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J is for Jealousy: #AtoZChallenge

4/11/2014

Jealousy may not feel like a particularly inspiring emotion. But I think it can be used as a source of motivation. If I'm jealous that a friend is an accomplished musician, I might want to stop and ask myself: why do I care? Am I unhappy in my own creative pursuits? Am I practicing my craft in the same way that she did in order to achieve success? What am I lacking and what can I do about it?

Psychology Today published an article about overcoming jealousy. And there's an interesting post about Four Ways to Use Jealousy for Growth and Personal Gain which begins with this quote from Joan Didion:

"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self..."

Have you ever found jealousy or envy to be motivational?

For Gin Blossom fans, a great article about the band and this song.

I is for Inspiration Sandwich: #AtoZChallenge

4/10/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

Since my A to Z theme is creative inspiration, the letter "I" just had to be for Inspiration Sandwich by SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy). This is a whimsical book filled with colorful doodles and hand-written pages meant to inspire.

Cover from Goodreads

Excerpt from the official description: a "collection of 43 ways to awaken your creative self, including 'invite someone dangerous to tea,' 'take lots of naps,' and 'make friends with freedom and uncertainty.'"

Have you read any of SARK's books, or other books that are visually inspiring?

H is for Heartbreaker: #AtoZChallenge

4/9/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

It was summer and my then-boyfriend and I were visiting his friend, Bob, and Bob's girlfriend at a rustic cabin on a lake. We took two canoes, one for each couple, and paddled across the water. The sun was warm on my shoulders and it was one of those picture-perfect days. Then, from some distance away, the other girl's singing broke the silence. She had a lonely, mournful voice that travelled across the water.

"Your love is like a tidal wave, spinning over my head.
Drowning me in your promises, better left unsaid."

Nothing had seemed amiss in their relationship the night before. But when she sang Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker," I knew their relationship was doomed. The grief in her voice was deep and inconsolable.

Months passed. They broke up, as expected, and my own relationship showed signs of being doomed as well. One night before we called it quits, Bob called. He was at the hospital with his ex-girlfriend, who had tried to take her own life.

Decades have passed, and I don't know how her story ultimately ended. But sometimes when I hear "Heartbreaker," sadness comes over me. I remember the girl, her broken heart, that forgotten summer. Music can hold emotion that way, emotion we can use in our writing.

Do certain songs hold poignant memories for you? Do you use music as inspiration in your writing?

Summer 1990

G is for Goldberg: #AtoZChallenge

4/8/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

G is for Goldberg (Natalie). She's written two books to provide writing inspiration, Wild Mind and Writing Down the Bones. Each chapter is brief, a few pages at most. You can read a quick chapter, get inspired, and still have time to write. I've mentioned writing books on my blog before (5 Writing Books to Get You Unstuck, for example) but I'm always looking for new ones. What authors inspire you?

F is for F Scott Fitzgerald: #AtoZChallenge

4/7/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

F is for F. Scott Fitzgerald and this inspirational quote:

"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat."

You can find more quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald at BrainyQuote. Do you have a favorite inspiring quote? Please share in the comments. (Hint: visit my blog on April 19th for Q...)

F. Scott Fitzgerald -- Photo in public domain

E is for Emotion: #AtoZChallenge

4/5/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

For today's inpiration, pick an emotion (dread, curiosity, relief, etc.) and think about how two different characters in your work-in-progress would show that feeling. How do their actions vary? What makes them unique? For more information, here's an article from Angela Ackerman: Writing Emotion: Does Your Hero Shrug, Smile & Frown Too Much? (Do you struggle with this, too?)

For your emotion-themed listening pleasure:

D is for Dryer Sheets (and Other Scents): #AtoZChallenge

4/4/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

For Tina Fey, the smell of dryer sheets works creative wonders as she writes in the laundry room. (See the American Express ad here.) I will occasionally light a scented candle while I write, but I'm easily distracted and have a fear of burning down the house, so it's not part of my regular routine.

I do like to proofread at this small desk we have that we don't use often. Each time I work there, my brain knows it's time to read slowly and carefully. Do you have a favorite scent that inspires you? Do you have a special location you use to write/revise/proofread?

(Thanks to Susan Brody for the idea for today's post.)

Photo from morgueFile

C is for Color: #AtoZChallenge

4/3/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

I've always been fascinated with the imagery associated with different colors. You can use the symbolism of color to inspire a scene, a poem, a song. For Taylor Swift, loving him was red.

What's your main character's favorite color? This article summarizes what color choices can indicate about personality. If you have time for a quiz or two, find out what color corresponds to your character's personality or to your own.

Image from morgueFile

B is for Butt-in-Chair: #AtoZChallenge

4/2/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

This month's blog is inspiration-themed, but let's face it. It's not always practical to wait around for inspiration before writing. Usually, it occurs in the opposite order. We need to be writing *first* in order for inspiration to strike. We need butt-in-chair and a brave attempt at doing the work, even when we're completely unspired. Because sometimes, once we begin, magic happens. We're going through the motions of drafting or revising a scene, and a GREAT idea occurs. A flash of insight. The perfect paragraph. So even if you are uninspired today, I hope you attempt something wonderfully creative.

Butt not in chair

A is for Adventure: #AtoZChallenge

4/1/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

Welcome to my inspiration-themed A to Z challenge.

A is for Adventure. An adventure doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. It can be simply changing your routine, or as Julia Cameron says in The Artist's Way, "filling the well." Here are some sample mini-adventures:

Sit someplace busy and watch people. Pick a person in the area and think about how you would describe them as a character. We often get caught up in height, hair color, and eye color, but what makes the person you are observing unlike anyone else?

One of my favorite adventures was revisiting Hoboken, the city where my next story is set. I went to the places my main character goes and tried to see them through her eyes. (I created a Pinterest board of the photos.) If you can't visit your setting, try a virtual adventure through Pinterest, Google Earth, and online image searches.

Let me know some of your favorite adventures, big or small.

Hoboken Terminal

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Forward>>

J is for Jealousy: #AtoZChallenge

I is for Inspiration Sandwich: #AtoZChallenge

H is for Heartbreaker: #AtoZChallenge

G is for Goldberg: #AtoZChallenge

F is for F Scott Fitzgerald: #AtoZChallenge

E is for Emotion: #AtoZChallenge

D is for Dryer Sheets (and Other Scents): #AtoZChallenge

C is for Color: #AtoZChallenge

B is for Butt-in-Chair: #AtoZChallenge

A is for Adventure: #AtoZChallenge

Welcome to my inspiration-themed A to Z challenge.

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Welcome to my inspiration-themed A to Z challenge.

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