ROAD TRIPS & CREATIVITY

Have you ever noticed how liberating a good long drive can be for your creative mind?

 

In February, we drove 1500 miles from north Texas to a New Mexico ski resort. Then in March, we hopped back in the car and drove 5,000 miles to Atlantic Maritime Canada (round trips, of course!)… I’ve spent more time our car in the last two months than in the past three years combined.

Driving Into A Blizzard

There’s something exciting about being away from your usual neck of the woods, out on the open highway surrounded by red rocks or endless cattle grazing fields, with nothing but blue skies as far as the eye can see. Texas is so huge it takes forever to get to the state line. 

It’s not always about fair weather travel, though. One can be confronted with blizzards and howling winds, flooded roads and pelting rainstorms. Surprisingly, these can be even more stimulating to the muse than the serenity of fine weather.

On the New Mexico (homeschooling) trip, we stayed in a very bizarre ski resort. Tiny, low budget, barely on the map, hostile staff that were masters of making you feel tolerated—almost. Everything in the place was broken, from bed frames to appliances, faulty electricity, poor heating and on and on it goes.

The highlight of the trip was a supernatural experience my son and I had, that led to… a story implanting itself in my head… a full story, from beginning to end. I have not written it yet, nor made notes. It’s one of those situations where all I have to do is think of the place and the story flashes before my inner eye. When I sit down to write the novella it will be done within a week if I can keep my schedule clear.

On the 2,500 mile drive north to Canada, my mind wandered to other creative pursuits. Jewelry design ideas… themes for non-fiction books to add to the list already gathering cyber-dust on my laptop.

After a delightful week with family we were back in the car heading home. I thought about a story that had been troublesome for months. It needed to be written soon and I’d been stumped, frustrated and blocked on some plot twists. 

Magical Inn During Blizzard In Maine

We got stuck in a blizzard in Maine on the first night. My thoughts meandered into a realm ruled by the winter gods. The most unexpected plot prompts came into play, leading me to see the story from an entirely different angle. The inn we stayed at was an old-fashioned, enchanted property. No doubt appealing in regular weather, it was decked out and bejeweled in sparkling snow now, and could have been the winter castle of the ice queen. 

By the time we rolled into our driveway, the story was written—in my head. Now to get both novellas from my brain to the laptop… is there an app for that?

Meanwhile, I’m done driving for now. My body has almost accepted that it’s no longer in drive-motion, and I’ve got a healthier-than-ever respect for long distance professional drivers. 

Have you got a story to share about how driving or a distant place stoked your creativity?

GEMMA JULIANA writes all kinds of love stories, from contemporary to paranormal. She has a penchant for romantic international settings. Gemma lives in a cozy cottage in Texas with her very own hero, teen son, and a dog who rules them all. Chocolate and coffee nourish her muse and fuel her creativity. She loves hearing from readers.

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Writing Inspired!

I love the idea of having my own writing cottage, a place where I can sit back and read, or just write. I think it's a good thing to separate the working desk from the writer's desk, so the two muses, one with a mindset of an accountant, and the writing muse, who may not be dressed at all and is doing Martha Graham dances nekked.

I can and do write everywhere. Love writing on cruises, in airports, coffee shops and odd places no one else would spend much time in/at/below/above. Am I sick to say the best time about RT last year in Nawlins was the afternoon I spent at a coffe shop in the French Quarter? Yes! Writing in unfamiliar places can be very inspiring.

But I think the best is to write cozy and small. Lots of famous authors have done this. We're in good company with the likes of Mark Twain, Roald Dahl, George Bernard Shaw, Dylan Thomas, Henry David Thoreau and of course, Virginia Woolf.

Sarah Ban Breathnach, in my favorite book of hers, called Moving On,  talks about her journey to England to purchase the cottage where Sir Isaac Newton did his famous writings, and about how she felt the building was "haunted" or rather "inspired" with his muse. Timing played a key role in that she had just published her first successful book, which had stayed on the NYT list for months, and used the proceeds to buy this particular cottage which hadn't been for sale in over 100 years. She began to see her quest to write a bestseller was the prequel to her owning Sir Isaac's cottage.

Sarah also writes this great quote: "Rosemary Sullivan is meditating on the emotion women feel when they fall in love at first sight with men; I'm the one taking the leap to house fever because I've succumbed to both. Suddenly, without warning (or so it seems) the trajectory of a woman's life changes, becoming 'a vicarious route to some essential part of herself that she does not yet fully recognize or understand.' The Beloved becomes 'the heroic territory she longs to occupy.' She thinks she's found him--or home. Interestingly, the name of the greatest lover of all time, Casanova, means new house."

We never know what trails we'll walk down on our path to creating the stories we create. But we can guide it somewhat. I wrote a little piece on my personal blog today about writing cottages, and my own struggles with focus and attention. You can join me over there today as well, if you like. Bring your favorite beverage, book or laptop, and we'll read or write together!

What about you? Do you have a special muse-inspired place you write or read in?

Sharon Hamilton

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other.

Author Page ** Sharon's Blog ** Sharon's Website ** Facebook**Twitter

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Character Overload

I am often was plagued with a severe outbreak of character overload. If you’re a writer, I know this has happened to you. It may even happen to a reader if you read several books at the same time. How do you read several books at the same time? I don’t have a clue, but one of my friends says she does. I doubt she’s alone. Anyway, my definition of character overload is a condition in which all the characters you have, whether in books being edited, in the work you’re currently writing or those you have plotted that are awaiting their opportunity for the turn of your pen (or computer keystroke), begin to war in your mind for dominance.

When this happens to me, I find myself balanced on a piece of thin wire, hopping from thought to thought and unable to settle down and make noticeable progress on any one project. It’s happening to me again. Editor 1 sent me front edits for a co-written book that will be released in November. Editor 2 is gearing up to send me the same on another book coming out very soon. At the same time, I just finished edits and need to publish an indie work and there’s still another one waiting for its last 6,000 words. But, you see, the characters in that book are so fed up with my not completing their story, they’ve clammed up and they aren’t talking.

I doubt I’ll ever have Alzheimer’s because my mind gets a great work out. I may, however, end up with one heck of a case of multiple personality disorder. Who am I kidding? I already have it and have professed to it on several guest blogs. Character Uprising, a poem I wrote a long time ago, tells the story about this kind of writer’s block:

My characters are not too pleased,
With whom I’ve written them to be,
They’ve been grumbling, and they might
Form a union, go on strike.

It’s a lot longer than that, but you get the idea. So, the question is how do I get out of this stalemate and negotiate with my characters to open up? Here are my top four ways to cure my temporary block:

1)     Take a break and do something else creative other than writing. One great way to do this is to draw or paint. I like to make a mandala. You can Google this, but basically it’s a circle with designs. Many folks use them when meditating or in spiritual pursuits. Maybe that’s why I like to do it, because it gets me in touch with my inner self.

2)     Go for a drive or just take a walk outside. There’s something about being out in the sun and fresh air that rejuvenates the mind, allowing for it to process once again.

3)     Work on a mind puzzle and stimulate the left side of your brain. The right side will rise to the occasion and start producing.

4)     Get plenty of rest. If you’re sleep deprived, it’s doubtful you’ll produce anything that’s creative.

I’d love to hear from other writer about your techniques, and readers, what helps clears your mind so you can produce?

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Bobbye Terry is the multi-published writer of fantasy, suspense and romantic comedy novels under her own name, her solo pseudonym, Daryn Cross, and her co-authored one, Terry Campbell. Her previous works have garnered finalist awards in the Booksellers’ Best and other RWA-sponsored contests. Bobbye’s most recent release is The Marriage Murders. Her next book, Coming to Climax, will be released the week of September 5th by Turquoise Morning Press.

Ka-thump!

Have you ever seen the old 90's sitcom, Mad About You with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt? Remember Murray the dog and the mouse? For those unfamiliar with the series, Murray and the mouse was a recurring joke from about the third season on. Seems Murray, their dog, was obsessed with a mouse inside the walls of their apartment. So much so that all either character had to do was say, "Go get the mouse, Murray!" and the dog would race across the room. Then off-camera, there'd be this sudden Ka-thump! to represent the poor dog hitting his head into the wall.

I was reminded of that this morning, thanks to my cat, The Skitten. (Yes, that's her name. Beats "Little Miss Bella Wigglebottom," which was our first choice for her.) Skit's an indoor cat. Although she's terrified of the Great Beyond she sees through the windows, she's also fascinated by the wildlife so near, yet so far. This morning as I sat with my coffee in the kitchen, Skitten pulled a Murray. A squirrel dared to prance across our patio, and Skitten had to get a closer look. A streak of gray tiger stripe later came the Ka-thump! as she hit the sliding glass door head-first.

Writers often run the risk of that Ka-thump! moment, when we're so focused on one detail in a plot thread that we lose sight of the big picture. How do we avoid it? Some of us use detailed outlines, a white board, or the sharp eyes of critique partners. Me? I rely on sheer luck. I'm weird that way. I like to live on the edge so I trust my muse to catch stuff I might miss while writing. Lucky for me, Gertrude (my muse) is on the ball!

Case in point: the other afternoon I was writing a scene for my current story. I have a deadline of June 1 so I'm about 10,000 words and 7 days away from The End, which means a lot of what I'm writing is to begin tying up loose ends. I opened a particular scene with my heroine alone in a room and then had someone come up behind her and say "Boo!" Not in a bad way (this is a lighthearted romance for Avalon Books). The entering character could have been one of many options, but I--no, correction--Gertrude chose a very minor character. Okay, I thought. I'll play. I continued writing the dialogue between these two and when I sat back, finished with the scene, I had this overwhelming, "Aha!" moment. Gertrude had just tied up an end I'd completely forgotten about. And because this is a very minor character, the timing was perfect. 

Lucky Gertrude gets to focus on the tiny detail while I keep an eye on the big picture. That's probably what makes us such a great team. If she didn't live inside my head, I think I'd buy her a drink to thank her.