Fill-Me-In Friday

 


First, I want to say to those of you on the east coast, stay safe and our thoughts are with you. Growing up in Louisiana has left me with more than my fair share of hurricane experiences and evacuations, so I know it's a scary thing to go through.

 

All right, now on to my favorite links of the week.

On Writing:

7 Lessons I Learned by Starting Over Blogging by Jeff Goins via ProBlogger

Platform 101 for Regular (Not Famous) People Like Me by Erin MacPherson via WordServe Watercooler

Author Advances: Is There Such Thing As Too Much? by Rachelle Gardner

RIP the Author Book Tour--and why you shouldn't be sad to see it go by Anne R. Allen

The Screwy Evolution of Author Fears by Tawna Fenske

Is Your Blog Eating You Alive? by Jenny Hansen at More Cowbell

Organization For Creative People--Why You're Brain May Be Keeping You From Getting Things Done by Kirsten Simmons

The Writer's Life - On the Edge of the Cliff of Insanity by Beth K Vogt via WordServe Watercooler

The Myth of the Lone Creative Genius by Dr. Liz Alexander via Jane Friedman's blog

Top Ten Reasons to Become a Writer by Kristen Lamb

From my Author Blog:

What You Might Have Missed Here:

So what was your favorite link of the week? It's time to fill me in. : )  Hope everyone has a great (and safe) weekend!

 

All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

Why Is My Muse Hiding in the Shower?

 


Ah, that elusive muse. It's the writer's blessing and curse. It can be the source of wildly exciting inspiration or it can be the bane of our existence when the ideas stop flowing. So how do we learn to work with this fickle part of the writing process?

 

Well, first there is the "butt in chair" philosophy, which means even if your muse is on a bender to the Bahamas, you still sit in front of your computer and write. The idea is that eventually the inspiration will return. This is an important method to consider because once you have a contract and are on a deadline, you won't have the luxury of taking a few weeks/months off to let your muse return to you.

However, forcing the creative process sometimes shuts your mind down even further because you're using the logical part of your brain ("I need to get this down because x, y, z."), which can choke the free-flowing creative side.

So how do we free up that creative side?

Well, different things work for different people, but the goal is to get your mind into a relaxed state where the logical part can rest and the other side can take over.  For instance, I was watching an interview on The View with Aaron Sorkin. He was talking about writing the movie The Social Network (saw it yesterday, btw. FAB-U-LOUS. Seriously. Go see it.) But anyway, he said when he was writing it, he was taking like six showers a day. The ladies of The View looked at him like he was crazy, but I was like--Oh, I so get that.

He said the reason he was taking so many showers was because that's when the scenes would come to him. So when he got stuck, he'd either get back in the shower or would go for a long drive.

And those are two of my favorite places for inspiration too. Anywhere my mind zones out and goes on autopilot--the shower, a monotonous car ride, lying in bed at night before I go to sleep, listening to music. When I'm stuck, those are the times that the words finally come.

So, if you're doing BIC (butt-in-chair) but it's just not working. Get up, go for a long walk, a drive, or hell, jump in the shower like Aaron Sorkin. Give yourself permission to relax your mind so that you can hear the muse when he/she whispers to you.

So I'm curious, when does the inspiration usually hit you? What are some activities you do to let the creativity flow? Are you a believer of butt-in chair?

**Today's Theme Song**
"You're the Inspiration" - Chicago
(player in sidebar, take a listen)


 

Writer Phobia: The Last Idea

 


Recently, I've done posts on waiting to query the first novel and on working on more than one WIP at a time.  In the comments of some of these posts, a few of you have expressed a fear that I think is common among writers (including myself.)  What is it?

 

The fear that you only have one amazing idea and if that book doesn't work out, you're not sure if there is anything left in the well.

I definitely had this fear when I was writing my first novel.  And pretty much anytime I'm writing something new, there is a point where I have the paralyzing thought: "What if this is my last idea?"

I know there are some of you who get ideas as often as I get hunger pains (damn diet), but I am not one of those people.  I may get a whisper of a scene or a hint of a character, but nothing fully formed or particularly high concept ever just smacks me over the head.

When I'm ready to start something new, I have to make a conscious effort to open up my mind and brainstorm for a few days or weeks.  And thankfully, so far, I've always had another story come to me.

So when that fear hits me, I try to remember that the ideas will come when they're ready.  My theory is that I'm too one-track minded.  I don't have room for new ideas when I'm writing my current story because I'm totally immersed in this story and these characters and nothing else seems nearly as awesome or enticing.  I can't open the doors to my brain until my current project is done living there.

So just keep in mind when this phobia takes over that it's unfounded.  We are creative people.  I guarantee that none of us only has one great idea.  Sometimes we just need to get some distance from our current idea/book to make room for new characters to check into the inn.

Now, how about you?  Have you ever had this phobia?  Or, are you one of those people who gets ideas so often that there isn't enough time in the day to pursue them all (What? No, i'm not turning green. *ducks head*)?  


If you have had this fear (*bumps knuckles with you*), what did you do to get past it?  Do you have to step away from one project in order to get your idea factory churning?


**Thanks for all your feedback yesterday on the Beta Club.  Starting today, I'm officially moving the feature to one day a week.  So Tuesdays will be Beta Club day.  If you have already signed up, your dates will be adjusted accordingly.  Hopefully this change will result in authors getting more feedback on the day they go up.  :)  Thanks again for letting me know your preferences!**

**Today's Theme Song**
"Leave a Light On" - Belinda Carlisle
(player in sidebar, take a listen for an 80s flashback)