WOW Weds: Finding Your Inspiration

by Martina Boone

Since we are all so busy this time of year, it’s harder to find time to write. But beating yourself up over it is pointless. If you find yourself doing a thousand-and-one things away from your computer and your story, you can use the time to revise or work on your plot. You can also use the time to brainstorm new ideas so you’ll be ready to turn 2011 into a banner year filled with creativity and productivity.

Need a little help getting started? Here are some of the best articles that appeared in the blogosphere lately on ideas, creativity, and working out those writing muscles even when you can’t get to the keyboard.

7 Steps to Creativity – How to Have Ideas [Write to Done] Simon Townley provides a formula for finding and tuning ideas into marketable concepts.
How to Find Plot Ideas [Jody Hedlund] Jody talks about getting her ideas for writing and invites discussion about how other authors get inspired.
How to Call Your Muse When You Need Her [The Creative Penn] Guest post from Jim Wawro with four sure-fire steps to creativity.
How Travel Renews Your Writing Life [There Are No Rules] Jane Friedman encourages us to hit the reset button by traveling and getting inspired.
How to Become a Better Writer: 11 Completely Non-Writing-Related Ideas [CBA Ramblings] Things you should do as a writer that have nothing to do with actually writing.
A Little Thing Called Catastrophizing [Between Fact and Fiction] Just keep going.
How to write all the time – Part 2 [James Killick] How to write in your sleep — or virtually anywhere.
A writers journey [Genreality] Finding the right story and idea is slower than pouring words on a page.
The Familiar -v- The Forest Of New Ideas [Isabella Morgan] Which kind of book idea do YOU have? Scary and alive with possibility? Or controlled and familiar?
10 Things To Do To Become a Better Writer in 10 Days [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Victoria makes some unexpected suggestions.
Writing: Stoke Your Creativity [Author Marketing Experts] Sparking your imagination and capturing the results.
Eliminate Distractions & Write Constant Quality Content with Ommwriter [Blogussion] Great tips on white noise, inspiration, and more…
Revision Inspiration [Stephanie Blake] What I like in a good author isn’t what he says, but what he whispers-Loga Smith
The Writer’s Toolbox: Walking [Writer Unboxed] Get out there and experience life once in a while.
Unleash Your Creative Genius! [QueryTracker.net] ‘While you sleep, the power of your creativity has free reig over your brain.’
15 Degrees of Inspiration [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] How different influences come together to make a story.
Picking up the Pace, Or Not [Words and Such] Activate your writing by kicking yourself into gear.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Elen Caldecott [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] Writers have been recycling since long before it was fashionable.
Building sand castles [Buffy’s write zone] Love this metaphor.
Jennifer Belle: “Write What You Want to Write” [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Start in the middle of your novel to sink into the characters faster.
WRITER WEDNESDAY: Avoiding pitfalls [Oasis for YA] Unplug to reconnect with your story.
10 Ways to Finish that Danged First Draft [It’s a Mystery] Good tips. And ultimately, just keep going.
5 Things Television Teaches Writers [Guide to Literary Agents] Our favorite: A Break From Writing Is Not a Waste Of Time.
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Victoria Ceretto-Slotto [Guide to Literary Agents] Wonderful tips on getting organized, maintaining professionalism, and writing.
Project to Published: Helpful Tips about Getting Past Writers Block [Emma Michaels] Practical tips for re-awakening the writer in you.
Working in Small Steps But Seeing the Big Picture [Author, Jody Hedlund] Writing lessons from Legos.
The Pernicious Momentum of First Ideas [Nathan Bransford – Literary Agent] First ideas are dangerous.
Writing About People We Know [Mystery Writing is Murder] Should you base characters on yourself, or someone you know?
The Accidental Author: Lessons Learned From Writing A Children’s Book [The Creative Penn] Ask what a child would think of your concept.
Tip Thursday (A day early)– Children’s Writing [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] 17 tips to take you from idea to sub.
Winning The Staring Contest [Lisa Cooper Writes] Excellent post about the blank page & urge to revise.
The Beauty of a Bad Idea [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Analyzing ideas that won’t work will help you find the ones that will.
The 4 Golden Rules of Being a Writer [Guide to Literary Agents] ‘Pitch your book before you write it.’
The Yin-yang of Writing [James Killick’s Blog] ‘The imagination can thrive in a cramped space.’
Why I Wrote POSSESSION [Elana Johnson, Author] A great example of inspriration from High Concept.
A Word to Children’s Writers: Spend Time at Schools [Guide to Literary Agents] Watch children ‘in the wild.’
The Worst Mistake a Writer Can Make | Men with Pens [menwithpens.ca] Posture, habits, movement & creativity. Oh, my.
Footnotes: 5 Articles on Perseverance [Guide to Literary Agents] Several meaningful sources of inspiration.
Co-authoring: Getting Started [The Daily Harrell] Thinking about a collaboration? Read this.
Finding Time to Write [The Katacomb] It’s more a question of how we choose to spend the time we have.
Tip o’ the Day: Part 1 of 4 [Pimp My Novel] Or 6 tips to help you get writing.
Runaway Trains Part I [Paperback Writer] FABULOUS post about book ideas.
Tapping Unconscious Creativity—by K.M. Weiland [Mystery Writing is Murder] How to harness your unconscious mind.
Practical Magic for Writers [Writer Unboxed] Craft is necessary, but so is magic.
Feeling Sad Makes Us More Creative | Wired Science | Wired.com [www.wired.com] Fascinating!
Too Airy-Fairy??? [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Write through the fear. Marvel at the words appearing on the page.
Why Are You Writing This Story? [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Know what excites you before you put time into your project.
Torn [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] The tug-of-war between writing what you want, and writing what sells.
Why Authors Must Be Honest [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Writing through the difficult topics.
Pleasing Ourselves or Pleasing the Reader? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Balancing your creative desires with the demands of your audience.
What?! A Real Post About Writing?! [Carol’s Prints] ‘You have to write the story you love.’
Don’t Write Everyday [Elana Johnson, Author] Living is important, too.
Writers Need This Quality To Reach Publication [Author, Jody Hedlund] Perseverance and it’s main ingredients.
Finding Courage to Write – 6 Ways to Cope With Writing Fears [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Because writing requires bravery.
Feeding Your Spirit to feed Your Writing [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Focus on the positive to keep your inspiration and enthusiasm going.
Tip Thursday: Inspiration Amnesia [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] How to capture those great ideas.

What do you do when you need an idea? How do you start?

Happy writing,

Martina

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Dec 8, 2010

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: WOW Wednesday

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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