inspiration -

04Nov 2014 by Dianna L. Gunn

A Tip, A Trick, and Some Inspiration

Uncategorized

Nanowrimo is finally fully underway and with any luck you took advantage of this past weekend to pound out an incredible word count. No matter how your month has started out, you can turn it around, especially if you follow this advice, offered by a combination of famous authors and less famous Nanowrimo veterans. If you don't see someone else credited, the advice comes from my own 10 years of experience participating in Nanowrimo. A Tip Don't worry if you miss a day or two this first week. Instead, clear some time in your schedule this weekend to play catch up if necessary--or get ahead if possible. A Trick If you think you need to read what you've already written to get back into the groove, make sure you start…

16Oct 2013 by Bethlyn Bechtel

Words of wisdom from Nanowrimo veteran Bethlyn Bechtel

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing

Hi! My name is Bethlyn and this will be my second year participating in NaNoWriMo. My friend has asked me to “impart wisdom” upon her readers by sharing my tips, experiences, encouragement and anything else I can think of. This task has proven more difficult then I imagined and I have been sitting here, thinking, trying to come up with a good message for days. I haven’t done much Nanoing before, and although I did win my first attempt, I failed miserably at Camp Nano. What ideas could I share to encourage any newbies? My first thought was to share with you how I plan out my story ideas. I have a strange way of corralling those plot bunnies, however. I call it “dream writing.” When I have an idea…

05Aug 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Writing through Depression

Inspirational, Mental Health, Writing

For the last two weeks I've been struggling through a bout of depression, and it's no secret that this is a common affliction for writers. Many of the most famous writers have struggled with and written about depression, and some of the most famous, such as Hemingway, have killed themselves. Others use writing as an escape, and it saves them from their depression--this seems to be the category most of the writers I've met fall into. No matter which camp you fall into, it can be difficult to write when you're depressed. Some days it's difficult to do anything, but you have to push through it. Nine times out of ten, pushing through and writing will make you feel better. Over the years I've suffered several bouts of depression, and…

09Nov 2012 by diannagunn

Peppy McTalk

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Writing

Today's guest poster is Dylan Madeley, a freelance writer, editing professional and several time Nanowrimo winner. I hope his words will inspire you to greatness! * * * * Hello, NaNoer. It's been a week and two days since we started this thing, you and me. Chances are, your novel is comparable to mine and many of the others: it's a caterpillar. How you view this caterpillar means a fair deal. You might perceive a big ugly worm-like thing in front of you every time that you open the notepad or file. You might feel frustrated that there isn't a wonderful, colourful creature instead. Or you might be more protective. You might say: "This is not just any caterpillar, but my caterpillar, who is cute and fuzzy and look I…

30Jul 2012 by diannagunn

Finding Inspiration in Weird Places

Inspirational, Writing

Sometimes we all feel uninspired. We drag our feet to the computer, open up our latest project, and stare at the blank screen. After a while we get bored of staring at the blank screen and start checking our email and reading our RSS feed, and before we know it it's midnight and we haven't written a single thing. Situations like this can go on for days, weeks, even months if we're not careful. To break out of this endless cycle of non-productivity, often all we need to do is shake up our routine. Writing is an art, and art is best inspired by living differently. Allowing yourself to get stuck in a rut financially, emotionally or socially often stifles your writing life. The next time you get stuck, try…

19Sep 2011 by diannagunn

It’s Tough to be a Writer

Journalling, Prompts, Short Fiction, Workshops, Writing

Writing isn't easy. Or perhaps I should say that writing well isn't easy, even for those of us who have an instinctive grasp of grammar and spelling. Fiction is particularly difficult, because you're creating new people and giving them new experiences. A good story is something like a tapestry--made up of many different elements and woven for hours upon hours upon hours. In order to write an amazing book, you need to have a strong setting, strong characters, and a good, non-stereotypical plot. And you're going to have to rewrite, because you'll probably realize that your characters aren't as tough as you thought they were, and your plot's got holes in it bigger than your windows. And after that, you're going to have to rewrite again, because on the first…

12Aug 2011 by diannagunn

I Believe in Stories

Inspirational, Reading Related, Writing

I believe in the value of all stories. As writers, I think we should study all kinds of stories, and all forms of expression. We should study all genres, but beyond that, we should study plays, movies, and musicals. Even some well thought-out video games can be well worth studying. I don't think a well-written story can ever be a waste of time. A writer should always be open to new ideas and knowledge from the world around them, and almost anything can be studying for a writer. We can watch a movie and pay attention to how they develop characters, study the dialogue. We can go see a musical to see how they tell a story with music. We can play a video game and revel in the beautiful--or…

25May 2011 by diannagunn

Pulling Yourself out of a Writing Slump

Inspirational, Novels, Short Fiction, Writing, Writing: The Process

You're staring at a blank page, obsessing. You're a writer, but today, the computer screen is staring at you, blank and taunting. Today the words aren't flowing. And it's okay, because we've all been there. Writing is hard work, and some days are harder than others. The important thing is that when you're down, when writing is hardest, you try to make it easier, you try to still get done what you need to get done. Today I've created a short list of things you can do to pull yourself out of a creative slump. They aren't necessarily the first things you'd think of-writing exercises and prompts-though those can be helpful too. These suggestions are about truly getting in touch with your inner self, the deep part of you that…

18May 2011 by diannagunn

A Writer’s Dream

Inspirational, Writing

Every person wants different things; every person's definition of success is different. There are individual successes, like when you ace a test in school, and there are overall successes, like when you get your high school diploma. As writers, we share many of the same individual successes-finishing a book, finishing an edit, submitting your book, getting published. These successes are shared by writers of all genres. Overall success, however, changes from writer to writer. Individual successes in the fiction writing business are universal: the first finished book, the first successful rewrite, the first agent, the first contract, the first book sale. The first royalty check. Success in writing cannot be determined by the amount of money you make, or you're sure to get discouraged-it takes time for even the best…