Struggling with Writer's Block

The most common question I receive once people learn that I write is, “Where do you get you inspiration?”  At first I assumed such remarks were only polite attempts at showing interest, but I have since found that most of these people have their own works in progress and struggle with the dreaded writer's block, just like me.  While I do not consider myself a writing expert—I took a long hiatus from writing to go to graduate school and, as such, my only published works of note can be found in scientific journals—I have since decided to write down my favorite ways of finding inspiration and hope that someone might find it helpful.

Many of my ideas come from snippets of stories that I have read or seen on TV or in theater.  If I feel stuck when writing, I often read books from my particular genre or those that have something to do with a particular scene from my work.  When I read, I pay particular attention to the way the characters interact.  I take note of the things that work in the writing, but mostly I focus on things that I feel could have been better.  For me, one of the most natural creative writing exercises is imagining where the story could have gone instead.  This not only keeps my mind used to working creatively but has often given me ideas for directions my own plots can take.  Reading nonfiction books on a matter or era related to the subject of my story can also provide inspiration.

I also listen to ample amounts of music.  I don’t just mean listen in the car or while working, but actually taking the time to stop and immerse myself in the piece.  I pay attention to the rise and fall, the rhythm, how the instruments work together, and really listen to the lyrics—if there are any.  In this way, the music has a story of its own.  I often find a particular piece that I feel represents each of my characters and can go back to these pieces whenever I feel the story has gone astray.

For me, travel and exploration are important aspects of the creative process.  I do not mean that one has to travel the globe to be creative.  Exploration might simply mean going somewhere new in my town or area.  Moving outside my comfort zone and meeting new people forces me to really look at my surroundings instead of looking past them.  Actually setting foot in a potential setting for a story also gives me insights into how the characters might move within it, the things that they might use from it, etc.

So, if you find yourself staring at the screen/page unable to move on, get out of the house, talk a walk, see a movie, or listen to music.  It’s ok to take a break when you’re stuck; just don’t forget to get back into the chair tomorrow.

The Not so Final Draft

A few years ago, just before the birth of my son, I thought I had completed my first novel.  I sent out a few feelers to publishers, but I must confess I quickly became occupied by other things.  As my son got a bit older and more comfortable spending time doing his own thing, I decided to get serious about getting my novel published.  After taking a publishing course, I chose to look for an agent, which, of course, meant I needed to write a query letter.  Great, except I had not even touched the novel for three years.

That is how I found myself re-reading my novel, and, with my fresh set of eyes, finding it lacking.  Yes, I used too many adverbs and passive verbs.  Most grievous of all, however, I shortchanged two of my characters, turning them into nothing more than support staff at best.  My warrior seemed more a guard dog than a true agent of change.  My underdog and outsider never moved beyond these characteristics, following everyone around in a bewildered state up until the very end.  As I read the novel again, they seemed to demand that I rewrite them, to put them back the way I had originally imagined them.

I have no choice but to rewrite them.  It’s only fair they have their share of the spotlight, especially since one of them has to make the ultimate sacrifice.  I’ve spent the last few weeks completely rewriting three chapters and reworking four subsequent chapters to fit the changes.  I still have three chapters to check, probably totaling a month and a half or rewrites on a supposedly finished novel.

I’m actually a bit embarrassed I sent the novel out to any publishers in this condition.  In the future, I will put my work away for a while, maybe work on something else in the mean time.  When I pick it up again, I can read the book as a first time reader and, hopefully, pick up on this type of problem and save myself the shame.

Book Review: 'Inamorata' by Megan Chance

When I first picked up Megan Chance’s Inamorata I was struck by how few reviewers placed it into a genre and how few details they provided of the plot.  Now that I have read it, I think those reviewers feared doing the novel a disservice by pinning it down.  Its prose reads as a literary work.  Much of it feels like historical fiction, immediately drawing the reader in to late 19th century Venice.  Each character is unique and fully developed.  The setting is a time and place from the real world, but elements of fantasy and horror fit seamlessly inside it.  In that way, it reminds me of Anne Rice’s early vampire novels.

Sophie and her talented twin brother, Joseph, move to Venice to escape scandal in their native New York.  Hoping to attract a patron for Joseph’s paintings, they quickly acquaint themselves with high society Venice.  Joseph’s art intrigues several important persons, but none so dangerous, or tempting, as Odilé Leon.  This courtesan holds a terrible secret, and, while she can absolutely give the fame she promises, it will come at a terrible price.  For a demon lives beneath Ms Leon’s skin, and it feeds off creative energies. Though her victims create the best work of their lives under her instruction, the demon ensures it will be their last.  The twins, however, hide secrets of their own, and if Nicholas Dane, a man who has had his own near miss with Odilé, can convince them of their danger, there may yet be a way to end the demon’s cycle.

Inamorata on Amazon

My family and I recently spent a few weeks in Devon, and, as is often the case, I could not ignore just how different our lives have become since our son William’s arrival three and a half years ago.  Vacations, for me, used to involve attempting to cram in a visit to as many historic, scenic, or adventurous places possible.  Perhaps because parenting a preschooler comes with its own special—or should that read terrifying—brand of excitement, I have more recently adopted a more relaxed attitude.  Because there is no way to predict what might excite or bore. Before this trip, I never would have picked a trip to a model train museum, but I found myself there, staring in astonishment as he gawked for hours at all the delicate parts.  Without ever attempting to dismantle them.  Nor would I have dreamed of taking my active child to afternoon tea, but somehow that is exactly where we ended up, me wondering all the while who that little person sitting next to me was with the impeccable manners as he sampled little tea cakes and scones. 

Watching him discover the world is a form of excitement all its own.  Sometimes not in a good way.  His love of climbing has always made me nervous, but his adventures reached a whole new level on Haytor Rock.  It took me three times as long as he and my husband, Howard, to shakily drag myself up the exposed, steep hill, yet when I arrived, it was to the scene of Howard literally trying to talk Will down off a cliff.  To get him down, I had to promise to take him to the rock gym when we got home so he could learn to climb safely.  So, Gainesville peeps, you may be seeing a particularly adventurous small boy accompanied by a white-faced mom at Gainesville Rock Gym, because, unfortunately for me, the only requirement is that your child must weigh at least 30 pounds.