Inspiration

Taking a break from writing a lesson plan, I stumbled across this photo gallery on weather.com It's a bunch of pictures of abandoned amusement/theme parks. Some have been abandoned longer than others, and all closed for different reasons.

As I looked through the pictures, I was struck with all sorts of inspiration. The book I'm working on now is set at an undetermined point in the future. The world has changed, and nature has taken over. These pictures inspired me to think more concretely about how things might look. I love things like this. Perhaps my characters will even encounter an old theme park. The story takes place in Minnesota, in the (what used to be) Minneapolis area. So maybe Valley Fair? What if people actually lived there now? I don't know, but it could be interesting. By looking through pictures like these and comparing them with what Valley Fair looks like, I can create in my mind a decent idea of what a derelict version of the park might look like. Theme park ruins have been used in some of my favorite books, such as Uglies and Divergent. Of course, I don't want to copy those authors, but the concept is so great. Just another way something completely random can add another facet to a storyline. 

I highly encourage you to check out the link. Beautiful pictures. In case you decide to skip it, I'll leave you with a few of my favorites before heading back to lesson planning.

Keep an eye out for what inspires you, and keep writing!

UPDATE: Before I went back to work, I checked Facebook, because, of course, and someone had posted this link.
Some more eye candy of beautiful abandoned places. I could look at this stuff all day. But I won't. Today.

Staying connected

So many writers have actual real life jobs that they're actually getting paid to do, while writing is a hobby passion that they must find time outside of job and family to pursue. I'm definitely one of those people. I get so caught up in the everyday tragedies of my job (I'm a therapist, there really are daily tragedies) or the busy work of my second job (grading college papers is nothing like editing a novel) that I lose sight of my passion at times. Yes, I have been itching to get back to writing, but at the same time, I'm so absorbed in everything else, it has begun to slip my mind more and more.

I had lunch with a writer friend yesterday, and it was the boost I needed. She is so passionate about her books and her journey, and I every time we meet I feel my passion growing again. Talking books we've read, books we're writing, plot, characters, querying...the whole world that I've had to pretty much  ignore for the past several weeks. I just keep telling myself...in two weeks, I will be done teaching my class. In two weeks, I will be down to one job, forty(ish) hours a week, which leaves all sorts of free time.

Those connections are important. Whether you know someone in person or keep track of people on blogs and social networking sites, keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry helps to feed that passion. Now, don't get me wrong, there are times when I've been reading so many blogs and tweets that I start to get discouraged. They make getting published sound so bleak at times. Endless mentions of the "slush pile," which is apparently growing and growing as more people decide now is their time to become the next J.K. Rowling or E.L. James*. (Perhaps I need to use my initials... R.L. Olsen...) Most of us will never make it to that status. As important as connections are, when I get really discouraged, that is the time to unplug for a tidge. So. Stay connected, but not too connected but know your limits. Connect with people who encourage you and help you grow, and stay away from those who would discourage you and make you feel that your work is anything less than the beautiful diamond in the rough you know it to be.

Above all else...Write like no one is reading!

*These are not necessarily authors I endorse (though I love Harry Potter), but were the first that popped into my head when I think of the rise to stardom from humble beginnings

It's in the details

Still on a painful ridiculous annoying involuntary writing hiatus. I wish I could focus on both the class I'm teaching and on the writing, but since I'm getting paid to teach, that has to come first for now, and by the time I finish all my required work for that, my brain is zapped. Especially after trying to grade papers, which is a form of torture I had been previously unaware of. I'm not sure if it's more acute because I am a writer, or if it's really that bad, but...it's bad. It takes all that is in me not to print out each paper and attack with a red pen, correcting every tiny grammar, punctuation, and spelling error. That wouldn't be constructive though, so I resist. Anyway, off topic. My point is that even if my procrastination left any room for writing, it wouldn't be fair to my characters or myself to use the last of my energy to crank out a few pages. I would rather wait until I can give it my full attention.

However...

Just because I'm not currently writing doesn't mean that ideas are not percolating in the back of my mind almost constantly. The music of windchimes floating across the air makes it clear that Eden and Kalon have another stop on their journey. A playful exchange rewrites itself into the pages. The background plot becomes clearer, and solidifies the idea that this story will not be finished at the end of the book. The sequel already has a name. And in my head, I relive my story, picturing the details.

And that's when I see it. That one small detail that could ruin detract from my story. A seemingly insignificant thing, but something that I must go back and add to support the continuity of the story. I created a piece of technology (since my book takes place in the future) that I mentioned not just once, but several times in the beginning, but then forgot about. It disappeared from the pages, and from my imaginings of my characters as I pictured what I was writing. It's something that not everyone would probably pick out, but as a reader, I would probably be all over it, because I pay attention to small details.

Let me give you an example. I recently discovered the Lux Series. Obsidian, Onyx, Opal. The last one comes out in July (and I'm DYING to read it!). I love these books. However, there is one scene that sticks out to me, not because it's a big plot point, but because the main character magically changed her shirt between sitting on the couch and getting up to open the door. A tshirt while she was lounging turned into a soft sweater at the door. I reread several times to make sure she didn't throw on the sweater. Sometimes I miss the quick change, like when I wonder how a character who was sitting in a bean bag chair is suddenly leaning against the doorway. To me, these things matter.

The small details are what really paint the picture and pull the reader into the story, and missing those details can just as easily throw a reader out of the story. Now, we all make mistakes, and goodness knows there are probably hundreds in my novel. I fix what I catch, and count on my beta readers to point out other issues. In the end, I hope that I create a story that can pull the reader in and keep them there. How? It's in the details.