NaNoWriMo Cheers

So, it's November, and we all know what that means: hand cramps, murdered pens, overheated computers and lots and lots of writing!

I'm not sure if I'm doing NaNo this year or not... I'm extremely busy, and I'm much more quality over quantity when it comes to writing, BUT, I'm going to kick my writing into high gear and set my own personal goal at 30,000 words. (Which, if all goes well, may increase to the 50,000 required for Nano).

For those of you who are participating in NaNo, best wishes! Hope you're starting off strong.

Remember,

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" (or write 50,000 words in a month!)
-Harriet Tubman

Keep on going

Sometimes we all hit walls, whether it's in our writing, our work, our education, or our personal lives. We may come up against a decision we don't want to face, we may start regretting a decision we made, or we may feel like our lives are spiraling out of control. At times like these, it's good to remember we are not alone. Here are a few quotes that I've found inspiring and encouraging both in my writing and in my life: 

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."

-Dorothy Thompson

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

-Mark Twain

"To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."

-Mary Oliver

"I think somehow we learn who we really are and then live with that decision."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Your work is to discover your world and then, with all your heart, give yourself to it."

-Buddha

"Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."
- William James

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

- C. S. Lewis

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Any others you would like to share? 

A Little More Inspiration

After participating in the Inspiration Blogest, hosted by Summer Ross (see my previous post), I had the pleasure of learning what inspired others, so I thought I’d take some time to share what inspires me.

I’ve said before (and I’ll probably say again) that music is very important to me. I’ll sometimes put a song on repeat and make up a story to go along with it. Here’s a song that I can close my eyes and visualize all sorts of things to go along with:

Seeing a good book or movie can often motivate me to write, and bad ones can sometimes make me want to write as well (he did what? It would have been so much better if he had done this instead). 

I have been exposed to so many wonderful stories, but my all time favorite remains the Lord of the Rings. While I haven't written anything at all similar Tolkien, it sometimes helps me to remember all the little things that go into making a whole world (history, politics, places, clothing, etc.) and that it is possible to create one! 

Places can also be very inspiring. I seem to always come up with new story ideas when I go to new places, or back to somewhere I haven’t been in a long time. Here are a few pictures I took when I spent a semester in England:

(I lied. This one is actually from Scotland)

And then there are people. People are probably the most important source of inspiration for me, whether they be a stranger I catch a glimpse of on a crowded street, or one of my best friends, they often give me new ideas for characters. 

(My sister, me, and one of my friends during a photo shoot my aunt did for my 18th birthday)

And of course, pictures are a great source of inspiration! I waste hours googling inspiration for sci-fi and fantasy pieces. Feel free to be inspired by any of the above pics. :)

Inspiration Blogfest

Aka, the first Blogfest I've participated in :)

Hosted by Summer Ross, here were the rules:

•  On July 18th post one inspiring prompt. You can use a writing prompt or a photo prompt.
• Go around and comment on each others prompts

Rewards:
        Every one will have some great inspiration to write from 



Sounds great! Inspired by my recent move (and my roommates severe loathing of the furniture), I made up the following prompt:

First, describe your ideal house/apartment/vacation spot, etc.

Next describe the worst house/apartment/vacation spot (make sure you pick the same type as in the previous part).

Finally, write a scene where a character is expecting the first, but gets the second. Or expecting the second, and gets the first.

Music as Inspiration

Do you ever turn on the radio, or listen to a new CD, and hear a song that really resonates with you? One where it seems like the singer got inside your head and wrote about your life?

It happens to me all the time, especially when I’m making the (almost) monthly four and a half hour trip home.

Usually, when I listen to songs with lyrics, I associate them with a character. Sometimes it fits in with my own life, but often it’s a character from a book or movie. Now and then it will be a friend or relative. Other times, it’s a pure creation of my imagination. These songs can be incredibly inspiring, and can be a great source of story and character ideas. Here are a few that have been inspirational in my writing:

Mad World, Gary Jules

Stand My Ground, Within Temptation

Hurricane, 30 Seconds to Mars

And here's one that's been inspirational in my own life:

Free Life, Dan Wilson