There are authors and writers who feel the need to wait for writing inspiration to come knocking at their door in order to produce creative work.
Unfortunately, you may have a very long wait.
Writers who write all the time know that as Jack London put it, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
Juggling multiple children’s ghostwriting clients all the time, I don’t have the luxury of waiting until some kind of inspiration takes hold of me to get the creative juices flowing. I have to create sound fiction stories that are engaging and publishable.
To get things done, I sit with my laptop and write.
To be creative, to be inspired, you need to get the words down. You need to WRITE.
You need to allow the process to unfold as you’re writing whether you’re an outliner or a pantser.
Another aspect of writing, if you’re not a skilled writer or don’t have the time, is to at least get your story ideas down.
Once you have your idea down, try to write an outline.
- Where do you want the story to go?
- How do you picture your characters, especially your main character?
- How do you want your story to end?
It doesn’t have to be elaborate or even ‘good’ writing. It’s about getting your ideas out there.
So, instead of waiting for inspiration, just WRITE!
And if you have an idea, an outline, or a simple draft and don’t know how or where to go from there, you can email me or give me a call. I can help. Find out more at: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi
Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and a working children’s ghostwriter/rewriter. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move as well as an author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.
You can follow Karen at:
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Check out her books' page: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/karens-books/
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7 comments:
Karen,
I love the Jack London quote. As writers we have to grab whatever time we can and write. For me it often happens in snatches and bits of time--something I've called writing in the cracks of life. I rarely get a long stint to be writing. It is consistency and persistence that pay off--for all of us. My gratitude for this terrific encouraging article.
Terry
author of 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed
Terry, I love that quote too, and I love what you call you're writing time: writing in the cracks of life. I'm sure a lot of writers can relate to that. I'm the opposite; I write or do writing related work most of the day, stopping to do the other necessities, like cooking, eating, cleaning ... You might say I live in the cracks of my writing life. LOL
I have a sugar bowl tip for you all. I may have talked about it on this very blog, but basically it's just never be without a pencil. Any scrap of paper will do--even the margins of today's newspaper. A Kleenex. When a poetic phrase or name for a character or full blown story idea occurs to you, you do what Karen and Terry and London do. WRITE. But it's easier to just jot a couple keywords. Put your scrap of paper anywhere. in a pocket, a purse, a glove compartment. One day it will turn up and if you still don't have enough time, pop it in a sugar bowl! One day that sugar bowl will come in handy!
Hugs to all writers.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Carolyn, this is such a great idea. Writing ideas can come anytime and anywhere - jotting them down and saving them can one day help get a story, article, poem, or other off the ground. Thanks for sharing!
Great post Karen! We can't wait for inspiration but we can write...it's amazing how just writing a list can trigger inspiration. So, whatever our club is, let's go after it!
Ha, that's right Deborah. We may not have the same club, but we've got to use whatever it is.
I, too, feel inspired by your post, Karen. I love the cracks you and Terry fit your writing life and personal life in. My writing life is a juggling act. And I, too, keep lists--prioritized, mind you. Whatever works to find the "seat time" we writers need. Carolyn, I love your sugar bowl idea. I have an "idea" file that contains scraps of paper, newspaper articles, etc., and also hang my "best" ideas on my bulletin board for me to glance at and think about. Thanks for a great post!
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