I’ve been a bit MIA for the past few weeks, and I’ve missed you all! *waves* I recently started a new job and I’ve been taking some time to settle in, adjust to the new schedule and all that.
And yes, that includes a break from writing. *quivers*
It’s interesting. Before I started working again I’d hit a sort of slump, writing-wise. I had a few story ideas rolling through my head while I edited my current WIP, but I wasn’t in love with any of them. And then one day, riding the L home from work… POOF! NEW STORY EXTRODINARE! I haven’t done anything with it yet. I usually like to mull the idea around for a little bit before I actually start writing it. And I’m trying to be a bit more organized this time. IE come up with the plot before I get half-way through.
O_O
Heh… Yeah. I’m a dreamer.
But really, it’s amazing what can come to you when you’re crammed like a sardine in a subway car. And by that, I mean, when you’re out actually EXPERIENCING things. Sometimes I forget that my imagination needs a little fuel, and that doesn’t always come from sitting in front of a computer screen.
I also notice that my inspiration level depends on the time of the year. Maybe it’s coincidence, but the last three books I’ve written have all been started at some point during the spring. The time of rebirth and rejuvenation. I guess it makes sense. I think a lot of writers are more sensitive to things like environment and seasonal changes. *listens for crickets* No? Just me?
I love this time though. The time before I actually sit down and start writing, when the idea is just a seed that can grow into absolutely anything. I’m curious though. Does the time of year affect you at all? How do you come up with your story ideas? Do they just come to you or do you actively brainstorm? Do you enjoy the brainstorming or do you feel panicked without a plan? I’d love to hear from you!
Hope your new job is going well :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel panicked if I don't have a detailed plan. I used to be a total pantser (five years ago) so I don't know what happened lol.
YAY you're back!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the seedling stage - it excites and scares me. Exciting because it's a new family of friends I get to meet, a new world I get to discover, and a new secret I get to uncover. The "scariness" is because I hope that I can write the story as vividly as the image in my mind. And I don't really sit and brainstorm stories, they hit me in images. A lot of the time those images are fueled by music I'm listening to. (music addict.)Then I have to go figure out the plot :D
I was a pantster with book one but a million rewrites later have changed me to an outliner. Still, my outline leaves room for creativity because I get most my ideas WHILE I'm writing.
Great post!
Does the time of year affect you at all? (Yes, it affects my mood, and a lot of the time it affects the actual weather in my work.
ReplyDeleteHow do you come up with your story ideas? (They just come to me, I have hundreds of ideas. I don’t have a problem coming up with ideas, or even have a problem during composing… the story just comes to me as I write, I don’t plot, or plan a thing. My biggest problem comes during the editing process that part nearly kills me.)