Inspiration Trick

Feeling really uninspired and want to figure out something to write? Look around you. Pick five words that you think of when looking around. Incorporate them into your story.

For example, I have pantyhose, a painting that reminds me of a map, high heels, empty cans, and a scarf. I'm thinking... Aspiring model (heels, pantyhose) on a diet (cans) about to leave (map, scarf) for a meeting with a perspective client. I now have someone to distract my MC from reaching his goal.

And today's the half-way mark! Yay! You're supposed to hit 25,005 words tonight. There already? Fabulous! Congratulations. Not quite up to speed? You still have fifteen days to catch up!

Characters running away from you?

23,338 words should be you word count by midnight tonight.

And guess what? I'm ahead! I had one amazing, amazing day. I got an idea and the words just kept coming and coming. I gave up on sleep to do it, but I managed! I've never had a day like that before during NaNo. I think it's because I stopped worrying about getting to that goal right now and just let the words happen. I let the idea go until the end and it worked. So next time you get an awesome idea, don't stop when you hit that magical 1667 words. Keep going until the idea's done.

Also, I want to talk a little bit about characters. Yours might be running away from you by now. I know mine are. They aren't sticking to that damn outline you made! They've gotten more emotional or maybe angrier or more stoic. Whatever the reason is, they aren't acting like you expected anymore. This could be a good thing. I personally always run with the change.

I know the characters better now- know more about their motivations and feelings, have more exact examples of how they react to situations. And I like that. I think forcing them back into the guidelines is forcing them to act. They've become real people to me, with their own reactions and that's something to celebrate. The realer they are to you, the realer they'll be to your readers.

However, sometimes the new characters will just not work. They won't follow the path they're supposed to be on to get to that end moment. You have two options at this point: you could force them back into their original guidelines. It will work sometimes and it is possible. Sometimes it is the only thing that will work. Other times, you can alter that path they take, alter events and other characters subtly so you still get to that big reveal, just a slightly different way.

So if you come to this point where your characters are acting all wrong, think about your options and then choose one. Or don't bother. You can always edit them back into character in December!

Inspiration - The Ocean

The ocean is an incredible natural wonder and one that has been a main part of many stories. Moby Dick, Treasure Island, Castaway, Swiss Family Robinson, and Island of the Sequined Love Nun all would have been quite different without the ocean. So think about the ocean and all its boundless possibilities and write!

Inspiration - Pay Attention

Okay, so I've said this before in different forms- read the news, eavesdrop, etc. But this is a really good idea. Just yesterday, I was talking to several other NaNo participants and one was stuck. Somebody (not me!) suggested reading the newspaper, not just the news but the "oddly enough" pages and I've heard people talk about reading the obituaries.

As for paying attention to the world around you, you could eavesdrop, or you could just look. That park that you walk by everyday could become an important setting for a scene. Or maybe that nice old lady in front of you in the supermarket morphs into your main character's grandmother. One of the other participants said she enjoys putting people she saw and heard on the train into her novel.

So pay attention. Who knows, maybe when you next go on a nacho run at three in the morning, you'll discover a setting, a character, and a plot.

Inspiration and NaNo Tip

You should be at 13336 by midnight tonight if you're doing NaNoWriMo. And guess what? I'm there already!

Tip: Make a word buffer. Seriously. If you know you're going to have a busy day or that you're going to feel unmotivated after a long day of work, try and make it up the day before or the week before. I personally rarely have time to write Monday through Wednesday but the rest of my week is pretty free. So instead of playing the catch-up game, take the initiative and get ahead! It feels awesome too.

Inspiration:

Plastic surgery. Write about it, have a character be obsessed with it, research it, find Heidi Pratt and do a piece on reality shows. :)

A Tip and Inspiration

10,002. Tonight, if you're caught up and exactly where you're supposed to be, you'll break into quadruple digits. This is the point that's always exciting to me, breaking that barrier. At least now, you have the number of digits you want.

And I caught up! At about 11:30 last night, I hit the 8400 mark. The power of write-ins and having a friend.

My tip for today: Find a friend to write with. This will inspire both of you. My friend and I kept going back and forth with who was inspired to write and this forced the other one to sit quietly and write as well. It was awesome. And I found out she's an awesome writer, better than me. I read her stuff and it was AMAZING. And inspiring. A small detail in her story gave me a great idea for mine and my praise of her work made her feel better and decide to keep going with NaNo even though she's epically behind. So yay! Everyone wins.

Inspiration: Alcohol. Not for you, but for your character. Everyone does stupid things when drunk. Maybe the villain will finally confess feelings or a crime. Maybe your main character will finally punch that one guy out who's been asking for it since the beginning. Even if it turns into nonsense, you tried something new and got some words down and that's what NaNoWriMo is all about.

Catching Up

You should be at 8335 words by midnight tonight.

I’m behind (big shocker), but I’m at about 6130 right now, and I still have more time to write tonight. I have an hour at a write-in for sure, so I’m aiming to get to 7.5k. That puts me very close to where I should be.

If you missed a day or slacked off for a day or changed your story idea and find yourself behind (or do this in the future), take baby steps. Write the required 1667 words for the day and then just a couple hundred more or however many you need to catch up. Aim to catch up within a week.

Give yourself a reward every time you get closer to catching up. I personally like wicked apple slurpies from 7-11. Maybe your incentive is an overpriced coffee drink that blows your calorie count. (It doesn‘t have to be food, that‘s just what I like. Maybe you like tv, or new books, or have had your eye on a fucking epic poster down the street).

So, remember: baby steps.

Starting Over

(This is yesterday's post. Issues made it impossible to post then. There will be another tonight)

6668 words is where you should be for NaNoWriMo.

I’m behind. Still. But, I now have a reason. Last night, I discarded all the words I had and started over. I’m at 3472 words in my new story, about the half the amount I need, but I’m confident I’ll catch up.

Today’s post is on starting over. Only ever do it if you really and truly hate everything or made a big mistake. I did- I hated my main character in two days flat. So I started over in the same world, with a very similar storyline, and some identical side characters. My main character is completely different.

Don’t be afraid to start over. Not everything you do is going to useable. However, I recommend against doing it if you usually have trouble finishing or if you’re far alone. I always used to do that. I was like, “Oh this is crap, make it go away.” I never finished anything. And then I did NaNoWriMo in 2007 and forced myself to write and keep writing and finished 50000 words of a novel. It was fabulous. The feeling mind you, not necessarily the writing.

Learn to differentiate between something that is truly crap and something that has potential. If you think in twelve revisions that your story might be good, keep going for it! If you think you’re staring down at the words, trying to find a way to kill of your main character and replace him, it may be time to start over.

NaNo Tips and Tricks

At midnight tonight, you should be at 5001 words. Are you there yet? I'm certainly not. I am currently at the grand total of 2394, a paltry number comparatively.  But I'll catch up though using these tools:

Dr. Wicked's Write or Die: This is definitely my favorite. You can do it online or buy the desktop version. You set time, word count, and difficulty level and then write, trying to hit your word count in the set time. However, this has an added twist- you stop typing, you're punished. Gentle and normal mode have sounds and flashing red lights. I personally set it to kamikaze. I stop typing, words begin deleting themselves. It makes you type and not stop, which is PERFECT for NaNoWriMo. Personally, I spend the 10$ to buy it and use it year round when I'm stuck. The desktop version comes with a hard to easy meter which determines how long you have to start typing again too and other cool stuff including a word war feature.


Word Wars: This can be against yourself or another person. You write as much as you can in a set amount of time. You try to beat your previous score, your opponent's score, or both. There are threads on the NaNoWriMo.org forums and in some other writer's forums, you can find a friend on facebook, use Dr. Wicked's Write or Die word war feature, or just sit across from someone and war. If you do it against yourself its even easier- just keep track of your scores.

Turn off your internet. Its distracting. Open up word or notepad or whatever program you use and just that program. Distractions are bad. They make you take longer. Worry about getting a fact just right in December.


Make yourself write. Some people will recommend you not do this while you have writer's block, but during November, go for it. Make yourself. It is the ONLY way you are going to get it done.

Accept that your novel is not going to be perfect. Rome was not built in a day.

Treat it like the competition that it is and set times to write everyday. Calculate your typing speed and then calculate how long you need to write 1667 words in a day. Set aside at least that amount of time and be prepared to spend twice that.

Carry around a notebook. Every time you have some free time, write. Bring it even when you don't think you'll need it. Murphy's law is inescapable.

NaNoWriMo.org: It has forums and you can sign up for e-mails of "pep talks." They really do help.

Write-ins: These are part of treating it like a contest. You get a set time surrounded by other writer's and a set time to write.

Tools
This site has even more tips and tricks.

And if you need more than that, you may be wasting time with your internet. Shut it down and write!

And if you have some crazy awesome methods, leave a comment!

NaNoWriMo has begun!

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is a one month long event in which you challenge yourself to write 50000 words

So, NaNoWriMo has begun!

I'm participating in this fabulous event. I have "won" two years running, once with a fairytale spoof and once with an action/comedy/drama novel.

Now, for all of you whose first year this is, remember what you write will be CRAP. It's not going to be good. You're trying to write 50000 words in 30 days. Thats 1666 words a day, every day, plus twenty words at some point. And that's the minimum to win. Some have written 400,000 although its my belief that these people are generally unemployed, ignore their spell checker, and never look back even a single word. But that could be my jealousy speaking.

Whatever the case is, it's a great exercise for aspiring writers. It makes you get those words down and finish or nearly finish a story. It's also a great opportunity for networking. You'll meet tons and tons of aspiring writers if you attend write-ins*. And those are the first steps towards publishing.

If you get stuck, refer to my <a href="http://ransomnoteeffect.blogspot.com/2010/10/list-of-prompt-sites.html"> list of writing prompt sites</a> and my <a href="http://ransomnoteeffect.blogspot.com/2010/10/creative-block.html">list of ways to break your creative block. </a>

I'm going to compile a good list of tips and tricks to win at NaNoWriMo! Check back tomorrow.

*A write-in is an event where people get together and write as a group. It's an opportunity to be social and a time where all you do is write. They tend to happen in coffeehouses, bookstores, and cheap restaurants.

Inspiration- Moving

You can take this literally and move around- shake your legs, wiggle your toes, wave your arms in the air like you just don't care- which might help you if your problem is a lack of blood flow to your brain, or you can take it as moving your home. I just moved today from my dorm to an apartment and there were some great visuals and some great inspirational moments.

But think about it: new roommates, new neighbors, new neighborhood. I don't have a new school, but I get to commute every morning now. There was the moving process itself- I ended up using one of those taxi vans- and there's the rooms, piled with boxes or empty and waiting respectively. It's a trip.

So I challenge you today to create a piece about a move from one home to another.


This image is from http://lifeatthebar.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/moving-day/, a website for lawyers.

Inspiration - Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping can work two-fold for inspiration. Either it can inspire you directly or doing it will inspire you. Just make sure to be unobtrusive if you do decide to eavesdrop. People can get really pissed.

Oh, “eavesdropping” on forums and comments, etc. in the internet is a lot easier and there’s less chance of getting caught.

Inspiring Image:

-by Scott Davidson

Inspiration

Word of the Day: Coincidences



Okay, so maybe not that particular coincidence (although it inspired me to draw a frat boy with that above his bed), but coincidences in general. Surely you've experienced some crazy ones. And they're a great plot device, although you have to be careful not to use them too much and too obviously. You're readers will start to catch on if you're main character and his/her love interest keep running into each other. But it does happen. There can be arguments of fate vs. coincidence and there is a fabulous argument of luck/coincidence vs. miracles in the film Pulp Fiction.

So think about it. It may be what you need for that fateful meeting between the villain and the soon-t-be-orphan-hero's parents.

Breaking Creative Block and Growing as a Creator Bruce Mau Style

http://www.brucemaudesign.com/112942/

Was just sent this amazing article. It's great advice on how to grow, how to kick creative block, and just generally how to think as a creator.

List of Prompt Sites

This post is pretty much exclusively for writer's although visual artists may be inspired by some. If you're a visual artist looking for inspiration, I would recommend checking out 2 and 5.

The darker gray ones are the sites that I highly recommend.

1. http://www.theteacherscorner.net/daily-writing-prompts/ - 356 writing prompts- Most of these are better for writing exercises, but maybe you'll be inspired.
2. http://www.webook.com/911writersblock - This has 9 very specific ideas but I think they could spawn some AMAZING ideas. Plus, they have a great idea if you want to kill of a character. ;) Their is also a little forum type thing that I ahven't explored but it looks ike more prompts are offered on that.
3. http://www.plinky.com/prompts - They offer a question every day that you can answer and turn into a story/piece or you can be inspired by one of the answers posted.
4. http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html - gives short little prompts/questions at the push of a button. Also has a picture database.
5. http://thehappynotes-seriah.blogspot.com/ - "The Happy Notes is a blog dedicated to helping writers overcome that block and to encourage them to keep writing. (Almost) daily, new prompts, quotes, listening suggestions, prompt pictures and inspirational "Get Going" messages will be posted for writers to use at their leisure." It's two companion blogs are fabulous too. 
6. http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/ - 346 prompts of different kinds- word banks, ideas, endings, etc.
7. http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html - Not my favorite. Questions about you. Better probably as a writing exercise.
8. http://www.charlottedillon.com/Prompts.html - Large variety of prompts, lots of different kinds.
9. http://www.angelfire.com/nc/tcrpress/plots1.html - 2382 prompts, all short sentences. Could help but there is a ton to sort through.
10. http://www.lifeformz.com/cgi-bin/idea/idea.cgi - basically gives a one sentence plot synopsis. Gives them one at a time, but I assume there are a LOT of them. They tend to be a little ridiculous, but its helped me before. :)
11. http://www.toasted-cheese.com/webcal/webcal.cgi - This site has daily prompts going back through 2002. This site has more one sentence prompts, but I don't find them as helpful as other sites.

Destroy Your Creative Block

Creative block. It sucks. It sucks hard. Luckily, there are zillions of ways to kick creative block and a quick search on google will give you lists upon lists of ways. I haven't had a serious case of creative block for quite a while. Here’s my comprehensive list on ways to kick your creative block. The ways that work best for me have bullet points that are dark gray.

· Set realistic goals

·Don't worry if it's crap! First drafts are always pretty crappy. Know it will get better if the future with every change you make.

· Schedule time to work on your pieces- treat it like a job

· Research your subject- know about what you’re going to write/create

· Revisit your older work

· Change your scenery

· Rework another’s creation- use it as a starting point and change it completely or just Redo it in another style and this may reassure you that you are still capable

· Look at things!

· Read stuff.

· Doodle- This one works really well for me. It stops me from thinking too much and allows me to do.

· Focus on something and write about it or render it. You’ll end up with an awesome descriptive piece/still-life.

· Remember things that have happened to you- Important events are especially awesome.

· Talk- There are a lot of forms of this one. Talk to a monkey, talk to a gravestone, talk to a friend. The point is, talking forces you to put things into words and to solidify your ideas, even if it’s just to an inanimate object. Inanimate objects are also awesome if you’re shy about your creations.

· Do some simple exercises. Here are some writing ones. Here are some for visual artists.

· Alternate projects- just remember to go back eventually.

· Exercise/Stretch

· Try to work every day at least a little bit. This will help combat major creative blocks.

· Meditation

· Take a break- return to your work when you’re refreshed and relaxed

· Take a class and refresh or learn skills

· Listen to something new- music or just nice sounds

· Get rid of distractions! Hint: The internet is a huge distraction. Disconnect it for a while if you can.

· Start with your project- not with your e-mail or anything else

·  Caffeinate- this is my go to for a lack of an attention span. I worship my caffeine. Just make sure you’re actually working on your prject after you caffeinate.

· Make an outline/sketch

· Always have something to writ/draw on and with. This can be a notebook, a sketchbook, loose-leaf paper, your iphone if it has the right app.

· Nap- be well rested

· Eat healthy- your brain will function better

· Clean your desk- its harder to concentrate in a clutter

· Crayons/markers- another favorite of mine. Get a big piece of paper and some bright non-professional writing utensils. Then create your outline or idea. My turn out messy, bright, and oh-so helpful. There are drawings and words and arrows points ever which way.

· Go to a site with prompts. This one has them, but so do others. Look for a blog post here listing sites offering prompts in the future!

· Sometimes you just have to make yourself create. This is a great article on writer’s block and on how trying to break it can be so very distracting sometimes and can lead to more creative block. So, if you find yourself just doing things that are supposed to break your creative block all the time, instead of actually trying to write or create something, maybe you just need to sit down and force yourself. Take Nike's advice and just do it.


Don't believe me? Here's some more lists:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/writers_block2.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/tips-for-beating-writers-block-a295695

http://www.articlealley.com/article_1770895_50.html

http://thefuturebuzz.com/2008/12/03/how-to-overcome-writers-block/

http://www.ehow.com/how_5189324_over-writers-block-creative.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Writers-Block---5-Tips-to-Overcoming-It&id=3779660

http://www.inspiredm.com/2010/01/31/creative-block/

http://www.designdrops.com/website-design/10-ways-to-cure-a-creative-block/

http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingroadblocks/tp/block.htm

http://www.43folders.com/2004/11/18/hack-your-way-out-of-writers-block

Inspiration and beating a creative block

Prompt: hating nature

I recently went to a nature preserve with one of my classes and it was really relaxing and inspiring. So, my advice to all of you aspiring artists and authors is to change your setting. Not of your painting or book, but your setting. If you live in the city, go to a nature preserve, a national park, a conservatory, or even just a park. If you live in the woods, go to the city, or a suburb. Just change where you are. It can be as simple as moving outside from inside or to a different room. This will give you a new perspective and hopefully a new place will inspire you.

Changing scenery is also a great way to conquer writer’s block. In almost every list dedicated to helping you beat writer’s block, it’s listed. I imagine it does the same thing when any form of creativity is blocked- I know this same advice works when I’m stuck on a painting or sketch.

I would suggest bringing your work with you when you change scenery if you’re aiming to be inspired, or at least bring a sketchpad or notebook, even if all your planning to do is take a walk, you may be surprised by what you come up with and you may need to set pen to paper immediately.


Next Post is going to have more ways to beat your creative block.

Inspiration and an introduction to NaNoWriMo

Inspirational Image:



Prompt: Illusion of Control

So, I seem to be overly excited and posting on this blog a lot, more than once daily. J Whoops. But I’m excited! NaNoWriMo begins in 5 days!

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It’s a month dedicated to writing a novel. Officially, you begin the first and write 50,000 words during the month. The website has more details. And forums! It’s pretty amazing.

If you’re the type who needs motivation to write, NaNoWriMo is for you! There’s a word count widget and a deadline and you can compete against yourself or your friends. In the next couple days, I’m going to post mad amounts of things I find inspirational- images, websites, artists, and ways to make yourself write!

Inspiration- Limits on the Dissemation of Knowledge

Most people today have access to tons of information and it’s literally at their fingertips. All it would take is a click of a button or a google search. They even have information available that is “classified.” Wikileaks, for example, just released the largest classified military leak in history. But many will never look at these leaked documents. Many won’t take advantage of all the information. We need to stop taking this information for granted.

In Iran, information is being incredibly limited. Want to talk about dystopia or political oppression?

Classes are being cut because they go against “Islamic values.” These classes are law, human rights, women's studies, economics, sociology, media, political science, philosophy, psychology, education, administration as well as cultural and artistic administration. They are to be replaced by Islamic sciences.

Iran is also restricting website access.

Books are also banned and the press has limited freedom of speech.”

Some movies are banned as well. (I’m not sure how true/current this news is.)

Other restrictions are being applied as well.

Okay, okay, okay. Inspiration of the day: The News. Read it. It can help especially if you're doing something on society or politics. No more ranting on current events and endless amounts of links unless its really inspiring.

sculpture by Yinka Shonibare

Inspiration, attack of the Conceptualists, and the War in Mexico

I attend art school. I attend a very conceptual art school and one of my classes is a very conceptual class taught by a very conceptual teacher. We have a project on modern crime. There was an idea put forth involving painting a crime in Mexico in which eight heads were found in a bag on the street. Painting isn’t very original, but what the teacher suggested blew my mind. He said it should be taken further and suggested wrapping PEZ© heads in an interesting way. PEZ heads! I wanted to bash my head against the wall. I think I may be going to the wrong school. Or at least be in the wrong class.

That story takes me to the inspiration for the day: crime in Mexico. There’s a war going on down there, South of the border. You want inspiration for a story or art piece on war, crime, drugs, gore, violence, heroism, greed, addiction, gangs, military, immigrants, a great escape, or the willful ignorance of people on things that don’t directly affect them in the present, look to Mexico. Seriously. 28,000 have died in the drug war since 2006 as of August. ( Source)

You barely hear about it- it’s not a topic of conversation, and although it’s on the news and on the Internet, it’s not featured. You have to search it out, unlike omg!’s What were they thinking?! which is featured almost every week on yahoo’s home page. You think slightly more important things would be “buzzed up.” It’s not like some of the stories coming out of Mexico aren’t sensational.

A body was found outside a city in Mexico. In four gift bags. A head was delivered to the Mexican military in a suitcase only two weeks ago.

So if you like true crime, action, or gangsters, turn to google. Type in things like: “Mexican drug cartels,” “war in Mexico,” etc. Add “news” at the end to get the most recent events.

Edit: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/25/mexico-drug-cartels-weekend-violence">27 died this weekend alone, in 3 separate events.</a>

Inspiration and prompts

Prompt: Ransom Notes

Quote: “When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time.”
-Alice Neel

Stock image by night-fate-stock on Deviantart.com
Helpful Site: More Prompts for your artistic needs. This site has 346 prompts and is supposed to be for writers, but I found the prompts can inspire me to do a painting or draw as well.

The Introduction

The ransom note effect is the result of using a large number of typefaces juxtaposed against each other. It takes its name from the stereotypical ransom note. Ransom notes are an amazing amalgamation of the written word and visual aesthetics, my two passions. Writing and the visual arts are also what this blog is going to be about.
 
The Ransom Note Effect, in particular, was chosen because the effect is a little all over the place, just like me, and probably just like this blog will be. I believe in expanding your mind and I don’t think you can do that if you focus exclusively on one thing at the expense of everything else.
 
This blog is going to offer daily inspirational images, quotes, and prompts with the intent of keeping a brush, keyboard, pen, pencil, camera, block of clay, or whatever your medium may be, in your hand and moving.
 
Also, I will be writing about recent events in my life as an aspiring artist and author, providing links to helpful websites, and recommending books and artists I believe are worth taking a look at.
 
Welcome and enjoy the Ransom Note Effect!