... on inspiration for writers

Okay, so my last post was a little crazy depressing. This one is going to be much more positive, because that post gave me some things to think about. I was bitching about my story, how hard it was and how much difficulty I was having, and I asked the question: do all writers/authors have these problems.

Well, these quotes make me think 'yes':

• "There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
• "The wastebasket is a writer's best friend." Isaac Bashevis Singer
• "Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." Gene Fowler
• "Every writer I know has trouble writing." Joseph Heller
• "Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged. We all have the conviction, perhaps illusory, that we have much more to say than appears on the paper. " Isaac Bashevis Singer
• "Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good." Author Unknown
• "A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." Thomas Mann, Essays of Three Decades, 1947

Then again, this one makes me doubt myself a little: "All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things." Bobby Knight

Of course, if you really really believe in writing, you'll probably disagree with ol' Bob there. And rightly so - we write because we must, not because we desire. But if you're in a slump, or have that damned pesky writer's block, it can be really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So as a fellow writer, I'd thought I share my tips for getting over writer's block.

1.  Vent - writing style. Do a blog post, send an email, write a diary, type up a document on the computer, anything. Just get it out there. No restraint, just pure emotions (and it'll probably be frustration and doubt, in my experience) - get rid of all the negativity.
2. Stop criticising your own work. Seriously, stop it. It's not as bad as you think, really, and I know you don't believe me. Especially if it's your first draft, don't you dare criticise it. We can talk about ways of approaching your writing later.
3. Think about your lifestyle. Have you been sick? Busy with work or family committments? Sometimes, we just cannot find or make the time, and that's okay. We have lives and demands that we must give into. Don't beat yourself up over that, just accept it. 
4. Tell a friend, particularly if they are an artist. Friends can really be a great source of help in times of dire frustration. You don't have to share your story, just vent to them about it. They might have some great advice that you wouldn't have considered.
5. That said, read your favourite book. What do you like about it? What skills does the author have that you covet? Of course, don't plagiarise, but look into what makes that book so special to you. 
6. Think about why you started writing in the first place. Did you need to get a story out of your brain? Needed to unload your feelings about life, the universe and everything? Wanted to make a point about something? See yourself in different shoes/light? Was it the characters - did you want to build someone up or tear them down? See what makes people tick? Think seriously about what you are putting into your writing. Maybe write it up on a sticky note and put it up somewhere you can see it, for example: "I write because [character] has a story to tell, and I'm the one who knows it" or even as simple as "I write because I can't stop writing".
7. Take a night (or a weekend, or a week) off. Have a bath, go to a museum, play in the park, rent movies. Whatever floats your boat, but don't read. That can make you feel worse sometimes, and you  need to clear your mind of writing. Just relax for a while.

Now, when it comes to your actual novel, things can be a little more straightforward (or difficult).

1. Work out what you don't like, if self-doubt/inferiority complexes are getting you down. Read over your work carefully, but as objectively as you can manage. For example, in my past, I've wanted to have better descriptions. Not more, or necessarily more detailed, but more poetic and interesting. Perhaps you'll need more conversation, or humour, or less waffling and more drive - whatever it is, once you've identified it, you can fix it. For my problem, I read poetry. Why not try renting some movies? Action movies for drive, comedy for humour (obviously) and... well, anything is good for more conversation and less waffling - see what the producers do in their limited time with the actors. See if that inspires you.
2. If it helps, print it out. You might want to wait until you've finished the first draft to do this. Things seem more tangible in print, and you can more clearly identify parts you like and dislike - I've even found a few spelling and grammatical work when I've done this. Use highlighters, pens and sticky notes, and if you annotate/change/cross out/add in, write a little note of why you did that - you might have print in double spaced lines. 
3. If you have a friend who is into your genre of writing (and even one that isn't, if you can rope them into it), ask them to read it. The best way I've found is by email - then they don't feel embarrassed to point our your 'bad' points. Only do this if you are comfortable with honest feedback and sharing your work - you may only want to send them a chapter or two. I've found that people other than myself can point out things in my writing I'd never have noticed. Also, remember that everyone has different opinions, so if they say that your favourite joke in the second page is really lame, ignore them. Someone else might love it.
4. Listen to music to inspire you. Try to set the mood - love songs for romance scenes, rock for fights scenes, etc. If you are really stuck, move away from your story and do the 5 Song Challenge: put your music library in whatever form on shuffle, and then write a story for the first five songs that come on. You are only allowed to write within the time of the song, and you aren't allowed to skip any songs! It's a challange, definitely, but it can be fun (even with friends!). 
5. Look at a picture to describe you. Photography can be excellent inspiration. Try to write a scene for the image, only 200-500 words long. Who is the speaker? What are they feeling, and why? How does the image speak to view, and how can you translate that emotion to your writing for your reader? Again, this can be fun in a group - you can compare each other's stuff.
6. Imagine yourself in your character's shoes for a scene. What do they see/hear/smell/taste/feel and think? Try to engage all five senses, and recreate your scene in as much detail as you can. Use music and images to help you if you need it, though this can be done while trying to get to sleep, in the shower, on your way to school/work or anywhere, really. It's also good to do this right before you start writing, to get into the scene. Instead of writing, just imagine, and that's it.
7. If you're old enough, have a glass of wine to relax before you start. It can help get you in the zone and lessen tension. Only if you're old enough, mind, and by that, I mean legally old enough (I don't want to get in trouble, after all).
8. Give yourself a ten minute break. Play solitaire or mah jongg (my favourites, you'll probably have your own) or check your emails or make a cup of tea. After ten minutes, try again.
9. Relish your victories. You rock for having writing 10,000 words, or 1000, or even 100 - hell, even 1. You rock for that. Celebrate your achievements, and let that push you forwards.

 Alright! So there are my tips. Ranting the other day really make me think about this a lot. I often go through these processes, not all of them, but I try to find ways around my writer's block than just crumbling into a dank despair. As a writer, I really can relate if you're suffering, but all artists do - it's natural, you'll be fine, just try not to worry. There will be days were everything flows like magic, I assure you.

As my final, parting thought, remember this truth by Toni Morrison:

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

This is Shi, telling you to go and write.