Writing Wednesday: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

Happy Wednesday and Happy Writing to all... yeah, I'm trying to catch up on my writing, seeing as how I'm so very far behind and stuck in my own head. I have my new cover for BENDING THE RULES, the follow-on to BREAKING THE RULES... but I haven't finished the writing or editing yet.

Although, now that I've paid the bill for the cover, I'm more than anxious to get it written and out the door, lol. I'm not sure if that's inspiration or not, but certainly it's motivation to say the least.

Which leads me to today's topic: Inspiration.

Where does it come from?

What  inspires you?

The easy answer is "Life." Most of us put pieces of ourselves or our lives into our work - it's inevitable. Then there are the stories we hear -- or overhear -- from others that make us think "what if..."

And I have to admit, I find inspiration in strange spots, sometimes, like Scientific American. Or the odd newspaper article about a plane crash. Or a television news report of a shark attack. Or...

Face it. Inspiration can come from just about anywhere. But what changes an incident or a remark into the spark for a story? Do certain people's minds just take that extra leap and start spinning, creating spiderwebs of connections and characters? Or is it learned behavior - once you start down the path of being a writer, your brain purposefully looks at the everyday in a different way?

I've been reading a lot in the last week (seriously a lot. Like 3 whole books on Saturday alone. 2 more on Sunday.) And it never ceases to amaze me when I read something fresh, and wonder where the author got that certain inspiration. They say there are only so many unique ideas out there, but it's how an author approaches it that makes all the difference.

My next question about inspiration is a little harder: Once you have the spark of an idea, what inspires you to see it through? To spend hours, days, weeks... 100,000 words to reach "the end."

This second question was asked at a writer panel I was part of recently, and one of the guys on the panel answered: "Money." I was thinking, oh honey, you're in the WRONG business. If you're inspired to write because of a desire to make the big bucks, publishing is not really the place to be.

Unfortunately, that question went all the way down the panel and I had to answer it too -- cue the smell of brain cells burning in furious thought -- but by the time it was my turn, I'd realized what inspired me.

Readers. Fans, in particular.

I love hearing from readers who've enjoyed my books, but this summer I had the distinct pleasure to meet a few particularly excited young women who LOVED my books and my characters. I can't describe the thrill that went down my spine, seeing the excitement in their faces. So yeah, I know what inspires me to publish.

Now I jut need to find some motivation - and actual story inspiration.

All ideas are welcome.

Happy Writing!

Friday Feature: On Writing YA

Yes, I write Young Adult books. They are "regular" novels. They are as hard to write as "regular" novels. You can't "dumb down" your language or your topics for middle schoolers or teenagers. The books themselves aren't a heck of a lot shorter than "regular" books. And lots (and lots) of adults ready YA books.

YA authors are "real" authors.

Just like romance authors are "real" authors.

Writing Wednesday: Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

I've been finding it really hard to write lately, as we are undergoing house renovations. Lame excuse perhaps, but I'm one of those writers who like it quiet... the blend of hammering, voices, power tools, and other people's musical choices are way too distracting for me to focus well. I sit at my keyboard and don't feel inspired.

But when I was walking on the beach the other day with the dogs, I had a great idea for a new YA story. It grew in my head for a day or two (during morning walks, away from the chaos at the house) and then I related the idea to my middle son later that week as he was walking the dogs with me after school. He was excited and encouraging.

And I have yet to get the outline down on paper or Word doc.

Inspiration.

That's one of those things that sets writers apart - we're supposed to actually act on it when we get these cool ideas and flitting movie scenarios in our heads.

Walking on the beach is my quiet time, and when most of my productive thinking happens. Sometimes it's my zen meditation kind of time, but I'm not zen enough to dismiss the wayward thoughts when they start taking shape into a good storyline. I like to follow them down the path and see if they turn into something.

Where do you get your inspirations from? And How do you make the most of it when you get an idea for a story?

Do you rush to the computer and start writing? Make an outline? Open a new document and just start with Chapter One?Or do you jot the thoughts and character descriptions down on scraps of paper, a specific notebook, the back of cocktail napkins at the bar?

Thinking about Inspiration and our Muses doesn't "jinx it" - it helps open us up to be receptive to it. Having a game plan for what to do when you get a good idea also help the idea to stay alive in your head. (Think about how many cool ideas you've had for books that are gone now because you didn't flesh it out for yourself at the time.)

Where do you get your inspirations? And how do you keep them from fading away?

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