inspiration

Writer’s Wisdom 18

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Read

Most writers love to read.  The written word becomes spellbinding.  Besides doing it for pleasure, reading will improve your writing.  Take note of author’s styles, use of language, dialog and description.  Notice the movement of the characters throughout the story. 

Author Maggie Stiefvater recommends to aspiring authors to read, read, read.  She did not take any creative writing classes, but she is a voracious reader (as told in a Borders interview).  Reading is like studying about writing, while enjoying a good story.  It is good to read various genres, to get a good idea of what works for your style. 

So, next time you pick up a book, think of its benefits to you as a writer, besides being pure entertainment.

Writer’s Wisdom 16

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Your Trademark

Many have compared writing a book with giving birth to a child.  When you write, you are pouring your self, your style, into a piece of writing.  The styles of well known authors are unmistakable.  Lisa Scottoline said, in an interview with Borders, “Try to write something that is inside you; you open your heart and readers open theirs.”

Mitch Albom weaves his own anecdotes into his books; he uses a song in every book, kind of his trademark.  Your trademark (the term is not being used here in its strict definition)  identifies you in a sea of writers, it is your personal mark, your print in the story.

However you decide to leave your mark embeded in the story, eventually, it will reflect your style, and identify you.   

 

Writer’s Wisdom 9

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“Inspiration is all around you.”

 When your ink well is running dry, look around you; you will find inspiration in the oddest of places.  Best selling authors are aware of this and practice it all the time.  Some observe and listen for ideas, others have dreams, others write about what they know; some use ideas that are already out, but modify them into a different story.  Caution should be exercised with this last one, as you have to be careful with copyrights – a lawyer should be handling these details – this applies in the case of modifying a story that has already been written, for example “A Lion Among Men” by Gregory Maguire, which is a different view of The Wizard of Oz. 

Sara Grwen saw a picture of a vintage circus, and that instance, she knew she would write a story about that (Water for Elephants), even when she had started a complete different story.  Christopher Paolini wrote about what he always wanted to read about, but there was just not enough of it around (Besinger).  Jody Picoult says that ideas come from all over the place.  For her, usually about an issue that she doesn’t have the answer to.

So, however you want to connect with your muse, inspiration is all around you, just be aware, or alert to your muse’s call.