I received my recent, and according to the paper cover, my last issue of Writers Digest. I’m not sad. Not remotely. I hardly have time to write let alone read about how to get published. A silver lining: because of my recent bouts with sickness I was able to read a few pages (in the bathroom). I’m pleased to say they have a section titled Why Inspiration Matters.
Here’s the points, or my point, whatever: You must make inspiration. It will not happen often and you’re lucky if it happens after you hit the 21 birthday landmark (the one many of us don’t remember, well) or after you’re introduced to the time-suckage networking site “Facebook.”
So make it happen, people:
(the following points are not my own, but I’ve added my own flavor. Soon to hit grocery stands all over the states ”Sharla Spice” it ain’t everything nice, or something)
1) Read a good book and you’re bound to want to write (read Twilight and well…)
2) Turn up the music and again, make sure that it’s inspirational. None of this woman hating, egotistical crud — that’s for the club. Try, Ella Fitzgerald.
3) Observe some people. A park bench is a good view on the world, so is a bench outside of a supermarket. Just don’t stalk someone and get yourself arrested. Not unless you think you may want to write a story like that. Be mindful, cops do not enjoy when you are writing down the rights they are reading to you. ”Ma’am, I don’t care if it is for your novel.”
4) You may want to pry yourself off the couch, put on some clean pants and shoes, then hit the outdoors. ”The great outdoors is inspiration in waiting,” and so forth. I find a walk is a good way to clean the mind, work off .08% of the chocolate I ate, and a way to cool down from the fight I just picked with my husband. Go outdoors, you vampire-loving people.
5) Mental discipline. Okay, Writer’s Digest just lost me with the word “discipline.” No worries. They’re just trying to say the word “meditation” in a more trendy, interesting way. Meditation: that’s like not doing anything, right? I can do that. I would like to add to their mediation list that baking bread is a great meditation because you can think about nothing and make something to walk off later (see: 4).
5 a) I’d like to add “play acting,” part of this list. Writer’s Digest says meditating as your character helps, but I think that “play acting” as your character is even better. For a whole day you can be the protagonist (i.e. spunky orphan Annie) and the next day you can be your antagonist (drunk Ms. Hannigen). You may want to forewarn your boss and spouse.
6) Be spiritual. Good luck “being” this. I think this is a stupid point. We are spiritual beings. They might as well remind you to open and close your eyes periodically so they don’t dry out.
7) Be committed. Gosh this is a hard one (no sarcasm meant). I bet if I read on they’ll say something about how having a prescription for Writers Digest helps keep one….nope, something about the library but no plug for the magazine. Good job, Frank White (the author to whom I am now giving credit). Notice how I totally avoided talking about commitment.
Tags: creative, inspiration, Writing
I agree with all these ideas except the first one. Reading shitty books is what made me finally sit down to write one myself. I thought, hell, even *I* can do better than THAT.
I really should get a subscription to writer’s digest already.
That’s a good point. Many a “shitty” book have led me to turn the book over to look at the lucky sap who received the coveted publishing deal. ‘Oh, I could so easily be her, but better.’ I’ve thought these loathsome thoughts and lived a different life in them.
p.s. the above blog was not an endorsement for Writers Digest. I embellished mostly everything.
I do enjoy your wit. Thank you for sharing.
And I, too, find just as much inspiration from a good book as a bad. But “discipline” yeah, I hate that.