Comments on: Are you inspired?

By: Mary Johnson

Mary Johnson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:06:13 +0000

I write nonfiction (scientific and explain-to-the-lay-person pieces about minerals and gemstones), but still need my muse’s help from time to time. Again, late at night or the shower seem to stimulate ideas; but occasionally I hear a voice dictating, and I try to transcribe that exactly. I’m still wondering what the lastest message, “prophecying at three miles an hour,” means…

By: S.L. Farrell

S.L. Farrell — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:55:10 +0000

S. C. Butler wrote: “Like you and Alan, I don’t do a lot of planning for a story either. But I do have to have a beginning and an end.”

I always have a strong beginning in mind, and usually some idea of where I think the story’s going to end. But I leave myself open to the idea that there might be a better end point to the story by the time I actually get there. Often enough, I don’t end where I originally thought I was going to end…

I don’t really *envy* folks with more rigorous outlines… but only because I tried that a few times and realized it just doesn’t work for me, while it obviously does for them.

There ain’t no right way to write!

By: S.C. Butler

S.C. Butler — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:07:57 +0000

Like you and Alan, I don’t do a lot of planning for a story either. But I do have to have a beginning and an end. However, the only time I will ever get inspiration is if I’m actually sitting at the keyboard banging away. Sometimes I take walks, as it helps my thinking, but sometimes it’s my characters who take walks, and eat breakfst and go to the bathroom and nap, as I take them through their daily lives until I finally stumble onto the details of their story. Then all the time-killing stuff gets tossed, and the tale goes forward.

I envy folks who do it more rigorously, with full outlines.

By: S.L. Farrell

S.L. Farrell — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:11:17 +0000

James — Serendipity plays a large part in my process also. Like you, I don’t do a whole lot of outlining/planning for my fiction… and perhaps as a result, I *always* hit a section in the middle where I bog down. I’ll resort to what I call “mining for ideas” — reading lots of non-fiction, trying to be open and listen to conversations around me. Inevitably, something I read or hear sparks an idea and I know where the story needs to go again.

Nick — thanks. If I find out when the book is due out (probably sometime in 2009, I’d suspect), I’ll let you know.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:01:37 +0000

Make sure you post back here when the book comes out - it sounds fun!

By: James Alan Gardner

James Alan Gardner — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:59:35 +0000

I rely on inspiration and its cousin, serendipity, all the time. I plan very little for books or short stories; once I’ve got a decent opening section, I plow ahead without worrying how much else I have.

This approach means I try to avoid tight deadlines (although the highwire act is a nice thrill once in a while). It also means I occasionally go down dead-end streets and have to throw out days’ worth of work.

I make inspiration come by going for walks (which can be a real pain on nasty days in winter). However, inspiration will also come if I simply immerse myself in the story and then go about my normal day. If the story is on my mind, then anything I see or read may well form a connection that solves a plotting problem or provides a useful character trait.