Inspired by the Vision of Success by Guest Blogger Missy Tippens
Have you ever walked into a bookstore (or grocery store or Wal-Mart) and spotted a book on the shelf written by someone you know? Maybe a friend from your local RWA chapter or even a critique partner? And then you imagined what your cover would look like, and how your name would look in print. Or imagined how excited your family would be to see it sitting in a real store where real people could see it.
Have you ever heard a first sale story that gave you chill bumps? And then you imagined how you would cry when you got The Call from an editor. You could almost hear the words, “We’d like to offer you a contract…” You could almost feel the champagne bubbles on your tongue from the celebration.
Have you ever attended a book signing and envisioned yourself sitting there—knowing exactly which pen you would use and what you would write? And dare you admit, you may have even practiced your signature?) :)
If you’ve done these things (aw, come on, admit it!), then you’ve envisioned success. And what’s more inspiring than the vision of success?!
It’s so hard sometimes to keep a positive attitude after a rejection (whether unpublished or published). But you have to keep picturing that contract, that cover, that book signing. Then you have to envision the second book. And third. It’s like dangling a carrot out in front of you so you won’t quit.
Keep moving forward. Keep dreaming. Focus on the positive. And I bet you’ll find the inspiration to keep writing.
Missy Tippens first published in 2004--a short story included in Blessings of Mossy Creek. After 10 years of pursuing her dream, she finally sold a full-length novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Her first book, Her Unlikely Family, was a February release. Her second, His Forever Love, is due out in June 2009.
Labels: inspiration to write, Missy Tippens
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
We've got a stellar line up as our conversation about inspiration continues this week. Be sure to comment to increase your odds of winning this month's prize--a $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate!
Monday, August 25th: Theresa Ragan "It's All about Motivation"
Tuesday, August 26th: Guest Blogger Missy Tippens "Inspired by the Vision of Success"
Wednesday, August 27th: Lee McKenzie "People Who Inspire Me"
Thursday, August 28th: Guest Blogger Marta Acosta "Inspiration and Humor: You've Got to Be Kidding"
Friday, August 29th: Q&A (Readers Ask Questions; Noodlers Answer)
Labels: inspiration to write, Lee McKenzie, Marta Acosta, Missy Tippens, Theresa Ragan
Question and Answer Day!!
TGIF. Doesn't that say it all? For me, today, yes.
Before we get to the question, let me congratulate Gillian Layne for winning Carla Fredd's Kimani Romance Release. Gillian, if you contact me via my website. http://www.maureenhardegree.com/, I can get the particulars for mailing you your book.
I'd also like to thank both Berta Platas and Carla Fredd for blogging with us this week and sharing their insights on Inspiration.
If any reader has a question they'd like to ask about writing, please feel free to post it. We'll do our best to answer. Remember if you post a response to one of our blogs this month, you'll be entered in the $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate raffle. The more you post, the better your chances.
Our first question of the day: What was the spark of inspiration that led to the first novel you wrote?
Labels: inspiration to write
Fear As Inspiration by Guest Blogger Carla Fredd
My greatest source of inspiration: FEAR
My name is Carla Fredd and writing is my biggest fear. As a romance writer, this is a bit of a problem. What am I afraid of? If it has anything to do with writing, I’m afraid of it. Here’s a short list of my fears. I fear my writing sucks swamp water. I fear my writing is good and I’ll never be that good again. I fear my editor. I fear my publishing house. I fear that my next book will be the last book I’ll ever have published. I fear I will fail as a writer. I fear I will succeed as a writer. I fear that I will never truly understand grammar. I fear I’ll have a book signing and no one will attend. I fear being a mediocre writer. I fear the manufacturers of word processing software will decide to get rid of spell check. I fear I will have to give back my advance check.
I’ll stop now because believe me I could go on with the list. Could it be that I fear the people reading this blog will think I’m neurotic and need serious therapy? Well, yeah.
My fears are both a curse and a blessing. The curse - my fear can cause me to doubt my work which makes me procrastinate. Repeat after me: Hail Carla, Empress of Procrastination and Queen of Writer’s Block. The blessing –In all other areas of my life, I’m pretty fearless. It makes me mad when I realize that fear is keeping me from writing. That’s when I focus on writing. That’s when I plant my butt in a chair and stay there until I have so many pages written. That’s when the pages start to pile up and my characters come to life. The more I write the more I can receive those flashes of inspiration about my character or plot. Fear of failing inspires me to keep reading books on the craft of writing. It inspires me to read the authors whose work I adore and new authors.
When I first started to write, I tried to conquer my fears. I quickly learned from successful, published authors that fear never really goes away. I’ve decided to use my fears and let them inspire me to become a better writer. 
I’ll bet if you’re reading this post, you also have writing related fears. There are two books which helped me. The War of Art: Break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles by Steven Pressfield and Write For Your Life by Lawrence Block.
Now, you know how fear inspires me. What are your writing fears?
Carla is raffling off her current Kimani Romance release The Perfect Man. Post a response to her blog to win!
Labels: Carla Fredd, inspiration to write
SELF-DISCIPLINE AS THE MOTIVATOR FOR INSPIRATION
By
Debra HollandSelf-discipline and inspiration are two words that don’t seem to go together. Inspiration sounds creative and exciting. Self-discipline, on the other hand, sounds like hard work.
If your muse flashes you an interesting idea, (if you’re like me) you gather a stack of scribbled notes full of character sketches, plot details, and dialogue fragments. Yet without the self-discipline to actually write, nothing will come of your brilliant story.
I’m not saying that self-discipline alone will lead to a successful writing goal. You do need the spark of inspiration. Yet all your creativity won’t be enough unless you “sit your butt in the chair in front of your computer.”
These days, almost everyone has crazy busy lives. The “no time” excuse is valid for almost all of us. But even when I have time, I often don’t utilize it well. I putter around the house in avoidance mode. I’m sure some of you are nodding agreement as you read this.
I recently returned from the RWA national conference. This time something really struck me about successful authors—the seriousness of their writing routine. Over and over again, I heard best-selling authors mention the rigidity of their schedules. “I write from 9 to 5 every day.” Or, “I write a chapter a day.”
Now, this is not new information to me. I’ve heard comments like these many times. But for some reason, the concept sank deep into my brain. I returned from the conference resolved to be more self-disciplined about my writing time.
I know from my own experiences (and that of others) that story inspiration comes easier when you write (at least a little) every day. It’s as if you’re opening up a spiritual spigot, and the creative energy flows forth. Some days in a gush, others a trickle. But at least it comes.
If you don’t write every day, or almost every day, you’re shutting off this flow. The spigot could even rust shut, leaving you blocked and afraid you’ll never be able to write again. It’s not that you can’t turn it back on (although the process might involve a lot of hammering.) But why handicap yourself when you KNOW (somewhere in your day) you can slip a few paragraphs into a notebook or your computer. If you can’t think of anything to write about, you can still journal or blog.
Last week in my plot group, we discussed the concept of keeping a daily log of the time you write, what you’re working on, and how much you write. I learned that the authors who track themselves are also successful at keeping to a schedule. For the last few days, I’ve started doing this. There’s something about writing down my start time in my organizer, which makes me actually begin the work. I’ve made more progress than I normally would have, so I intend to keep it up.
Due to my consulting work as a corporate grief/crisis counselor, I can’t stick to a set writing routine. I never know when I’ll get the call that summons me to a company to help them deal with whatever crisis has just occurred. But I can still write every day—at least half a page. And if I do this, my inspirational flow will continue. A page a day means a book in a year. That’s all it takes. J
How about joining me?
Labels: Debra Holland, inspiration to write
Inspiration and Dirty Laundry by Guest Blogger Berta Platas
I’m such a procrastinator. I recognize that it’s my chief fault and try to overcome it with discipline. My tote bags are full of scraps of paper. "Top Five" notes, Things To Do pads, Git ‘er Done! cards – but none work. No amusingly illustrated list, magnetized for my fridge or digitized for my phone, is going to force me to finish my tasks.
I’ve sort of made my peace with that. ‘Sort of’ because I keep the lists going, although I don’t follow them. While this affects my laundry, dog grooming, and the general health of the dust bunnies behind my doors, it doesn’t touch my writing. I write every day, because I have to. I breathe and eat every day, too. Writing is a part of me, and it’s thrilling to write romance and urban fantasy.
It has little to do with money or fame. Many authors think that a pile of money will solve all their problems, allowing them to write undisturbed. Believe me, something else will take the place of the financial worries, including a whole new tier of financial worries.
Dorothy L. Sayers, creator of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, stopped writing them after World War II, even though her readers demanded more. Lord Peter had made Sayers a lot of money, enough that she devoted the rest of her life to academic work, and to translating Dante’s Divine Comedy. I’m sure the world appreciates her efforts, but I would rather have had a couple more mysteries.
Then there’s Nora Roberts, who doesn’t seem to have an "off" button. Fame, fortune, and she still writes six to eight hours a day. Why? Because she’s full of stories. As full of stories as Stephen King, who threw down his pen and said he had no fresh stories to tell and that he’d never write again. I think he said that three books ago. Writing is part of their souls. It’s part of mine, too, and I would guess, because you’re reading this blog, that you suffer from the same trait, and that you don’t have to go far to seek inspiration, because you are full of stories. So forget money, forget publication. Sit at the keyboard, or grab a pen, and let the stories burst from your fingertips. Never let an opportunity pass by to better your craft, and with every tale you write you’ll come closer to your goal.
Berta's next romantic comedy for St. Martin's Press Lucky Chica hits the bookstores January '09.
Labels: Berta Platas, inspiration to write
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse Blog
Our month long discussion about inspiration continues. Be sure to post and get in the raffle for a $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate.
Monday, August 18th: Esri Rose "Tools as Inspiration"
Tuesday, August 19th: Guest Blogger and St. Martin's Press author Berta Platas
Wednesday, August 20th: Debra Holland "Self-Discipline and Motivation"
Thursday, August 21st: Guest Blogger and Kimani author Carla Fredd "Fear as Inspiration"
Friday, August 22nd: Q&A (Readers ask questions. Noodlers answer.)
Have a great week!
Labels: Berta Platas, Carla Fredd, Debra Holland, Esri Rose, goal and motivation, inspiration to write
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
We have another great week on the topic of Inspiration. Remember all comments posted will be included in the Barnes & Noble $20 gift certificate raffle, so comment often.
Monday, August 11th: "Funny Bone Moments As Inspiration" Maureen Hardegree
Tuesday, August 12th: "Inspiration--Grab It When You Can" Diane Gaston
Wednesday, August 13th: "People As Inspiration" Delle Jacobs
Thursday, August 14th: "Music As Inspiration" Priscilla Kissinger
Friday, August 15th: Q&A (Readers ask questions. Noodlers answer.)
Labels: Delle Jacobs, Diane Gaston, inspiration to write, Maureen Hardegree, Priscilla Kissinger
Favorite Quotes That Inspire
Earlier in the week, Terry blogged about how reading novels can inspire writers. Today, we’re going to tighten that scope to a sentence or two.
A quote by Henry David Thoreau that inspires me so much I have stenciled it on the border in my office is “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” When I have a bad writing day, I glance up to those words, and I’m inspired. When I fret over sending out another manuscript or entering a writing contest in the hope of getting some chapters in front of an editor, I read those words. They give me courage.
Is there a favorite quote that inspires you? Share it with us.
Labels: inspiration to write, Maureen Hardegree
Getting Stories from the News
I get lots of story ideas from the news media. Radio, television, newspapers, online news forums...inspiration can strike from a headline, blurb, or full story in any of these formats. For instance, let's take this headline:
"
Town spends $1 million to buy, close strip club" from the Associated Press.
What ideas might a headline like this spark? Your hero is the town mayor who comes up with the plan and the heroine owns the club? Or maybe she's a dancer with a child to support and all of a sudden she's out of work, thanks to the hero? Maybe he'll offer her a job in his company, or as his housekeeper. Or if you write thrillers, maybe the club owner is murdered and the money goes missing? Who did it?
Or how about this one?
I watched a show a while back about identical twins who were adopted out separately, and went to homes just one town apart. The women just found out about each other recently and met for the first time. They're so much alike it's uncanny, and they were both hysterical when they opened the small gift each of them brought the other--and found they'd brought the exact same thing.
Can you picture a story where a husband thinks his wife is cheating on him because he sees her going into a hotel with another man--and it turns out it's his wife's twin she didn't know she had?
Here are some headlines/ news story beginnings from past news stories. Post a comment about what kind of story you might make out of one of these:
1.
Bone marrow donors risk DNA identity mix-up2.
31 missing tourists tied to al-Qaida ally. Europeans mysteriously disappeared
while trekking across Sahara Desert
3.
Amid the traffic and bright lights, love grows from the back seat of a cab.
Cab driver runs matchmaking service for his lonely passengers out of his cab.
4.
Courses promise to turn shy virgins into red hot lovers. A Dutch company is offering courses to turn shy male virgins into red hot lovers for £2,500.
One word of caution. If you saw it/read it on the news, so did someone else. You'll have to be quick to write your book and get it out there.
So turn on the news, but have your pad and pen ready!
Labels: inspiration to write
This week on The Wet Noodle Posse
August is Inspiration month. Noodlers and their guests will blog about everything from what inspires them to write to practical tips on how to be ready for those moments of inspiration. We invite you to share in the discussion. At the end of the month, we'll raffle off a Barnes & Noble $20 gift certificate. Each post counts as an entry into the raffle.
This week's schedule:
Monday, August 4th: Tori Scott "Getting Stories from the News"
Tuesday, August 5th: Terry McLaughlin "Read, Read, Read"
Wednesday, August 6th: MJ Fredrick "Dreams as Inspiration"
Thursday, August 7th: All Noodlers "Quotes that Inspire"
Friday, August 8th: August Noodler Releases
Don't miss these great reads from our authors this month:
Labels: Colleen Gleason, inspiration to write, Jennie Lucas, MJ Fredrick, Terry McLaughlin, Tori Scott
