Words for Wednesdays

Today's quote:

"If writers stopped writing about what happened to them, then there would be a lot of empty pages" Elaine Liner

It's true. Most of our writing is derived from our experiences in real life. I think if we didn't have experiences that we thought were worth writing about, our lives would be pretty dull. The sad thing is, not everyone wants to write about them.

Setting, characters, motivation... they can come from anywhere--places we've visited, people we've met, things we've done.

We all have a story to tell.

Sometimes though, I think it's about the story you want to create.

A lot of my writing comes from my imagination, with a tiny bit of my experiences thrown in here and there for good measure. Depending on the day, and my mood, there may be more or less.

But a lot of it comes from things I wonder about, things that take up room in my brain, and give life to my imagination. It's the stuff that keeps me up at night, thinking, "now, wouldn't that be cool".

I guess at the end of the day, you need to do what feels comfortable for you - there's no right or wrong way.

Do you write mostly from your own experiences, or do you write based upon something you've created in your head?

Words for Wednesdays

Alrighty, so I've settled on "Words for Wednesdays"... I'm sure there are other wacky titles I could use, and when I think of them, you can be sure it's going to change ;)

Today's quote:

"Writing is no trouble: you just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself - it is the occurring which is difficult" Stephen Leacock

I am always daydreaming.

I think at least fifteen times per day (sometimes more, sometimes less), I think to myself, "what if". It's usually based on something that transpires around me, or some random thought that meanders into my brain, but I'm constantly thinking, "hey, maybe that would be a great idea for a story".

The thing is - apart from that one liner, many of those ideas never come to fruition (that may actually be a good thing because otherwise I'd have a lot of half written stories lying around). If I remember however, I do jot them down, and hope that one day I'll return to them.

So while I don't exactly have trouble with ideas occurring or with jotting them down, sometimes, when I start panicking, or worrying, I do have trouble with expanding on them. One idea doesn't always lead to another, and some days or weeks, I can be stuck for hours, racking my brain, and wondering what the heck I was thinking. Sometimes what seems like a great idea at the time, is much more difficult to build upon from that one liner.

It's true though. Jotting down your great ideas is relatively simple. Keeping hold of the ever slippery muse? A whole other story ;)

What about you? Do you ever struggle with coming up with ideas? What part of writing is the easiest for you?

Thoughts for Thursdays... On Wednesdays!

Okay, I'm still wrestling with the Wednesday title for this feature, so until I figure, it will be the above :D

Today's quote:

"When I was a little boy, they called me a liar, but now that I am grown up, they call me a writer." Isaac Bashevis Singer

Well, in my case, it was when I was little girl, and it wasn't a so much a liar as it was, "well, she has a vivid imagination", and "I have no idea how she comes up with these things". ;)

I've always loved to spin stories, especially ghost/mystery stories, vampire stories, always involving teens or preteens, though these days the scary elements have disappeared. I used to love to scare my cousins at our sleepovers with grim, haunting stories that used to keep us up at night, shivering under the covers at 3 a.m., positive we were hearing someone slowly creaking up the stairs towards us, or seeing something peering in the window with glowing red eyes.

At the time, I didn't think of it as story telling, or even that I might want to be a writer someday (in fact, I was pretty sure I was going to be a lawyer). It was just natural to me. It was what I did, a part of who I was, and I thought everyone else did the same.

So when I was told that I had a vivid imagination, I wasn't sure if I was being insulted or not.

To this day, I guess I'm still telling myself these little made up tales, but it's good to know that the "vivid" imagination seems to be leading somewhere. "She's a writer" sounds much nicer than "she's a liar".

Now it's your turn. Were you the type to always tell yourself (and others) stories? Were you labelled as a "liar" (:D) or like me, told it was just an overactive imagination? Did you know you would one day be a writer?

Thoughts for Thursdays

Today's quote:

"Plot springs from character...I've always sort of believed that these people inside me--these characters--know who they are and what they're about and what happens, and they need me to help get it down on paper because they don't type." Anne Lamott

I know this is nothing new. Almost every single writer will tell you the same thing - at some point or another, the characters start to run the show. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish just who's telling the story and who's controlling what.

You find that you start off with one idea, only to find that you've written something completely different down on the paper, and pointless "arguments" with a certain rebellious teenage boy ensue.

My characters take me for a spin all the time. They are constantly changing things on me, doing things I didn't expect, which in turn, lead to new plots and storylines.

This is probably why for me, I can't really plot out the novel until I start writing and get to know my characters better and their motivation. Even after I do--they surprise me.

And it's true, sometimes don't you wonder if maybe that's what you're supposed to do? Tell their story for them? Otherwise, how would they get it out? ;)

Please share your thoughts on this. Have your characters started to reveal themselves to you as yet? How do they influence your plot?

Thoughts for Thursdays

Today's quote:

"Usually, when people get to the end of a chapter, they close the book and go to sleep. I deliberately write a book so when the reader gets to the end of the chapter, he or she must turn one more page. When people tell me I've kept them up all night, I feel like I've succeeded." Sidney Sheldon

I've heard many different perspectives on this. Some people enjoy reading a book that gives them time to catch their breath in between each chapter, while others enjoy the breakneck pace that leaves them breathless at each turn and dying to know what happens next.

I'm the type that loves moving at the breakneck pace, but I don't mind the breather now and again. When I'm forced to put down the book at a point when I need to know what happens next, it drives me crazy--this is when I appreciate a nice wrap up chapter.

With my own writing however, I try to do a bit of both.

What's your take on this? Do you love to read books where the end of each chapter forces you to turn to the next, or do you prefer some time to catch your breath? How about when it comes to your writing?

Thoughts for Thursdays

Today's quote:

"We don't write what we know. We write what we wonder about." Richard Peck

I know the old adage is to "write what you know", but when I stumbled across this quote, I realized how true it was (for me anyways - I know it depends on what you're writing).

A lot of us create our books based on "what if" scenarios, and while writing what we know lends the foundation, the real story emerges based on an idea in your head, a burning question to which you are dying to know the answer - what if this happened? How would it work? How would so and so resolve this problem?

Say for example...ummm.. I don't know...What if a girl finds herself falling in love with a vampire who cannot resist the smell of her blood ;) OR What if a young boy, on his 11th birthday, discovers he is a wizard?

Obviously these are not the only cases (Stephen King says the majority of his stories start with this same question), but I guess what I'm trying to say is if we, as writers, didn't wonder about things and try to write them down and find resolutions for them, there may quite a few less books in the world... and wouldn't that make for a dreary place.

Do you agree or disagree? What do you write about - what you know or what you wonder about? Perhaps a little bit of both?

Thoughts for Thursdays

Today's quote:

"I know I was writing stories when I was five. I don't know what I did before that. Just loafed I suppose" P.G. Wodehouse

The first story I can remember writing was when I was six. It was grade one, and we had to write a very short piece for our unique class project. We were hatching chickens. Yes. Real, live chickens. We had incubators set up in the classroom and each group of 5 or 6 had an egg assigned to them.

When he hatched, my story was about Clutzy, the little yellow baby chick with the blue dot on his head. We wrote the stories up, illustrated them, and they were taken to our school's "copy" room for printing and publishing. Really, the little leaflets just came back laminated and nicely binded, but hey, we were six--this was a very big deal, and it made us feel extremely important.

I think I still have it somewhere. If I can find it, I will scan and post it for you guys.

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to write? When did you write your first story and what was it about?

Thoughts for Thursdays

I'm really liking hearing your thoughts on the past couple of quotes I've put up, and since I have so many, I think I am going to make it a permanent Thursday feature :)

"Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness, but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day" - Ernest Hemingway

I don't know if I'm allowed to disagree with this, because well, it's Hemingway, but I am going to.  I think the art of writing itself can be construed as being lonely--because most people do write when they are alone for that's when the ideas flow.  Yes, you probably do produce your best work whilst alone, but it doesn't have to be lonesome though.  Not all the time.  

To me, it's also about achieving that balance, which allows you to manage both writing and other aspects of your life.  And I know it's hard, especially when you're juggling several hats, and trying to fit far too many hours into one day, but somehow, we manage.  We make it work.  

Please share your thoughts on this - do you agree or disagree, and which side of the spectrum are you on?  What advice do you have for those who are struggling?

That's Unreal... Or is it?

I came across a really great quote today and I wanted to share it with you guys.

"Imagination is the reality of the dreamer" - Scott Ringenbach

It's so true! As (fantasy) writers, we would be no where without our imaginations and whether we are born with it or develop it over time, by inherent nature, we are dreamers. I doubt you could truly embrace writing otherwise. We see the world a little differently, we hear voices when no one else can, we live for make believe.

That imaginary world inside of our heads is sometimes more real to us than the world outside.

I know that's the case for me. I'm not sure who I would be without my imagination. It's an integral part of my very being. Maybe that's why I'm so anxious to put it on paper, so other people can see the interesting, um... intricate workings of my mind :D.

Now it's your turn. Do you agree or disagree? Do you find that your imaginary world sometimes seems more real to you than your reality? Would you be lost without your imagination?