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"Are you running low on inspiration? Has it abandoned you like that pet mouse you kept in the cupboard when you were five? Have no fear! The Inspiratron is here! The Inspiratron is a device designed to flood your mind with ideas when you're feeling low! Just put it on using the handy Velcro straps that fit around your chin and voila! You will have ideas and inspiration galore! To get the Inspiratron all it takes is a simple phone call to 1-800-INSPIRED! Our phone operators will set you up with just three easy payments of $9,999,999,999.98! Call now!"
Pretty ridiculous, huh?
If you can't tell by the introduction, I've been dealing with low amounts of inspiration lately. I'm not sure what to blame for that but I do know from reading a zillion and one posts about it, I'm doing it wrong. I don't really need an Inspiratron. (Shocking, I know.)
Have you been low on inspiration lately? You probably don't need an Inspiratron any more than I do. (Even if such a thing existed) What you need is far more difficult than you may think. Inspiration, contrary to popular belief, is not a muse. It's not some fairy sprinkling magic dust on you whenever it sees fit. And there's no sense in waiting for that to happen.
Inspiration is trickier than that. Because inspiration comes when you hunt it down and capture it. Not when it decides to come eat out of your hand.
Surprised? Maybe not. maybe you've heard this before. But even if you have, what does it mean for you?
What it means for me is this: I can't just wait for inspiration. I have to firmly put my rear in the chair and make myself write. I wasted an entire year after my first NaNoWriMo just waiting for my inspiration "muse" to come grant me the rest of my book. What do you know? It never came.
I heard (or rather read) people say, inspiration only comes in the middle of your writing. So why didn't I listen?
Since then, I have tried much harder than that first year to just get it done. But I kept finding myself waiting. For what? I could have finished so many writing projects by now if I had only made myself do it. I suppose self discipline has never been my strong point. Gee, ya think Beth??
Now, I just want to be done. (That's what you get!) I have found myself thoroughly sick of my WIP. I've been working on it so long. I have been having a harder time going to it willingly. I find it harder to write scenes that should come easy. Right now, I'm stuck. I wrote myself into a minor corner. Something happened quite by accident. My characters have no idea why, which is good. The bad part is, I don't know why it happened either. And I'm in the middle of the scene where it should be revealed. Ugh. Just typing this I'm getting frustrated with myself for it.
My point is, when you find yourself not in the mood or just waiting to hear from your "muse", remember that the best inspiration comes with discipline. It comes when you're writing.
This is so true! For me, most plot points come in the shower - but only when I've just been writing and have my work fresh in my mind! As for your thing about neither you nor your characters having any idea what's going on, I know how you feel. I am only two chapters into my NaNo novel (GAH! I hate calling it a novel! IT'S TOO BIG!) but right now I only have one more scene in mind where I know what's happening....after that, it's just a vague outline, and in some places, no plot at all. Uh-oh. An Inspiratron would be useful at this point, but not if it means I might lose my unicorn. She's flighty enough as it is, I don't need added complications!
ReplyDeleteOh that's how I was when I started this novel! Not knowing led to some interesting twists I must say! It'll turn out good, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteIt would be pretty bad if you lost her...I have a pretty hard time keeping mine locked up as well.