. Not all the time, for sure, but sometimes. 

It is addictive:

Yes, creating books is addictive. When you start...it's hard to stop. All those characters waiting for you to create the perfect (although very dangerous and exciting) world for them, the genius plots (which ALWAYS sound better in dreams), and the amazing message (which is USUALLY figured out by the end of the story) they pile up until we have a mountain of ideas that would take a lifetime to complete. So...we become authors so we can spend a lifetime making them. 

It is a way we can create the books WE love:

Ever get tired of picking up a book and falling in love with the cover and description...only to find that it has swear words or inappropriate scenes inside? Well, writers do to. But instead of sitting at home with our cat and cup of tea moping about it, we decided to do something about it. So we picked up our pen/pencil/keyboard and notebook/computer and began writing. Because what better way is there to make a story that's perfect for your tastes than to create it yourself? 

It is way to connect with other writers:

There's a whole community of fellow authors out there. I didn't even know about them until I was fourteen or so, but they have been the biggest blessing and encouragement to me throughout my writing journey. Nothing gets you involved with this wonderful group of people who are going through the ups and downs of an author's life then being one of them. 

It is a ministry:

You might not think that writing fictional stories is a ministry, but it is. A couple different writer friends mentioned this as part of their answer. Really though, I can only agree. Writing stories is so much more than merely writing stories. Our stories are often encouraging, relatable, and contain godly messages that some people might pick up one day and read. If God used the writing abilities of people like Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Harriot Beecher Stowe, and our founding fathers to change the world, why not us? Often, our goal in life is having our book be a small beacon of light in a dark world. 

It is a way to get a point across:

Sometimes, the best way to express yourself is through a written work. Nothing says, "I believe in this" or "I don't believe in this" like writing a whole book about it. I mean, take a look at the world-wide major works of lituature. Each of those literary giants who created them, penned them because of something they believed in. And their outspoken stand changed their time whether for good or for evil. Writing can be a dangerous weapon or an amazing tool depending on who holds the author's quill pen (or pencil...or computer...based on which century we're talking about). The Bible was written over a thousand years ago...and it still impacts and changes lives today and will continue doing so until God returns. 

It is a duty we feel called to fulfill:

As with other ministries, some people feel called to write. That might sound strange...especially to people who don't write at all. Sometimes though, a writer can feel strongly burdened about something and put it in written form to fulfill the sense of duty they had over that particular subject. 

It is a way we can become someone we could never be, and go places we could never go:

Through our characters and setting, we can create for ourselves places most people only dream of. We can see the world through a shy bookworm who never fits in anywhere or an outgoing celebrity that is trying to understand the meaning of life. 

We can become spies or detectives, adventurers or aliens, elves or dwarves, kings or queens, princes or princesses, an all-powerful monarch or the poorest guttersnipe. 

We can travel to unknown worlds or planets, to the British Isles (because who wouldn't want to go there?? ;) or to Antartica, and even to the moon and beyond. 

All because we write. Yep. It's awesome.

It is a way to learn more about ourselves:

While creating characters in our stories, each one we make is, in part, a piece of ourselves. Bits of our personalities work their way into the main character and all the lesser characters. (Yes, even the villain. Read THAT and be frightened.) 

While our protagonist works their way out of a sticky situation or deals with stress, so we cope with real life issues. I find myself amazed at how many reactions of characters echo things I've done myself (or wish I had during a sleepless night after-the-fact). 

In addition to all of that, nothing pulls out your true self than running on too much coffee, restless nights when your brain won't calm down, the excitement of finishing a story, or the stress of countless deadlines. 

For example, I am a generally laid-back person. I roll with the punches. I take the lemons life hands me and stare at them with a puzzled, blank expression on my face until someone hisses into my ear "You're supposed to make lemonade with them!" However, writing a book forces me to focus on one thing and see it through to the end (something I don't do a lot). 

It is the only way to silence those voices in our heads:

You fellow writers know what I mean. Inspiration has a way of bugging us until we're FORCED to write it down. Character dialogue, plot ideas, a sudden setting pops into our mind...and the voices start. And they won't STOP until you get them down on paper or document somewhere, anywhere. 

It is a part of us:

Just like composers and musicians can't stop the music flowing through their veins, so we writers can't stop the flow of character and plot ideas. Every day, every moment, things happen that stoke the creative fires that burn within us. It flows out through our minds, down through our fingertips, and into the words we write or type.

It is what we love to do:

Ah...the truth comes at out at last. After putting all the other reasons through a filter, this would be the true reason behind all the other ones. Writers love to write. We just do. This is the reason we go through near torture to create a story which might never be read by more then family members. 

And there you have it. The reasons we authors write. Did it shock you? Or did you go through the reasons nodding your head and agreeing with me? Hopefully you had fun reading this post whatever your thought process. ;)