Category Archives: Inspiration

by | June 4, 2010 · 3:58 pm

Restless Writin’ Mama

Last night my fellow Restless Writers (both child-free) e-mailed me after work asking if I’d join them for an impromptu drink. I replied that I couldn’t because…how did I put it?…oh yes – my kids were being assholes.

This is where it should be noted that I love my children (honestly!) and normally adore being with them. My family has been the main catalyst that got me writing – I finally had the time (typing while nursing is an art), endless material and, most importantly, the confidence to try. (Because let me tell you, after pushing out a ten-pounder with only half the epidural kicking in, you can do a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g.)

It doesn’t diminish the fact that most parents feel that, from time to time, their precious darlings are acting a bit…well…ass’ish.

I won’t bore you with the details (grape popsicles on bedroom carpets and make-up in the toilet), but it really drove home a question that Beckie and Maria have brought up: How in the name of Huggies do mothers find the time to write?

I spent over a year writing my manuscript with a newborn and four-year-old, which sounds a bit insane. I’ve spent the three years since revising and querying my manuscript, which sounds a bit sad.

I’ve written late into the night and early in the morning (conclusion: no one can write coherently at 4:00 a.m., except maybe monks). I work from home and, with one kid at school and the other napping, I desperately try to cram a full work day into those two hours (all of this while – not to sound too Betty Draper about it – trying to cook and clean for my family). So people look at me and wonder, when do I have time to write for me and why – at this point in my life – do I even bother trying?

My world is currently filled with constant demands on my time. My attention. My effort. At this point, I can’t not write, because it’s my outlet. My indulgence. My sanity.

I look – as ever – to Judy Blume, who wrote her first book at the kitchen table while her kids were at school. I’ve also heard that Kelley Armstrong wrote Bitten during her lunch hour at work while pregnant with her second child. Even Stephen King had to retreat to the loo of his camper to find the solitude required to finish Carrie.

My point being, you find a way. You multi-task. You write because you, my fellow harried parent, are a writer.

Lori

p.s. Feel free to vent in the comments!

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by | May 31, 2010 · 9:03 pm

21 Tips for Writers (10 + 11 = 21)

A great post landed in my Twitter account today—a must share with fellow restless writers.

From tweet to post: 21 Tips for Writers by Australian writer, Jodi Cleghorn (inspired by: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne) is a terrific read, and even better chuckle.  Jodi believes that “writing is writing—whether you’re a song writer, a journalist, an academic, a poet, a film maker or a novelist – and there are commonalities to the creative process of writing and how to make it work for you.”

Check it out: 21 Tips for Writers

  • Defend your work and keep your creative dignity – learn to say no/no way/go f*ck yourself – because no one else will stand up for your work.
  • Don’t show your work to family and friends – you will erroneously become attached to what they think is brilliant – which in fact is likely to be absolute crap.
  • Back yourself – don’t ask for permission to do what you want to do.
  • Look after yourself – writing will ruin your health – so take care – consider writing standing up (apparently Hemingway did this) and making use of pen and paper rather than chaining yourself to a computer.
  • Persevere – your yell is someone else’s whisper and whispers are pervasive, it will get heard – work on several projects – this keeps you energised and working creatively even when one project isn’t firing.
  • Get to know your process – work out when and where you work best and do it your own way – try to write every day, even if just for a few minutes and carry a note-book with you so ideas don’t escape you.
  • Don’t hold back and don’t protect yourself – say things no one else has said before – turn off the inner critic/editor.
  • Cultivate a community of writers – writing can be a lonely enterprise, but it doesn’t need to be – other writers understand where you are, what you’re thinking and feeling.
  • Build an audience online – utilise a website or a blog to connect with readers – capture them through a mailing list – don’t be afraid to give away free stuff.
  • Go out and live your life – do not allow yourself to become stuck in a hole of your own creativity – especially when you’re creatively blocked – being in the real world is the best antidote.

Okay, seriously I can count. This is only 10. For the remaining 11 visit Write Anything. And while you’re there, check out their weekly #fictionfriday challenge.

How can you incorporate these tips into YOUR writing life? 

Beckie

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by | May 28, 2010 · 10:48 pm

This pretty much sums it up…

Writing is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.
Winston Churchill

Lori

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by | May 17, 2010 · 7:56 pm

Where does inspiration come from?

Call it passion. Call it purpose. Call it Starbucks.

For me, inspiration comes from the same place that dreams come from. It’s a place beyond understanding, knowing, and controlling. It intersects all aspects of life, particularly my writing world.

Inspiration arrives in dreams, in music, in conversations, and even in memories. Thoughts gather subconsciously until they manifest into words. I never can predict where my ideas will come from and how long they will stay with me. So, with that, I offer the following advice to writers.

10 Tips on embracing inspiration when it strikes:

  • Spend time with your species (artists are influenced by other artists).
  • Listen. Inspiration surrounds you. Eavesdrop on life (politely).
  • Appreciate everything—the beauty in all things, moments & experiences.
  • Be wild. Stop making sense and start making nonsense!
  • Do not try to force inspiration (forced inspiration is like caffeine—it pumps you up, then you crash).
  • Stop hiding (we writers like to hide). Interaction with other human beings is an important source of inspiration.
  • Be open to change. And never lose your sense of curiosity.
  • Follow your bliss. Do what you love in some form or another.
  • Feel your pain. Sing the blues.
  • Be yourself.

This post was inspired by a recent writing workshop that we, Restless Writers, attended as part of the Quick Brown Fox series. Workshops are simply one way to inspire and inject life in your writing project(s)—and sometimes, they can even put your manuscript into the hands of a willing agent!

We’re all seeking some form of inspiration in our lives—to feel alive, energized, engaged in meaningful creative activity. What inspires you and where does it come from? We’d love to hear from you.

Beckie

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by | April 22, 2010 · 9:24 am

10 Tips to be a green writer on Earth Day and every day!

Today is Earth Day and we all know how important it is to consider our environmental choices—not just today, but every day. There are many ways that we, as writers, can make a difference. When it comes to reducing our environmental footprint, small steps can have a lasting impact. Become a green writer today.

Here are 10 things you can do now:

  1. Stop using disposable pens. How about a vintage fountain pen?
  2. Not working? Turn off computer & printer. Better yet–unplug them.
  3. Open the drapes and make use of natural (free) light.
  4. Replace the light bulbs in your office with energy efficient bulbs.
  5. Print on scrap paper. Print on both sides of paper. Purchase paper made from recycled sources. And remember to recycle your ink cartridges.
  6. Do as much of your business, bills, & marketing online.
  7. Getting rid of old equipment? Donate to charity or take to an electronics recycling centre (cell phones included).
  8. Review your subscriptions and put an end to junk mail.
  9. Reduce, reuse, & recycle. Find ways to apply all three in your office area.
  10. Educate others on the importance of Earth friendly practices at work, home, and in our communities.

BONUS: How about embedding environmental messages and behaviors in your writing (I love to do this!) Give your characters an environmental conscience.   

Share your own great tips by replying to this post, and while you’re at it, tell us what you’re doing around your home or office to celebrate Earth Day.

Beckie

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by | April 21, 2010 · 12:44 pm

Coffee = fuel for restless writers

I wholly believe that writers are a restless bunch who need a change of scenery every so often to write at their best. Starbuck’s coffee shops and William’s cafes are filled with writers and poets who find inspiration among the aroma and vibe of the local java joint.

A few years ago, the Toronto Star asked some coffee-shop writers what they were working on. An article today follows up with those same writers to see how far they’ve come.

The next time you’re settled into a cosy chair in your favourite cafe, strike up a conversation with the scribbler beside you. You never know if that writer will be the next Giller Prize winner.

Maria

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by | March 25, 2010 · 10:34 pm

The top 10 reasons writers write

Why do writers write? Why do sculptors chisel stone? Why do fish swim?

I doubt that if you ask any dedicated writer, they’ll tell you they write “for the money!” Most of us realize that writing will most likely not make us rich (unless of course, your name is J.K. Rowling). But it WILL feed the “fire in the belly”—the passion that drives us.

In speaking to other writers and eavesdropping on a number of author posts, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 reasons writers write, check it out:

Why do writers write?

1. To live. Writing is a source of life—a basic need to express oneself. It is what keeps us up at night.

2. To feel connected. To feel grounded. To feel centred.

3. To inform, educate, and give an audience something to enjoy.

4. To understand and be understood. To learn, and to heal—for the pen is mightier than the sword.

5. To rid the brain of “voices” (we writers do have a certain someone whispering in our ears, a muse perhaps).

6. To leave a legacy and make a mark in the world.

7. To be able to tell everyone they’re a writer (because writer’s are cool)

8. To give birth to a cast of characters and travel to far away places.

9. For the fun of it.

10. To live forever. To achieve immortality through the written words left behind… a bit vampish, yes.

According to Doris Lessing, writing is a delicious compulsion–one that perhaps only fellow writers can truly understand. And so, the sun rises. The grass grows. The stars come out at night. Bats fly. And I write.

Fellow restless writers, why do YOU write?

Beckie

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by | March 23, 2010 · 8:38 pm

Tweet dreams and literary alchemy

I have a Twitter account. There, I said it.

This post is inspired by today’s Tweet from Paulo Coelho. Rumi: “What you seek is seeking you.” (o que você procura também está lhe procurando)

I have quickly learned that Twitter is simply another form of procrastination. A mild, yet amusing distraction to pretty much everything else. But what an enlightened day when I see a Tweet from novelist Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist, The Zahir, Veronika Decides to Die, The Winner Stands Alone).

Coelho is an inspiration. A true advocate of seeing the world through your own eyes and not others. I’m in a 3-year struggle (seeking publication) on my first novel, while Coelho writes a new book every two years, is translated into a ba-zillion languages and publishes short stories for Ode Magazine (with every issue devoting a page to him for his writing pleasure). His dream, shared by many—including myself, always was, and still is, to be a writer.

Change your day. Transform your outlook. Follow Paulo’s Tweets:

http://twitter.com/paulocoelho

Beckie

P.S.  And wish me luck as I continue to seek an agent for Billie Boots, Your Roots are Showing (Middle-Grade Fiction).

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by | October 22, 2009 · 12:28 pm

Writing and reading(s)

I loved reading this article in last Sunday’s Toronto Star about how writers write—or not. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the various procrastination tactics these successful and celebrated authors employ. Some might chide me for all the ways I avoid writing—this article makes me think I’m not such a slacker after all.  There’s a whole community of procrastinating authors out there!

The article is part of a series of pieces written to promote the International Festival of Authors, taking place at the Harbourfront Centre from October 21 to 31. Authors are also venturing out into suburbia and beyond for special events in Barrie, Burlington, Don Mills, Midland, Orillia, Parry Sound and Uxbridge.

Information about the event in Burlington in partnership with a different drummer books can be found here.

Maria

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by | October 18, 2009 · 12:27 am

The view over Lake Manitouwabing

My parents have a cottage outside McKellar on Lake Manitouwabing, just east of Parry Sound. Thanksgiving weekend seemed a great opportunity to test out the cottage’s capacity as a writing retreat.

There’s nothing that feels more Canadian than a trip to the cottage in the fall. My favourite activity is a morning walk along the gravel road under arching canopies of red and gold leaves. If you’re lucky, you can spot a deer by the hairpin turn at the causeway.

It’s a rustic spot with most of the mod cons but reminders that you’re just encroaching on the wilderness outside. There’s ceramic tile in the bathroom and HGTV by satellite, but you can’t drink water out of the tap and you can’t leave garbage out in the open for fear of bears.

My first thought was that there was no comfortable writing spot. No expansive pine desk positioned to get the best view of the lake, and definitely no ergonomic chair. Just the kitchen table or the patio furniture on the deck. If she’s not careful, a person can succumb to the nostalgic charms of the Moose FM or the stacks of old Harlequin novels moldering in the basement.

It was quiet, though. While my mom and dad were taking the old kitchen cabinets to the dump, I sat peacefully on the deck in the pale afternoon sun, listening to the loons.

The peace brought a gentle revelation. A sense of place—of being embraced by the permanence of the rocks of the Canadian Shield. A couple of crows flew against a rising breeze. A bank of evergreens swayed gently. The incessant lapping of waves against the tied-up dock gave my afternoon a rhythm. There was a thrum that couldn’t be attributed to traffic on the roads. Could it be a heartbeat?

Fall is a magical time in Ontario’s near north. It’s when the land shows its bones. Leaves are stripped bare. Summer’s haze dissipates and a sharpness outlines the land’s dips and hollows. A brief snow flurry reminds me that autumn is a transitional time here, the calm before the hard slog of winter.

I grabbed what I could of that restful afternoon. I thought about Jospeh Boyden, of Giles Blunt, of Andrew Pyper. I thought about Sloan and Big Sugar. I thought about how some of my favourite authors and songwriters seized the essence of this great land.

I picked up my pen and tried to capture my place in the world.

Maria

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