Many authors have written how-to books with their neat, little tricks as to how to create the perfect scene or write the perfect poem. Each one is slightly different from the other, but all of them seem to think that their process is the correct process for getting that creative energy to spark. I'm not writing this to give you my magic formula. The reason each of these books are different from each other is because there is no magic formula, no perfect way of execution to create the ultimate in all that is wonderful in a book. What I can offer you is a glimpse into that fantastical, creative energy in my own brain and my own process of discovery. So here's a glimpse into some of my dos and don'ts of the story process. Some of you may find this similar or helpful to your process. Others may decide I don't have a clue what I'm talking about and stop reading before the list even ends. Regardless, this is how my brain works and this is what I deem to be the best way for me to work.
Number One: Don't Stress About EnvironmentNow for some people this might be a complete surprise, but it's one of the best suggestions I can make. There is no perfect place to write a story. Sure, we all have that cheesy, cliche image of hanging out in a coffee shop with our laptops open (or notebooks if you prefer old school like myself) with some exotic flavored latte and a danish, but not everyone wants to waste time driving anywhere just to write. Those who do prefer to stay at home, don't worry about the things around you. Is my space clean? Do I have a desk to sit at? Is there enough fluffy pillows on my bed? (for those of us who get inspiration at two in the morning, but lack the energy to get up out of our comfy place) All I can say is that the best thing to improve writing is to actually write and it's harder to do that when you're thinking about everything else around you. For me, I try to write whenever an idea pops into my head, regardless of my location, which leads me to number two.
Number Two: Inspiration Can Come From Anything
Inspiration is all around us. We don't have to witness extraordinary things for ideas to come. I have heard so many people say that they don't know what to write about. Relax, go about your day, and things will come in place naturally. It may be that you're reading a book. It could happen when you're walking in a park. And yes, it could even happen when you're singing in the shower 'cause a little music never hurt the creative energy any. One of the things I have noticed in my every day life is that inspiration appears when I least expect it. I could be sitting down to lunch eating an orange and the next thing I know I'm thinking about flying monkeys invading an orange factory. Okay, I know that monkeys would be more likely in a banana factory, but hey, it's my imagination and I'll put my monkeys wherever I like to have them.
Number Three: Let the Characters Come to You
Often I see people outlining characters before the story has come and that can work in ones favor, but sometimes the story twists down a different road, leaving the character irrelevant. It's often a chicken or the egg scenario- who should come first? Some people are like me and go for the yummy, scrumptious chicken with all its savory plot twists and heroics and some go for the ooey, gooey egg center where the main characters live. Either way, just make sure your character is true to its self. Each time you write about a new character, you breathe life into this being and you need to make up the elements that make this character whole. The key is to take your time with these characters, get to know them, let them surprise you, and don't try to plot their every move without figuring out if that is something they would do. And yes, there are those that would argue that being your characters, you can make them do whatever you want, but I can tell you that I would it find it hard to believe that a sensible businessman who lived in a suburb and liked to golf every weekend would suddenly decide to wear a fluffy, pink tutu all over his neighborhood. Let the character tell you what they would do and you'll win every time,
Now that you think I'm a fruit loop that spends her time talking to her characters, I can conclude with my final piece of my story puzzle. Number Four: Passion
Write about what you love and don't be afraid to feel something when you do. Write about the things that matter, things that make you happy, things that make you cry, things that make you wonder about the inconsistencies of life. And don't stop until you feel it's completed. Take a bit of yourself and inject it into the words. Don't be afraid to hate it, to crumple it up and shred it to bits. To start over and over again until everything you need to say is said. Hate it one minute and love it the next. Because a writer never leaves a piece the same way they started. Let the writing change you. Take chances, be bold, and don't stop until you find what you're looking for,
