Tag: fresh ideas

Categories
Romancing Your Story

When Romance Writers Read and Create

In my opinion, anyone who says they don’t have time to read might as well say they don’t have time to breathe. Reading is as necessary to my well-being as food, water, and sleep are. It can be argued that writers must be readers. Most romance writers are also romance readers.

I also think it’s necessary to read outside of the genre you write in. I’m not saying that if you write sweet or Christian or inspirational romance, that you should read erotica or gay romance. But I am saying that if you write historical romance, maybe pick up a romantic suspense. If you write Amish, try a romantic comedy. You’ll be surprised at how the conventions of the other genre will inspire and inform your own writing.

For instance, I was working on a sweet, contemporary romance but was stuck on a plot point. I was using the secret baby trope, which I know lots of readers hate, so I needed a really, really compelling reason for the heroine to keep this pregnancy and baby from the father.

I story mapped. I brainstormed with my critique group. I tried free associating ideas. Finally, I gave up. I told my subconscious to work on it and I picked up a thriller to read. A couple of hours later, I put the book down and I knew exactly why the heroine didn’t tell the father. She couldn’t tell him. Telling him would ruin his life, and she would never do that. Something in the thriller—a turning point in the story—jogged my subconscious which had been laboring feverishly while my conscious mind had been otherwise occupied. Steven King calls this the “boys in the basement,” at work. My girls in the basement, once I set them loose on the problem, came up with the solution while I read about spies running around Rome, trying to stop a terrorist plot to kill the Pope.

Reading in another genre also helps keep you open to new ways to twist a phrase or expression. Some genres have specific vocabularies and reading unfamiliar idioms will help your brain follow new pathways and make new connections. That all helps keep your writing fresh and unexpected.

If you normally read hard copy books, try an ebook, or an audio book. Something about shaking up your normal routine also shakes up your creativity. Speaking of creativity, let’s touch on the importance of filling up that creative well. Reading outside your usual genre is part of that. But also take time for other creative endeavors. Get outside into nature. Visit museums and art galleries. Even if you live in a rural area, far from a museum, many offer virtual tours online. With the Internet at our fingertips, we can learn Scottish history as easily as we can examine the Sistine Chapel up close and personal.

If there’s a popular romance author that you’ve never gotten around to reading (because, let’s face it: so many books, so little time), seek out a title by that writer and move it to the top of your To-Be-Read stack.

Be purposeful in your reading, yes. But also read for the sheer pleasure of it. Read because you must. Read because without stories, your brain would shrivel up and crumble to dust. Read to make your own stories stronger and better.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Twitter: CarriePadgett

Instagram: carpadwriter

Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett

Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Inspiration From the Renaissance

Most authors will hit a dry spell at some point in their career. Whether they consider it “writers block” or just a season of life, inspiration runs short. Finding ways to get those creative juices flowing once more is a must for any writer.

Inspiration can come from anywhere around us. A recent trip to my local Renaissance Faire reminded me that we, as writers, sometimes need to look beyond the norm to find that extra boost of creativity. Here are a few ideas gleaned from my trip to the past.

Writing inspiration from a Renaissance Faire

Eat a turkey leg. For some, a faire of this magnitude is a great opportunity to dress up in costumes, fake an accent, eat unfamiliar foods, and embark in the make-believe. This same concept can be applied when searching for that extra spark needed to get into a character’s head or discover the perfect setting for your book. Having trouble finding what motivates your character that loves archery? Then sign up for archery lessons! Not sure exactly how to describe that ethnic food your character eats in chapter ten? Visit a restaurant to get the full experience. It’s easy to read what an activity or place is like from another person’s point of view on their personal blog, but you might find a different experience when you try it out for yourself.

Get immersed in a Shakespeare production. Ever notice you have lots of sci-fi ideas right after watching a movie or reading a book within that genre? Have you ever read multiple books in a row, with very similar premises, only to suddenly have the desire to write a companion novel within that same world? We often get inspired by the things with which we surround ourselves. If you’re writing a fantasy western novel, then watch as many movies and read as many books within that genre as you can. Your inspiration will get a boost and you’ll be ready to get writing in no time!

Buy a souvenir. Sometimes, using an item that reflects the atmosphere within my story, helps direct my thoughts where they should be. If writing a historical fantasy, try using a calligraphy pen to capture your thoughts. If it’s a futuristic space opera that holds your interest, invest in glow-in-the-dark decals of the stars, or photographs of space to decorate your writing desk. Anything physical you can use to bring back a spark of inspiration to your story can help.

God created us to be creative beings. There may be times when our inspiration seems lacking or even non-existent, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost our creativity. Find ways to jump-start the flow of those creative juices and get back to the heart of your story. Sometimes finding the right catalyst for your imagination means thinking outside the box.

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mama to three daughters and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter @lauralzimm and at her website Caffeinated Fiction.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Brainstormed

It has been nearly Twenty-two years since I became disabled with a traumatic brain injury. Even so, I am still learning how my brain injury affects my body.

The disappointment and frustration are as fresh today as they were during my rehabilitation where I had to relearn everything from smiling, talking, to buttoning and unbuttoning shirts and even tying my shoes.

Anything that requires fine-tuned motor skills had become a struggle for me. Fine motor skills involve smaller movements performed by the wrists, hands, fingers, feet and toes. They involve smaller actions such as picking up objects between the thumb and finger, writing carefully, and even blinking. These motor skills work together to provide coordination.

It took over a decade for me to learn how my brain injury affected my eyesight, that’s when I learned I was statutorily (legally) blind. You don’t have to be a doctor or biology major to know that the brain controls the functions of every part of the human body.

But, the most surprising thing about a T.B.I. is how it affects my memory. My long-term memory is intact, but my short-term memory is shot. I can remember things as far back to when I was three years old and my family lived in Italy like it was yesterday. But, read a list of things to me, give me directions or play-by-play instructions and I’ll forget most of the information before you finish.

Not only do I have a hard time remembering detailed lists, I can have a hard time focusing on the order. It’s as if I’m stuck out in the middle of the ocean on a boat during a hurricane, the ideas and concepts keep flying by with the storm.

Brainstorm!

Brainstorming is defined as solving a problem or creating new ideas by having a discussion with others, or problem solving by exploring various ideas. For most creatives it is the first step in the process of creating.

It can breathe life into our creation or be the final nail in its coffin. Perhaps you’re like me, over the years I’ve learned creative outbursts and inspiration often occur at the most inopportune times: while driving and listening to the radio, during a pleasant spring or fall walk while leaf watching, during a last-minute fast food run.

And I hope I’m not the only one who has almost broken their neck trying to get out of the shower to jot down droplets of tranquil inspiration only found in an evening shower. It’s why I have a dictation app on my phone, often stopping on the side of the road to record memos and thoughts during a long bike ride.

When I get home I sit down and brainstorm the thoughts I recorded. For me brainstorming helps me to focus my thoughts.

There are different approaches to brainstorming for different purposes.

  • Speedstorming: is great for small groups, each person has five minutes to produce three ideas and write them down on a piece of paper. Then pass the paper to the person on the right, he has five minutes to build on those ideas. The process continues for 30 minutes or until each person has contributed to each paper.
  • Brain writing: this approach is similar, except each member develops as many ideas as possible before passing to the next person.
  • Reverse brainstorming: this approach requires generating ideas that would hinder the goal achievement. Then reversing the ideas to identify and solve the problem.
  • Content brainstorming key: utilizes a visual to illustrate how one thinks. A spreadsheet is used to determine: topic, audience and content structure. Participants write down as many ideas as possible to give a clear direction of the content.
  • Team brainstorming: participants are broken into small groups where limited time to generate as many ideas possible and jot them down on paper or poster board. When time is up, each team presents their ideas to the larger group.
  • Focus brainstorming: a no-brainer way to generate ideas for specific demographics. It utilizes each demographic within a company by separating them into groups to develop ideas specific to that demographic.

Focus!

The heart of brainstorming is the generating ideas to focus our audience, readers or target market onto a specific theme or idea we are trying to convey. It works like a laser by taking many ideas and focusing them all one specific point of relevance.

A writer’s primary objective is to be informative or entertaining, not wordiness. Years ago I heard author Jerry Jenkins say it this way:

“Learn how to say more by writing less.”

We all have ideas, everyone has a story. But, not everyone has the power to harness the power of the written word.

  1. Learn the process.
  2. Be coachable.
  3. Be humble.
  4. don’t get brainstormed!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Child's Craft

Keeping it Fresh

I recently read these words written by an editor:

“Also, do not be contended with the cut and dried problems which writers have tried to solve since time began. Break fresh ground. Strike new chords. You need not create a problem new to life, that in fact, would be impossible, but treat a situation which has not formed the foundation for many stories. Remember, the story must not center entirely about the characters and their words and emotions. There must also be action, complication and some unusual happening. Make the editor take notice because you have given him something he did not expect, something fresh, stimulating, unusual…” Q.S Kimball, The Editor, Oct 10, 1914.

Did you catch the date that notation was written? 1914! This was written to my great grandmother in response to a manuscript she had submitted in a 12-lesson writing course. I discovered it recently while digging through a box I saved from my mother’s basement. That paragraph blew me away. Can you believe that editors were looking for fresh ideas back in 1914! I thought all stories were fresh back then!

Aren’t editors still saying the same thing today? How can we possibly submit fresh stories that haven’t been written yet? How many books have been published since 1914? How can they all be fresh, new, different, never done before?

I wonder if God says the same thing when He creates a new human being? “How can I possibly create someone new with all the gazillions of people I’ve already created?” But, yet, He does. He gives each of us a new way of looking at life, different points of view, varying passions and longings, a variety of talents and skill sets. He created us with diversified interests and things that make us laugh, that captivate us or bore us. And aren’t you glad for that? We could probably all view the same sunset but yet, see it differently.

I remember in art class in middle school, we learned to paint a still life picture. The teacher positioned an array of objects together and left them in the same position for that entire lesson. We each painted the exact same still life collection but every picture turned out completely different. We all saw it from a different point of view and position in the room. Some were drawn more to certain items than others and emphasized those, whereas others cast the same items in a totally different light.

Your view of the world is going to be different from another person’s. Your gift in writing is going to be different from another person’s. It is our job as writers to present our view, show a different glimpse into a situation, point out the humor, the nuances, the cleverness in circumstances. Isn’t that why we read and why children read– to be drawn into another’s world?

Why are you writing what you are writing? How is it different from what’s already out there? How can you make it stronger, more enchanting, quirkier? Learn what is already published by spending time in bookstores. Does there need to be another book out there like one that’s already there? Why? What enlightenment can yours bring to readers?

This is part of the fun of writing, making it your own. It is still our job, as writers, to create new slants to old situations, pepper stories with fresh ideas, and delight readers with the unexpected! After all, editors have been looking for fresh ideas since time began, or at least, since 1914! Let’s give the world something fresh, stimulating, unusual.