|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:33 pm
Hi, everyone!
I was recently asked by someone how I come up with ideas for my stories. I explained to her that I am inspired by day-to-day activities or events or when I come in contact with a song, television show, movie, book, or other media that pushes me to ask myself, "What if?" What if he had said this instead? What if it had begun this way? What if the genders were swapped, the personalities different, the era altered? Like wildfire, my ideas flare in a sequence. When I answer one "What if?", I am confronted with another. Soon, I have a plot on my hands. Fortunately, I am easily inspired as I write. Just a scene or one line flows seamlessly into another without much consideration.
Sometimes, all I need is a name.
So, what inspires you? Where do you come up with your ideas?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:46 pm
I picked other, but really, it's a combination of the second and third poll options. Sometimes I get ideas just from going through day-to-day activities or from watching movies and such. Like I got an idea for a story about a character with anterograde amnesia just from watching the movie Memento - the plot is entirely different except for the one driving character fault. Other times, ideas do come quite literally from out of nowhere. I might have an odd dream and expand some bits, scratch others, and voila: plot.
Not that any of these ever reach completion, but yeah, that's my process. ^_^;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:51 pm
-invisible walls I picked other, but really, it's a combination of the second and third poll options. Sometimes I get ideas just from going through day-to-day activities or from watching movies and such. Like I got an idea for a story about a character with anterograde amnesia just from watching the movie Memento - the plot is entirely different except for the one driving character fault. Other times, ideas do come quite literally from out of nowhere. I might have an odd dream and expand some bits, scratch others, and voila: plot.
Not that any of these ever reach completion, but yeah, that's my process. ^_^; It's kind of difficult to explain, yeah?
I'm lucky enough to get paid to write, but it's very journalistic and leaves little time to write what I really want to-- fiction. Writing articles, press releases, memos, etc based on interviews about (blah) software and processes are exceptionally difficult to be inspired to complete, but at least for those, I don't have to come up with a "plot," I just have to convey information.
[P.S. I loved Momento, even though it screws with your head. I haven't seen it for years.]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:58 pm
Very difficult to explain. I mean, I know what works for me and how it works, I just can't put it to words other people would understand. It's mostly just a concept floating around in my head.
Ahh, I wouldn't want to be a journalist. I do work well under pressure and with deadlines, but... well, I don't know what it is since I do kinda like writing. But at the same time nothing stresses me out more than writing. It's confusing to try and explain what I mean by that. It's just not a career that's for me. ^^;; I write for fun...when I want to.
[ Yeah, it is a messed up movie. You don't expect anything to turn out the way it does at the end. I'm borrowing the movie again so I can watch it for an essay assignment, and I'm excited cause it's the special edition so I can see it from chronological beginning to end. ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:08 pm
The dreams I have inspire me. My dreams are really vivid and always unique. I can take what seems like a five minute dream and turn it into a fifty page story. Sometimes my dreams are really weird, but I figure, hey, the weirder the dream, the better the story blaugh
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:09 pm
-invisible walls Very difficult to explain. I mean, I know what works for me and how it works, I just can't put it to words other people would understand. It's mostly just a concept floating around in my head.
Ahh, I wouldn't want to be a journalist. I do work well under pressure and with deadlines, but... well, I don't know what it is since I do kinda like writing. But at the same time nothing stresses me out more than writing. It's confusing to try and explain what I mean by that. It's just not a career that's for me. ^^;; I write for fun...when I want to.
[ Yeah, it is a messed up movie. You don't expect anything to turn out the way it does at the end. I'm borrowing the movie again so I can watch it for an essay assignment, and I'm excited cause it's the special edition so I can see it from chronological beginning to end. ] The thing that drives me crazy about journalistic writing is that it is not creative, no matter how people try to spin it. The goal is to get as much information packed into as few words as possible. You have to be accurate and space-efficient. Features and reviews allow more room for creative license, but it's just very...
Blah.
I have to face several rewrites, because I have too much fun with my words sometimes.
I am currently taking a class called Modern Familiar Essay, which is just a drawn out way to say "Essays," or creative non-fiction. Possibly my favorite class of the semester (my other being a Shakespeare class, an Irish literature class, French, and an Astronomy lab). It has restored my faith in non-fiction, but I'm still fuzzy on journalism.
I want to write stories. And I do. I just don't get paid for those. D:
[I should probably watch the special edition then!]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:12 pm
JJmonkeychic The dreams I have inspire me. My dreams are really vivid and always unique. I can take what seems like a five minute dream and turn it into a fifty page story. Sometimes my dreams are really weird, but I figure, hey, the weirder the dream, the better the story blaugh You're lucky that you can remember your dreams so well. I mostly can, too... but that makes me feel worse for those who cannot remember their dreams.
I definitely have some dreams that I would never put to paper. Many of them are disturbing, a few are outright messed up, and several are about zombies. Always zombies. And I never survive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:15 pm
JJmonkeychic The dreams I have inspire me. My dreams are really vivid and always unique. I can take what seems like a five minute dream and turn it into a fifty page story. Sometimes my dreams are really weird, but I figure, hey, the weirder the dream, the better the story blaugh
Yeash. D: I've always felt like journalism is the wrong career for people who want to be creative. Like you said, it's all about packing information into a small amount of space so people will actually read it.
I'm only taking the required writing classes since I'm going for a science major. I'm not comfortable with turning in any creative expression of mine in for a grade, so I'm not gonna take an art or creative writing class. I'll just plod along as I am without whatever insights would come from such a class. :'D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:22 pm
-invisible walls JJmonkeychic The dreams I have inspire me. My dreams are really vivid and always unique. I can take what seems like a five minute dream and turn it into a fifty page story. Sometimes my dreams are really weird, but I figure, hey, the weirder the dream, the better the story blaugh
Yeash. D: I've always felt like journalism is the wrong career for people who want to be creative. Like you said, it's all about packing information into a small amount of space so people will actually read it.
I'm only taking the required writing classes since I'm going for a science major. I'm not comfortable with turning in any creative expression of mine in for a grade, so I'm not gonna take an art or creative writing class. I'll just plod along as I am without whatever insights would come from such a class. :'DGood choice! English majors are total snobs. >:{ ...Actually, some really are.
A classmate of mine is double majoring in Biology and English. See, it's possible to combine science and writing.
I'm actually considering double majoring with my second in History or possibly French. I'm ahead in college and figured I should milk my scholarship for all it's worth. ;]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:27 pm
I've never met one at college. Maybe because I'm in mostly science classes and the required freshman comp class? xD; But yeah, I feel bad saying it, but I have a friend from high school who is majoring in English at another college, and she was a bit of a snob when it came to writing. :/ Totally nice about other things, but when it came to writing and English literature, she acted like she knew everything and that I was stupid for thinking I knew anything about writing... I had to bite back all the comments I wanted to throw about how she'd dropped out of honors English in 10th grade when I stuck with it until graduation.
Nice! XD I dunno what I wanna do. I'm considering majoring in Bio and getting a double minor in chem and neuroscience. But there are so many requirements for everything and chem gives me fits, so I probably couldn't get required courses in for another major.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:38 pm
Some people have a natural talent for writing that others, no matter how hard they work, can never achieve. For example, I am obnoxiously wordy. Before turning in any paper, I have to focus on simplifying my sentences. It takes almost as much time as it takes to write the paper in the first place.
I've taken as many English classes in high school and college as possible, and I am very well-read (my second job is in a bookstore), but I think it is just as important for a writer to be up-to-date on current events and pop culture than ancient literature.
I took a lot of honors classes in science, but I not-so-secretly hate it. I'm good at science and math, but I have no idea what I'm doing. It's half memory, half luck. I'm happy to escaped with perfect grades and then having ditched as quickly as I could. I qualified for Calculus II when I got to college; instead, I took College Algebra. On the first day we learned how to plot points. I was so happy. My best friend is very math and science centric, so I can appreciate that. Plus, everyone uses writing in their careers. You could publish in a very important and popular science journal while your friend's writing never sees the light of day!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:01 pm
In general, I've received more praise than criticism for my writing, which is I guess pretty nice. The one thing I fail at is using quotations in sentences. I can do it, I just don't want to ever.
I know how you feel. I could have taken calculus last semester, but I held off and ended up in trig this semester. I probably could have handled calculus, I'd have just been miserable in it.
Ha! Right? She wants to be an editor and write fiction on the side. I told her good luck. I don't remember the book I read where I found this quote ("So if you have a choice between a book written by a Hollywood stripper, the President's dog, or a promising new author, you'll go with the stripper or the dog?"..."Well, we might hire the promising author to ghost the dog's novel, but that's the general idea."), but I thought it pretty much put into perspective the types of books being released nowadays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:13 pm
-invisible walls In general, I've received more praise than criticism for my writing, which is I guess pretty nice. The one thing I fail at is using quotations in sentences. I can do it, I just don't want to ever.
I know how you feel. I could have taken calculus last semester, but I held off and ended up in trig this semester. I probably could have handled calculus, I'd have just been miserable in it.
Ha! Right? She wants to be an editor and write fiction on the side. I told her good luck. I don't remember the book I read where I found this quote ("So if you have a choice between a book written by a Hollywood stripper, the President's dog, or a promising new author, you'll go with the stripper or the dog?"..."Well, we might hire the promising author to ghost the dog's novel, but that's the general idea."), but I thought it pretty much put into perspective the types of books being released nowadays. I'd actually love to go into publishing or editing, but I am very realistic about the chances of it working out perfectly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:54 pm
What inspires me?, well i'd have to say everyday life...if you see perspectives of other people it would make my flare fire up and my writing senses would kick in, i guess i'm saying just a tiny idea would make me want to write about something huge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:31 pm
愛 ╔══════════════╗
❋ яιтsυкα нαкυяει ❋
╚══════════════╝ “How long before we see each other again?”. . .I will pretend that there’s nothing bothering me. If it’s goodbye mail, I want to forget about it. I let you see that “I cry” a little while pretending to be strong.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
My inspiration is when I'm bored, but I can surprisingly do things like write, draw, better in the dark
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
Maybe it’s okay if I lie, but I can’t even say “Don’t go away.” 会いたい
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
