Category: Inspiration

Tale as Old as Time

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Finding hundreds of new fairy tales is an awesome way to start the week:

“A whole new world of magic animals, brave young princes and evil witches has come to light with the discovery of 500 new fairytales, which were locked away in an archive in Regensburg, Germany for over 150 years. The tales are part of a collection of myths, legends and fairytales, gathered by the local historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth (1810–1886) in the Bavarian region of Oberpfalz at about the same time as the Grimm brothers were collecting the fairytales that have since charmed adults and children around the world.”

I am so into this kind of thing. When I was in high school I wrote a paper on the Grimm brothers and their connection to German nationalism. (And kind of had fun writing it.) Now we have more folk tales and verbal history/culture to talk about*? So cool!

*ie, to inspire more YA novels. (via bookshelves of doom) (image: Gustave Dore, via SurLaLune)

Summer Camp for Writers

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When I was in high school, I had a lot of friends who were readers but not a lot who wanted to be writers. Not a bad place to be by any means; I had fantastic friends who would swap books and get into debates about which Harry Potter character might die in the next book. But going to the Young Writers Workshop at the University of Virginia was a revelation. There were people who were as wildly excited about writing as I was–from the students to the counselors to the faculty, everyone there wanted to make art. Not just fiction or poetry, either–they offer courses in playwriting/screenwriting, nonfiction, and songwriting as well. My roommate was a songwriter and it was fantastic to get to know more about her process. The students take their work seriously, and everyone I met was fiercely intelligent and creative.

Everyone was so supportive and encouraged taking risks. I tend to dislike reading in public, but every student took part in a final reading/performance series. It was the first time I’d read my work aloud to anyone and was really nervous beforehand. But after I finished everyone cheered and it gave me such a rush. The closest I can think to compare it to is the Nerdfighter community–lots of energy and passion, and a willingness to be silly or wild or unconventional.

I only went one summer (many students return for at least a few years), but the experience really stuck with me. When I came back for my senior year of high school I felt more confident and was even more committed to making writing a part of my future studies. Having enjoyed the setting so much, I ended up back at UVa as an undergraduate (and loved that experience as well)

The program lives on and continues to inspire young writers and their teachers. If you or someone you know might be interested in attending, definitely check out this video for thoughts on YWW. It got me pretty teary-eyed. Although the deadline for this year was March 1, they are reviewing late applications on a rolling basis. And there’s always next summer.

Seriously guys, can we all go back to Young Writers now?

Pin It

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If you’re on the internet, you’ve probably heard of Pinterest by now. If not, it’s a social network/media site in which users can create virtual inspiration boards by pinning and sharing images. People are kind of obsessed. Frankly. I prefer Tumblr because I think it offers more variety as a site and, since I already post pretty much everything there that I would post on Pinterest, creating a general account there would be a little repetitive.

But Pinterest can be more than just a fun social network. It can actually be a great writer resource. On her blog, agent Rachelle Gardner talks about things writers should know before they start pinning. One point I found interesting:

“3. People spend significant TIME on Pinterest.
Users spend more time on Pinterest (average of 15 minutes per visit) than they do on Facebook (average of 12 minutes per visit) or Twitter (3 minutes). And by “people” I mean your potential readers.”

Part of me wonders if this is the novelty factor. It’s a very new experience for most users, so I wonder if there’s a lot of initial build as people create their boards, and if those people will gradually fade away, like most bloggers. Still, it’s a fun diversion with minimal downsides for the average user. (Unlike Facebook, you don’t have to put up with potentially obnoxious status updates. Stupid people on vacation while you’re stuck at work!)

As a writer on Pinterest, you can have boards for your favorite books or books you wish you’d written. For example, Raul Gutierrez has a board devoted to Gotta Get Kids Books–a fantastic collection.

Although I don’t have a generally public Pinterest account, I do use it. For me, it’s a great way to post images that inspire me for or remind me of whatever project I’m working on. I think it’s similar to creating a playlist for your novel–it helps create a mood so if you’re stuck, you can scan through the collection of images and perhaps get inspired. So I don’t share my boards or even invest that much time in them, but for me there’s a great writerly tool.

Do you use Pinterest? Or do you think it’s a passing online fad?

(image: Pinterest)

Fifty First Lines, Part 2

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I took part in the Accidental Novelist’s 50 First Lines Challenge, which was really fun. (It’s a great exercise on its own; seriously, try it!) Now it’s onto Round 2–and you can participate! The very brief details:

“If you did NOT enter the first round, your job is to write 5 First Paragraphs using the WINNING First Lines above. ONLY SUBMIT YOUR TOP THREE.”

For more on how and what to submit, check out the full post. At the very least, you get to do a fun writing exercise, and maybe you’ll have internet bragging rights at the end of it. So get writing, everybody!

Sounds Like Blackberries

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A lot of times, writers rely on sensory details to create vivid worlds for their characters. Sometimes it’s fun to use synesthesia and mix the senses. But it’s not just an artistic tool or neurological condition. Apparently this combination of senses is something we all do to some degree.

Scientists studying this link found that people can generally link specific tastes with specific sounds:

“Blindfolded or not, significant associations emerged. Few subjects linked brass with blackberry, for example, but many associated it with piano. Hardly anybody connected piano with musk, but many linked it to brass. Fruit odors were consistently associated with high pitched notes. That confirmed an earlier study by Crisinel and Spence showing that sweet and sour flavors were also associated with high pitched notes.

This effect apparently works the other way, too. Another scientist recently asked different musicians to play pieces of music with adjectives like “bitter,” “salty” and “sweet” in mind. Though the musicians could play whatever they wanted, consistent patterns emerged.”

It’s amazing what our minds can do! The next time you’re capturing sensory details, don’t forget that you can play with the senses. Have fun!

First Fifty

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Staring at a blank piece of paper can be intimidating. To get your creative juices flowing, The Accidental Novelist (Writes Again) is hosting a 50 first lines contest. The basics: write fifty possible first lines, then post your five favorites in the comments section by midnight tonight (Monday). Not much time, but it’s only fifty lines. You can do it!

If you want some examples, check out the 50 list by 4am Writer. Stiff competition! I might post mine here as well if I can get myself organized. Let me know if you end up taking part!

Bookish Birthday Bash

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I have a theory that being in your 30s is awesome. 3 is my favorite number, so I can only assume that a whole decade of 3 is just about the coolest decade ever. And this Wordy Thirty birthday party is just adding more proof.

The hosts used literary references for the food and drink served–from Turkish Delight (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) to fried green tomatoes (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe) to the Vesper martini (Casino Royale). Pages from books and Scrabble pieces went toward decorations. What a fun idea!

I’m a sucker for costumes, so I’m probably be tempted to ask guests to dress up as their favorite authors or literary characters. If it’s your birthday, they have to agree, right?

Bonjour, Les Dents

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Did you know that in France, instead of the Tooth Fairy, children are visited by La Petite Souris (the little mouse)? I didn’t until I saw this post at Design Mom. So cute!! I haven’t done much research on this, but I’d love to see an English translation or English-written book about La Petite Souris. Or maybe I’m just reminded of of The Tale of Despereaux, an MG favorite.

For more tooth fun, check out Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby B. Beeler and G. Brian Karas. It’s an adorable book about how different cultures celebrate a tooth falling out.

(Illustration by Delphine Doreau)

If Only There Were an Idea Orchard We Could Pick From

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Probably the most frequently asked question of writers: “Where do you get your ideas?” The short answer: Lots of places.

The long answer: Richard Thomas at Storyville is here to help with that. He looks at how various writers can get ideas. Obviously not the absolute final list, but it’s a fun collection of how the imagination can work. For me, most ideas come from what Thomas describes as Quiet Time:

“Always be open to suggestions. Maybe it’s in the shower, or on the toilet (I’m not kidding here), or when you go jogging. Always keep a notepad handy. When you are doing other things and NOT thinking about a story idea, a new title, a way to use that new word or setting or character you’ve been holding onto, you’d be surprised what comes to you. Let your mind wander, let whatever abstract thoughts you have just float about. Maybe it’ll turn into the “What if…” game we talked about earlier. Just be open and aware and quick to write something down if it comes to you. “

Queen of the Air, for example, started with the phrase “My mother thinks she’s Amelia Earhart.” No connection to anything else; it just flashed in my brain one afternoon. It started as a short story and soon I realized I needed a lot more space to develop it.

I’d say most people think writers use what Thomas calls Personal Issues or Personal Challenges. Lots of people tell my husband or me “You should write about this aspect of my/your real life.” Maybe that works for some people, but generally this doesn’t work for me. I write fiction, not nonfiction. Nonfiction is great, and sometimes I’ll pull details from my real life, but rarely will I write a story that’s inspired by people or events in my life. I think that’s part of the fun of fiction–you get to make stuff up! It’s nice to be able to impart a personal connection with your characters, but I think it’s also just as good to develop a sense of empathy for emotions you haven’t experienced.

Mostly, I think this is a hard question for writers to answer because a lot of times it’s not the simple or exciting answer an audience wants or expects. Rarely does a writer get a spark of inspiration, sit down and pound out a perfect novel. More often, the idea strikes and it gets mulled over and tweaked and written down and rewritten a thousand times. It’s part of the process, but not as simple as one might expect.

Do you ever get asked where your ideas come from? What do you respond?

You Are a Writer

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When people ask what I do, I usually tell them about my day job, not my writing, even though I think of writing as my chosen career. Like the writing is less real because it doesn’t give me health benefits. So I like Kristine Carlson Asselin’s post about owning yourself as a writer. She talks about the hesitation to identify as a writer, and how we should stand up for our writing. She says:

“I AM A WRITER. And if you write, YOU ARE A WRITER. Not you want to be a writer. Not you hope to be a writer. If you write, YOU ARE A WRITER.”

Amen to that! I might need to start practicing this affirmation. Do you find it hard to identify as a writer?