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Identify Your Inspirations To Write Better

8/13/2014

8 Comments

 
Photo credit: Sarah Ann Loreth
Since finishing the first draft of my current WIP (cue shooting confetti into the air), I have not been writing for the last few days. It has been 1. A RELIEF and 2. A GIANT STRUGGLE.
The first one, because writing a book can be a lot of work. I did the math and calculated (extremely roughly, being that math is from the devil and I am terrible at it) that I probably spent about 360 hours writing my first draft. That's 9 full-time work weeks.

And the second one, because I REALLY love my WIP. Like...when I think about certain scenes, I just want to read them so badly and tweak them to make them better and just...find the meaning in it all; this pile of words I've written. But I've refrained, because that's what Stephen King and Ksenia Anske say to do, and they know MUCH better than I about how to be successful with this writing business.

So I got to thinking the last few days about how I could "prepare" myself for the second draft of my book. Reading a lot of inspiring material, certainly, but I want it to go further. I want to remember all of the inspiring material that's stuck in my brain over the years, movie scenes and songs and places I've visited that just...SPOKE TO ME.  I think that filling my mind with those memories, and pondering why they stuck, is going to prepare me for writing a second draft that's infused with the themes, scenes, and feelings that I MYSELF have been drawn to. And I think that to write the best book YOU can, this is something you should consider as well. So here are my inspirations, to explain what I mean:


MOVIE/BOOK:
Ella Enchanted/Ever After-
This Cinderella story has resonated with me since I was a child. In the book, Ella endures a terrible youth and yet prevails by being clever and independent.
In the movie, Drew Barrymore plays a strong female lead character who doesn't need a man's protection. In fact, during a scene with some barbaric gypsies, SHE saves THE PRINCE. Yet she is a lady; she is beautiful, and soft at times.

This sort of female character has always inspired me (and countless others)--a woman who can be both strong AND feminine. She is no Bella Swan, swooning over her protector.

My current MC is an interesting one, because in the beginning of the book I have her starting out WITH an intense need to be loved by a man (her arranged-marriage husband, who shuns her for reasons unknown). She is not strong; she is weak. She tries to use her sexuality to tempt him into loving her, resulting in further rejection and abusive behavior on his part.
But that is her story arc; over time she gets to a place of accepting herself, of not NEEDING a man to want her (doesn't nearly every girl go through that from age 14-23? I know I did).
I wanted her to become brave enough to stand up for what was right, because she'd had to learn self-reliance and self-acceptance in a cold, cruel world. Just like Ella in Ella Enchanted, and Drew Barrymore in Ever After. I feel that I am just portraying the transformation of my character from a victim to a triumphant person.

SONG:
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.
For some reason, this song has spoken to me since it came out. When I hear it, I think of one word: REBELLION.

I imagine a group of people--the underdogs--fighting against an unfair force. Whether it be a government, an abusive partner, an illness, whatever. This song makes me FEEL SOMETHING, and that something is that I am a bad-ass. It makes me want to write, and it makes me want to write scenes that are meaningful.
-When I wrote my two love interests meeting for the first time, during an attack on the government when my MC was put into extreme danger, I listened to this song.
-When my MC rebelled against the government and her cruel husband, I listened to this.
-When the climax of my book began, and the secret motives of my villain were revealed as a massive airship attack took place mid-air over a forest...I listened to this.
ANYTIME I really wanted to feel something, and get inspired, this song played. And I suggest you find one or a few that have the same effect on you. Listen to them on repeat.

PLACE:
When I was 20, I studied abroad in Europe. I traveled to numerous countries, but the one that stuck out the most to me was probably the town of Cobh, Ireland. It was misty, dark, rainy. I could see the ocean from my (haunted) hotel's window in the bathroom, and I remember staring...staring out of that square of glass into the town's bay, imagining that I'd see a ghost ship breaking through the fog and straight toward me, carrying evils unknown.

That foreboding sense, and the completely visceral feeling that a place like that gave off--full of sadness, mystery, and secrets...that was inspiring to me.

It is the setting of the Forbidden Lands in my WIP--a place of evils that hide in the darkness, broken spirits, lost souls. It is the place my MC must travel to, if she wishes to save her companion.

What movies, songs, and places inspire YOU? Do they find their way into your WIP's, in some way or another?
If you don't know the answer right away to such a question, I implore you to search. Search within yourself, and your memories. What comes to you first? What is seared into your brain as if with a hot brand, something that has dug its claws into your hypothalamus and refuses to let go?

THOSE are the things you should focus on while you write. I truly can't believe that anything written with that kind of feeling from within you will be less than something you love.
Until next time, keep writing and keep dreaming!


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8 Comments
Mariella Hunt link
8/13/2014 04:45:35 pm

I know the ocean was 75% of my inspiration for Dissonance, because it started out as a mermaid story (it's not anymore) and that kind of helped me build a really good foundation for the rest of the novel as it evolved.

Reply
Ashley R. Carlson link
8/14/2014 03:57:22 am

Hi Mariella!

Firstly, I am OBSESSED with mermaids. Obsessed. So I feel you on that one, though I'm curious as to why you got rid of that piece of the story?
The ocean is a gorgeous place, and I'm sure it's a source of inspiration for many people. It's funny; in my WIP I found myself writing the setting as a frozen tundra at Christmastime, and I think it was because I was subconsciously wishing to be somewhere like that (instead of here in Phoenix in the dead of summer). Do you live near the ocean?

Also, I saw your comment on my old Wordpress site. Thank you for reading my short story! You can find the PDF file in its entirety on the Portfolio tab of this website. I am also planning on self-pubbing it this weekend (and giving it away for free) to practice all of the facets of formatting, cover design, etc. before I do it for my novel. Take care and tell me what you think of the rest of the story!

Reply
Mariella Hunt link
8/16/2014 06:18:43 pm

I'm not exactly sure why the mermaids vanished--it kind of morphed into being more about Muses, with sirens as a very side element. Maybe one day I'll bring the mermaids back! The ocean is beautiful! <3 I visit Peru a lot so I have lived very near it for months in a row.

NO WAY. I need to find it. Thanks for the heads up!

Ashley R. Carlson link
8/18/2014 05:43:59 am

Hi Mariella,

Sorry I had steered you in the direction of my short story; I actually put it up on Amazon as an experiment in self-publishing this past weekend. But I am happy to send you the document to read for free, and would love to hear your thoughts or if you want to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Let me know!

Rebekah Martin link
8/13/2014 10:52:01 pm

I must visit Cobh now. That sounds gorgeous! I live in the Midwest, so the only time I get that sense of foreboding is when it's foggy out. A few years ago, the fog was so strong in Iowa, but as soon as I passed over the Missouri river into Omaha, NE, it was gone. It was so bizarre! So, I imagined that Council Bluffs was under some kind of mystery/headless horseman spell. I have to keep entertained on my way to work SOMEhow! :)

Reply
Ashley R. Carlson link
8/14/2014 04:01:39 am

Hi again, Rebekah!

Cobh (it's actually said as "Cove," no idea why it's spelled differently) WAS gorgeous. It was such a different environment from Arizona, and from Midwest it sounds like. What an interesting occurrence you experienced, with the fog suddenly disappearing like that! I totally would've imagined the same thing. :) Driving is the best time for imagining, I find....

Hope you're kitty is doing all right by the way, and the move has gone smoothly! Take care!

Reply
Justine Manzano link
8/15/2014 06:25:14 am

Congrats on finishing your first draft! Trust in the writing experts. The space from the project will help you with revisions more than anything else.

So, mostly I've come by to tell you that Radioactive by Imagine Dragons has the exact same effect on me. That song just inspires. My book/potential series has a soundtrack I've built, and there are certain artists (Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, The Script, One Republic, My Chemical Romance) that feature OFTEN. But Radioactive just makes the book come alive behind my eyes. Love it!

Happy writing!

Reply
Ashley R. Carlson link
8/18/2014 05:46:44 am

Hi Justine!

Thank you for your kind words. It was so amazing to FINISH a book...I still can't believe it. And yes, the space definitely helps, I noticed that when I put a short story up on Amazon this weekend, Cruel, and did the final read-through two months after I last read it. The space truly helped me to see the final things that needed fixing and, ultimately, to prove that it has potential! (at least, I think so). Feel free to ask for a copy of my PDF if interested, otherwise it is on Amazon. Also, so glad you love Radioactive. That song is amazing. I like your other band choices as well...music is such an inspiring factor! Take care!

Reply



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