From where does your spark of (writing) creativity stem?
For me it is the work of other writers - such brings out my own unique voice, my creative core. But most of the time my story ideas come from right
field - an image, sound, etc. Then, like erect dominoes, the rest follows and a story (or a portion of) blossoms from thin air. It's cool.
I seemed to be looking down from an immense height upon a twilit grotto, knee-deep with filth, where a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about
with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts whose appearance filled me with unutterable loathing.
I write craft and decorating articles. The source of both my craft designs and the resulting "writing" comes mainly from unusual items. I can
practically hyperventilate over a box of old junk. lol
After the final credits of Avatar (the movie) ended, I almost dropped (fainted) from an creative overload of ideas (of different genres; not just the
fantastic) in my head. Now I have this totally beautiful Utopian world somewhere in one (of many, many) creative nooks inside my brain's creative file
cabinet.
This one (a future fantasy epic) that will dazzle readers...I just know it.
My theory (grammar skills) are lamentable. I mean I am looking at my writing through a finely polished loop and I am not anywhere near satisfied with
any minute detail. You see, my name goes on my work...need I say more?
Also, I want to present worthy prose - as best I can. The reader(s) are taking time and paying for quality writing.
I don't want to write articles, scripts, etc., I want to write stories (short stories and novels), that's it - creative stuff.
My time is not yet. Now it's time to do the other work - to read the novelists I admire, to understand the symbolism in contemporary literature (most
especially the genres that I favor most like Historical Fiction and Psychological prose the likes of The Bell Jar by Plath), among things
like theory and character development techniques. Characters sell...heck, even a young writer like myself knows that's a true blue fact!
My time will come (hope), when I send my first manuscript, knowing that all the "I's" are dotted and all the "t's" are crossed.
I want my initial publishers to say, "And this is his very first manuscript". I solely want to impress him/her because that person (or department)
knows much more than I do about marketing and where my writing fits in whichever category.
Rejection letters will never detour me for I have THICK skin. Also of what use is praise? Isn't there more to gain from constructive criticism than
from praise? Praise does not lend a hand, criticism does.
All I can say here is wow. I hope I am half the teacher you seem to be (or were?), Sarah.
I draw my inspiration mostly from my experiences, of which I have but few, but a few of them were (to me) pretty exceptional. I also take mental notes
when reading the authors I enjoy (and the ones I don't). I read everything critically now -- not for grammar stuff, since I've long since abandoned my
grammar cop uniform -- for symbolism, themes, and twists on the conventional angle of both.
{snip, snip} I mean I am looking at my writing through a finely polished loop and I am not anywhere near satisfied with any minute detail. You see, my
name goes on my work...need I say more?
Also, I want to present worthy prose - as best I can. The reader(s) are taking time and paying for quality writing.
I don't want to write articles, scripts, etc., I want to write stories (short stories and novels), that's it - creative stuff.
{snip, snip}
Rejection letters will never detour me for I have THICK skin. Also of what use is praise? Isn't there more to gain from constructive criticism than
from praise? Praise does not lend a hand, criticism does. [Edited on 1/17/2010 by aquablue]
I am also my own worst critic. Of all the material -- complete and incomplete -- I've written over the course of my life as a writer, I can't even
fill one hand with titles I am proud of. Everything can be better. Some of it ought never to have seen the light of day.
I used to say I was an English major who liked to pretend she writes. Anymore, I actually do write... Sometimes. Mostly, I just prepare to write by
living.
But at some point, the preparation has to make way for the product. Here's to quality we can be proud of. =)
Cain't knock this woman down ... She stands on a Solid Rock.
Everything is my source of creativity. I see a cat run across the street and up a tree, and I wrote a poem. I see a dog barking alone in a yard and I
think of a short story. I see kids hanging out in front of the high school when I drive past and I think of an article.
However, for most of my novels/novel ideas, I work on a combination of dreams I have and something or someone I know of/about in real life.
What Brothers Do was based very loosely off Ryan and Gregg, identical twin brothers, a story of their friendship, bond, and what would happen when
that bond is tested to the very extreme limit.
Reluctantly Human is based very loosely off Gregg's life as a musician and unwitting single father.
Accepting Aimee is based loosely off experiences I've had myself in my life, though not in any order or backstory as my life - just more my
personality when I'm being cocky, which I've been known to be a lot in my younger days.
What Makes a Woman is based on nothing I know or experienced, except when I was being tested for Inflammatory Breast Cancer, the title came to me - do
breasts make a woman? What exactly DOES make a woman? The novel explores that.
IDENTIFY, the novel that I feel will eventually win me a Pulitzer is based on a fear of mine... a real, legitimate, albeit conspiracy theorist styled,
fear.
There are others, but I don't want to bore you....
The point is, my creativity is sourced in everyday ordinary things, in extraordinary things, the mundane and the exciting - it's based on life and
living. I"m a people watcher, and feel there is a story behind everything and everyone you see, and if you can't tell what it is from looking, you
must write it.
Love and stuff,
Michy ~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
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I can relate to what everyone has said here. Mainly I draw on my experiences when I write, I may never have been a pirate, but the pain and anger of
losing my father was very real, comes out in my book. The prejudice that the slaves experienced was the prejudice directed at me as the only dark
skinned child in my class. I drew on a lot of my life experiences in it.
Crawling into a wrecked vehicle and talking to the patient, comforting them, seeing the tears and fear while the car is being cut apart with the jaws
of life has given me a lot of insight to human suffering.
My wife is an endless source of ideas and inspiration.
Don't let fear and common sense stand in your way.
Almost everything I've written started out with a song stuck in my head. I don't always have the radio on, but there is always music like a
soundtrack.
It's funny, but a song could be around for twenty years and it doesn't really hit me until I'm going through something that makes the song have a
certain resonance - then I get it. Oh, that's what he meant.
Then I feel the need to express that feeling in my own words, on my own terms.
So it starts as a feeling. Almost always the title comes next. I have no idea where the characters come from, or why they do what they do.
A lot of writers and musicians say this stuff is just floating around out there, and it can pop into anybody's head. I am kind of onboard with that
notion.
Love and stuff,
Michy ~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
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I'm not really sure what inspires my creativity. My most recent works came from a couple of vivid dreams that I had, very vivid. Now, where those
dreams came from? I don't have any idea, but because of those dreams, it feels as though I'm writing down a memory of events, rather than creating the
events. Does that make any sense? It's as though I've already lived what I'm writing, even though I actually haven't.
Novel word counts/goals:
Guardian 1: 15,012/15,000 (met 7-28-09)
24,096/30,000
Well, as long as I dream, the stuff actually makes sense. When I wake up, however, I only remember pieces and they don't make any sense at all, so
writing down my dreams wouldn't work for me. The tales would be way too absurd
Nope, not for me.... I can't 'write' with voice - I've tried. There is something almost spiritual for me about the connection between the brain and my
hands when creating. I've tried to speak ideas and jot down notes, but it doesn't flow for me that way.
But if you don't get the dreams down really soon after waking, you can and do lose some of it....
Love and stuff,
Michy ~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
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i have a voice recorder on my cell so it's there if I need it. Sometimes ideas come-and-go swiftly so (for me) a recorder is important. I understand
what you are saying (also) Michy....
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