How do you maintain your inspiration?

[ALago1]

Has this ever happened to you...

You have a great idea, one that sets you off to write 10+ pages effortlessly, and then you hit a wall. Perhaps you become insecure that your original idea wasn't that great after all and should be scrapped, or just are confused as to where to go from here.

That "spark", that indescribable "flow" has gone and it is the most frustrating thing in the world. How do you keep it??? Any advice or suggestions?

[clintonlover]

1. writer' s block

I usually regain my fresh ideas when I am relaxed or on the weekends..I try not to force it, but I try to let the words come naturally. But as soon as the words or concept comes to me I have to write it down- whether i am at work or elsewhere. I hope that makes sense.

[nostamj]

2. work on something else

but keep the other project in an open window.

usually, the process of working on *something* will restart the blocked project.

[BigMcLargehuge]

3. I tend to write harder, faster, and with much less grace

in the same situation as you describe. Usually I end up whacking most of the "free writing" I do to get over the hump in a story or novel, but just blasting things into the manuscript helps me see the end parts of the story I'm working on.

Now, as for keeping my inspiration up, it's the little things with me, for example:

I love the sound my keyboard makes when I am typing, and I am a horrific keyboard snob.

I usually listen to specific music, sometimes a specific song, for the length of a project and generally find that the repressive part of my brain goes off to listen to music while the creative part goes wild on the keyboard

I have an editor, and I like to argue with him about whatever manuscript I've put together so I try and keep writing to give him something to argue about

When I get really tired of one project I work on another, sometimes that helps, or when all else fails I write attrocious porn to clear out my brain.

[indigobusiness]

4. Interesting and insightful...

and I always figured you for a bit of a perv. Do you have any atrocious porn collections? Maybe there should be an atrocious porn contest...sort of like the award for worst first line of a novel...or what's that award for dying in absurd ways? Anyway, my question for you is: Do you begin at the beginning in your novel writing? Do you ever skip around from part to part as it develops? How do you stay organized? How do you find time to write when you hang out at DU most of the time?

Seems I had more than one question.

The best advice I've heard for writer's block is to write about whatever curls your toes.

[BigMcLargehuge]

7. well, let's see how well I answer them!

and I always figured you for a bit of a perv.

;)

Do you have any atrocious porn collections?

Nothing I will ever show to anyone

Maybe there should be an atrocious porn contest...sort of like the award for worst first line of a novel...or what's that award for dying in absurd ways?

There is an award for worst sex scene in a novel, bit I forget the name of the contest. The other contest you mention is The Darwin Awards.

Anyway, my question for you is: Do you begin at the beginning in your novel writing?

The beginning of my novel writing comes in long sessions of just thinking. Usually my idea matures pretty well before I write even the first word. But once I sit down to write it generally works like this-

I write the first scene (it doesn't always stay as the first scene...), but I write the first scene. Following that I jot down what the ending will be as I imagine it, usually in longhand, usually in my little spiral notebook. Usually it's one declarative sentence. Then I gather my research materials if I have them and stack them beside my monitor for easy reference. This has been extremely helpful during the writing of Tears of Amaterasu. Then I write and write and write and write.

After the first 50-100 pages of text I reread what I've written and usually add in some of the things I intended to, but forgot, as I was writing. This expansion usually backfills the novel for another 30-50 pages. Then I jump back to where I left off and continue the story. Repeat the backfill part etc... Then I hand it over to my editor, argue with him for a while after he's marked it up, move things around, change some stuff, and do more backfilling, then jump ahead to where I left off and keep on going.

It's like a big writing/adding/editing/writing circle.

Do you ever skip around from part to part as it develops?

See above. However, I have been known to sketch out scenes that I need later at the end of the manuscript and write to them then incorporate them.

How do you stay organized?

Don't know specifically what you mean by this, but I will venture an answer. I have a good mental model of what I want the novel to accomplish, sort of an internal outline I guess, and that keeps me focused on where the story should probably go, though it isn't necessarily where it does go.

As for actually organizing resources, I have a couple of folders of bookmarks to references web pages and stuff and a stack of glossed books and detailed notebooks at my disposal almost at all times (unless I am writing on the road).

I also put a research and references segment at the end of the novel document with whatever numbers, facts, names, and figures I will need at a momen't notice so I can just "apple+home" to get to that information.

How do you find time to write when you hang out at DU most of the time?

I can multitask pretty well. Sometimes DU wins out if I am feeling more chatty and less writty. But more often than not I can keep DU in the background or hidden while I work and deal with incoming alerts that trigger my mail program.

Seems I had more than one question.

Seems I had more than one answer! :)

The best advice I've heard for writer's block is to write about whatever curls your toes.]

The best advice I ever heard for writer's block was that there is no such thing as writer's block, only writer's excuse.

[indigobusiness]

9. Thank you for your thoughtful and considered response.

I appreciate your taking the time to go into detail. This helps me.

-There is an award for worst sex scene in a novel, but I forget the name of the contest.-

Is this the award that Tom Wolfe just won?

-The best advice I ever heard for writer's block was that there is no such thing as writer's block, only writer's excuse.-

Point well taken, but I believe that it is an undeniable and common phenomenon: the taste can suddenly and mysteriously go out of the creative process. It is always possible to force words onto a page, but is this really writing? This gets back to the Muse as opposed to a muse - creative engine v an external source (excuse) of inspiration. The creative engine, or spirit, that fuels the fire of creation is evident in every great creative work. Great work cannot be forced.

So, when your muse goes tits up, write about whatever curls your toes, and reconnect to the Muse.

[leftofthedial]

5. 10% inspiration

90% perspiration

at best

inspiration is for pussies

[indigobusiness]

6. The Muse is unnecessary for slogging out the words...

but, is anything worthwhile ever produced without her?

Your assertion set me to thinking and I pulled up a basic history to weigh the merits uf the argument:

Word History: The Muse has inspired English poetry since Chaucer invoked her in 1374. Muse comes from Latin Msa, from Greek Mousa. There are Greek dialect forms msa and moisa, and all three come from an original *montya. As to the further origins of this form, a clue is provided by the name of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory and mother of the Muses. Her name is the Greek noun mnmosun “memory,” which comes from *mn-, an extended form of the Greek and Indo-European root *men-, “to think.” This is the root from which we derive amnesia (from Greek), mental (from Latin), and mind (from Germanic). The reconstructed form *montya that is the ancestor of Greek Mousa could then mean something like “having mental power.”
---

I'm fascinated by the argument about this.

[leftofthedial]

8. many great writers are or were great editors

the muse drives the creation

the craft makes the work