Where do you get your story ideas from?

Some writers are lucky, they get their story ideas in dreams, when their sub-conscious mind is hard at work. The next morning the idea remains in their mind and they start developing it. Stephenie Meyers got the idea for twilight in a dream. One of my crit partners Kim Koning too gets quite a few ideas in her dreams. For J.K.Rowling, the idea for the Potter series fell into her head fully formed during a train journey.

Jorge Amado, the famous South American writer regarded himself as a ‘professional dreamer.’ He often said that the greater part of his work was conceived in dreams and he wrote down the images and visions he remembered on waking up. These images were incorporated in his books. “All I am,” Amado said, “is a hard working recorder of dreams. If I didn’t have dreams, I wouldn’t know what to write about.”

One of the most famous writers to draw inspiration from his dreams was Gustave Flaubert. He normally slept five hours a night, but he said, “the sixth hour of my sleep is given over to dreaming.” He would reach for his notebook on waking up and record his dreams, referring to his notes when he wrote his novels and stories.

Though I see a lot of dreams, so far I have never been inspired by a dream. My dreams are just that; dreams. No writing happens due to the dreams. My story ideas come to me from random sources. Sometimes, it’s a title that has been playing around in my mind. The title then inspires a story. At other times it could be a picture I have seen somewhere. Yes, pictures in magazines, newspapers and even blogs inspire me by planting story ideas in my mind.

More often than not, a character jumps into my mind and he or she urges me to write their story. A couple of my books have come out of short stories.

Where do you all get inspiration for your stories? Who or what inspires you? Do dreams spark the seed for an idea? We all would love to know all about it.

What has my writing taught me?

My journey as a writer has been quite a long one. In the initial years I wrote short stories and features. Then many years later I dived into the world of  books. Over the years I have learnt several things in this journey.  I want to share these insights with my writing friends.  I am sure a few things will make you smile, and some things will make you nod your heads.

1.  Writing has taught me that writers seldom become overnight millionaires. Infact, fat paychecks and writers are like two railway tracks, running alongside and meeting in just a few cases.

2. Writing has taught me that I may be the boss where my stories are concerned but I am at the beck and call of my muse who decides that there is nothing wrong if he pops into the shower to greet me or that there is nothing wrong with a 3 a.m greeting.

3. Writing has taught me that however much I torture my characters they always have the last laugh by putting their foot down and taking the story in another direction from the one I had envisaged.

4. Writing has taught me the skills of a master juggler: trying to balance writing with life, work, friendship, blogging etc is not an easy task. This entire juggling business tires me big time.

5. Writing has taught me that I am the odd one among my friends. I go gushy mushy over books the way people fall over babies, hot guys, racing cars, bikes, diamonds and chocolates.

6. Writing has made me realize that I have more imaginary friends than a small child. My characters become my friends, sometimes reluctantly and sometimes willingly.

7. Writing has made me realize that I am a closet sadist. I enjoy torturing my characters.

8.Writing has taught me that patience, dedication and hard work will never go waste. Somewhere along the way the rewards are waiting.

9. Writing has taught me to develop a thick skin. Not everyone will like what I have written and not everyone will have favourable things to say about it.

10. Writing has also taught me to believe in my stories. There are people out there who will love my words, maybe they will get inspired by it. I owe it to them to keep writing.

What has your  writing journey taught you? Please share with us, we all would love to know.

Keeping yourself Inspired

Today, I am guest posting at Misha’s Blog- My First Book. My topic is Keeping yourself Inspired. Inspiration is important for every profession, be it writing, dancing, singing or anything else.

 I tend to have these low inspiration days. During these days I am ensnared by all negative thoughts and feelings, where  my writing is concerned. I need to constantly motivate myself, else I will end up in a puddle of self-pity.

I would love to know the different ways you all inspire yourself. Is there any book you find particularly inspiring? Any person who is your inspiration?

I would love it if you all visit Misha’s Blog and let me know what you think of my post.

Have a wonderful weekend.

How Do Story Ideas Strike You?

Story ideas strike me at the most unexpected times and in the least expected way. Whenever, anyone asks me how  do I get the Inspiration for my stories (in this case I am talking of the short stories I have written; around 60 stories ranging from 1000 words to 4500 words, which have all been published in newspapers and books), I wonder how do I explain to a non-writer how does this happen.

The Inspiration for my first book ‘The Lion Who Wanted to Sing,’ jumped into my mind while I was meditating. In that brief moment of calm, an image of a Lion gazing at the sky flashed into my mind.  The title too just popped into my mind as though someone had whispered it into my ear. The story idea just unspooled from that brief vision. And that vision became the book cover image.

Sometimes, I just see an image of a character or maybe two characters and the story starts frothing in my mind. Many times, I even start with a title which acts like a prompt and the story starts building around the title. I know it sounds strange, but that’s the way my brain gets its dose of Inspiration.

At times even a conversation with a writing friend on Facebook can trigger a plot point or unleash a story idea hiding in the back of my mind. At those times I am extremely grateful for the distraction provided by the internet; it becomes a blessing more than a nuisance. And I secretly bless the writing friend for her indirect inspiration.

Most of my chapter outlines fall into place with chapter titles that just pop into my mind as though someone was urging me to write about it. I just adore these flashes of Inspiration moments. I just wish they were more frequent and occurred at least once a day.

That’s why veteran writers talk about jotting down everything that is churned out by our mind: both the conscious and the Sub-conscious mind. We never know when these nuggets of gems may turn out to be the cues that can propel our writing to greater heights.

I know it’s different for every writer. We all have our unique ways of tackling our writing. Many writers I know see their stories in their dreams. I would love to know how story ideas approach you? Do characters come begging at your doorstep pleading with you to write their stories? Or do the story ideas fall into your head fully formed and you all just start writing? How do ideas strike you?

               

               

Should Writers Wait for Inspiration?

The  topic for this post is inspired by a comment  by  a writer friend and blog buddy Jim Murdoch, on  a previous post of mine titled ‘Where Does Inspiration Strike You’.

Here is Jim’s comment:

“I don’t believe in inspiration, not in any Romantic sense. Inspiration is a  good idea – literally – and I don’t like to mystify the process. If I have a good idea, great, if not then any old idea will do. I used to wait around for inspiration to strike as if it was out of my control and that’s such a waste of resources. This doesn’t mean I’m not affected by my moods and there are times I’m less responsive than others – there’s nothing like having a clear head when you’re trying to write – but there’s often much we can do to improve our chances of a successful writing session, if we know ourselves. This is why some writers rise at the crack of dawn because they recognise that is the optimum time for them to work. I used to find working in the middle of the night was a very productive time but these days I’m at my clearest in the afternoons.

That said you can be struck by a good idea any time. The key is to be on the lookout. And have paper handy. It’s no different to a photographer wandering around with his camera on the lookout for something worth snapping. Unlike some authors there’s no place I find inspiring and believe you me I have pounded the street looking for ideas in the past. You can’t force a good idea to come to you any more than you can encourage a cat to come to you by shouting at it.”

We writers must write  under all circumstances. If we were to wait around for inspiration, then it may be a really long wait. As writers we have to be our own inspiration.  Once we start writing, our words will  inspire the next lot of words, which will further inspire more words which will give birth to the next lot of words.

I tried this four days back. I was battling a vicious bout of virus, running a temperature and the medication was  making me sleepy. My Crit Partner had sent me her feedback on my MG fiction. She was waiting for me to make the changes. Frankly speaking, I was in no mood to write, my muse as usual was missing in action.

But, I forced myself to write. For the next fifty minutes, meaningless words escaped my head. I jotted them down, though I knew I would discard them later. The initial blank page slowly filled with words as the thought of my Crit Partner waiting for the last few chapters filled my mind. I ended up making the changes even in the midst of a virus with my muse gone on a holiday.

This is one habit all of us should incorporate into our writing life. We should and must set personal deadlines. Else, the manuscript will take ages to get written. Do you all force yourself to write irrespective of the circumstances? Or do you all wait for the muse to drop in? 

Does this Happen to You?

From the past few months, I have noticed a new awareness in myself. I am hypersensitive to people: their moods, body language, facial expressions, changes in their voice and  also my surroundings. Its like the awareness that comes when one is initiated  with a mantra and a subtle but enormous change takes place in a human’s body.

Nowadays, wherever I go, I tend to see the details that I had earlier missed or overlooked. I am not sure if it is a writer thing, or its happening just like that. In January, on a flight to Mumbai, I was enchanted with a young couple. I admit they made a striking couple and attracted more than a fair share of eyeballs, but I watched them as though I was  studying them for an exam. Let me hasten to add, that I didn’t stare at them, but  my eyes frequently strayed towards them.

I  liked the unselfconscious way the girl was feeding the guy chocolate. Though the guy was  glued to his laptop, the  girl’s  constant chatter didn’t disturb him; there was no irritated expression on his face. I liked the tattoo on the guy’s arm and the way his fingers moved over the keyboard. The couple looked to be in their twenties and completely in love, atleast the girl seemed more than the guy as she was displaying an excessive P.D.A. My mind constantly drifted to the young couple; I wondered who they were, where were they going, where were they from, what did they do. I  caught a glimpse of them at the Mumbai airport waiting for  a taxi. I am sure both the girl and the guy will feature in some story/scene in a future work.

The same thing happened last week. I was out for lunch with a close friend. It was a typical Bangalore day: light drizzle, clouds that drove the sun away. While my friend and I were shopping, an old couple entered the shop we were in. Once again my writer’s eye latched upon them.

I noticed the frugal way they bought the food items, I noticed the tacit look the husband exchanged with his wife  before picking up the smallest packets and reading the price tags on the slightly larger ones before placing them back on the shelves. This couple shared an understanding that came with years of being together. Again, I can say with a certainty that this old couple will figure in a future work of mine.

Does this thing happen to you? Are you distracted by people, or, does something attract your attention in such a way  making you wonder about it frequently. I am noticing that as I write more and more, I am getting more observant? Please tell me whether any of you suffer from the same malady? Please assure me that I am not going nuts, that I am just looking for inspiration for my stories.

Where does Inspiration Strike You?

As writers we are all victims of the  elusive muse  who showers his/her blessings via inspiration, which like lightning can strike us any time, any place and anywhere. Sometimes, even twice in the same place.

My muse tends to be very generous when ever it suits him (yes, my muse is a male). Don’t ask me how I have come to that conclusion. I just know it. Call it a Woman’s Instinct. Just like my mom knows when I am dodging the truth.

Honestly, there have been times when I am  at a party enjoying a marathon chat session with my favourite cousins and my muse is whispering important plot points in my ears. At that time I am not sure whether I am supposed to drop my tandoori kebab and jot down the points. Then, I realize  that  I was foolish enough to bring a tiny clutch purse which  had  turned up its nose at my scribbling pad and pen.

Once, I even made  notes on paper napkins, the pen was borrowed from a gentleman having a drink at the next table.

There have been times when I have quickly wiped my hands on a paper napkin and typed those important plot points as a message and saved it on my cell phone. Inspiration has its amazing way of  striking me when I least expect it. Another favourite place for inspiration is when I  am catching a movie with friends in a multiplex. You can always find me with my eyes glued to the large screen and my fingers typing a furious tattoo on my cell.

 Nowadays, inspiration arrives at my doorstep when I am reading blog posts. I am not going to name the bloggers, because, I fear that they may demand a percentage of my royalty for inspiring me.

Many senior writers suggest keeping a pen and paper not just handy, but in many places in the house. That way it’s easy to make notes and capture the secrets spilling out of our muse’s mouth before he/she decides to disappear.

Where does Inspiration strike you? Which is its favourite haunt? How do you cope with its demands? Any funny incidents that come to mind? We would love to be inspired by the stories of your inspiration.

              

How much of Us is there in our Characters?

Few months back,  someone I met at a party  had   read a book where the protagonist was a ruthless woman who used  her relationships ( read men) as  stepping stones to success. The heroine  had no qualms about her lack of scruples or the way she manipulated  the people she encountered. The writer had done a wonderful job of creating a complete  go getter who used people to get ahead in life.

That lady  told me “the writer must have  had so many affairs.” I asked her why she thought that. “The book  is so realistic, I am sure it must be based on her own life. How can she write such a book without undergoing those events?” I was shocked by her thinking that as writers we live the lives of  our characters: meaning our character’s actions mirrors our own. I hastily corrected her limited vision of a writer’s life.  "It’s the power of our  imagination that sees us creating characters who seem  so realistic. That particular writer has just been blessed with an extra vivid imagination. The story  idea could have been triggered by a news report,  or someone she met somewhere, or by a movie. It’s not necessarily based on her real life.” I am sure  my argument did not convince the lady.

 Yes, we do breathe our characters, live them for the duration of  the time it takes us to complete our  books. Our characters  are born out of  our over active imagination. We spend weeks/months   making them believable, and as real as possible,  but they do not mirror  our  lives or are  our  literary  reflections.

 I  write middle grade fiction where my characters are super brats. But I am not one in real life.  The book I am currently writing is about a notorious prankster.  I can say with  complete honesty that I have only played two pranks in my life, both harmless ones.

Just because my protagonist is a mischievous brat, that does not mean I am one too. We writers do give  few of our traits to our characters: strengths and weaknesses, but that’s just about it. The rest is fuelled by our imagination and the power of our words. Every situation and scene is not an exact replay or reflection of our personal life or interactions.  Every scene: good or bad need not be a scene we have  experienced in our lives.

 We writers are great observers of life and we can be called people watchers. Whatever we see is jotted down in our memories and brought to life when we start writing. When we read our completed products we do find few similarities between our characters and ourselves:  maybe few struggles echo our own, few situations mirror our own, and few traits of our characters match ours, but that’s it. The rest is all make believe.

 What about you all? How much of yourselves do you add  into your characters? Are your characters your literary replicas? Is your  story a written  account of your life? Is your life your literary inspiration? Is it like looking in the mirror when you read your books?  

When in Trouble, Summon your Favourite Author

While working on my current WIP,  before I could plunge my protagonist into troubled  shark infested water, I ended up putting myself in it. I had chosen a  theme that was unusual and different. Creating  a world class mischief maker  is not a joke. I never play pranks and  to be honest, I have no connection with pranksters.

 I seldom discuss my books with anyone, especially while writing the first draft. So I found myself in  a self dug hole. I badly needed guidance. When I  told my nephew few pranks to check out their potency, he  said “you have read so many Roald Dahl books,  you should be able to do justice to your book. Think like him.” I had introduced him to Dahl when he was eight.

At that moment things slid into place. I decided why not. I could  summon Dahl, and  pretend that he was writing my book whenever I got stuck. What prank would  Dahl  pull  in this scene, how would he tackle that situation, what devious idea would he come up with. Everytime I got stuck, I pleaded with Mr Dahl to help me out.

After that it was easy, I breezed through portions I  had earlier found difficult and troublesome. Hopefully my editor too finds them  nice. My fingers are crossed.

 I think this advice would work  well for all of us. I chose the author who wrote middle grade fiction (  the genre I write). I am sure we all have our  favourites in the genres we write, and I am sure we are familiar with their style and technique. So why not get into their skin when we find ourselves in tight spots, or at dead ends. It’s not like we are copying them. It’s just a way to work out those tangled knots and if and when we choose we can rewrite later.

 The best thing about this idea was that I  could see the book from my favourite writer’s perspective.  Having read all  Dahl’s books twice, I was pretty familiar with his humor and style. It was easy to get into his skin, and  invite him into my life to help me tide over those treacherous  and troublesome paths. Though the writing style is mine,  the thoughts are mine, the ideas are mine,  but just by trying to think like him  helped me  whenever I tied myself  in tight knots. It was like he was guiding me towards the direction I must take or untying the knots for me.

How do you all tackle those tricky spots that come up while you are writing? Whom do you turn to? Is there something  that helps you bypass those roadblocks? Is there someone who helps you navigate those tricky bends? Please share, we all badly need to learn those tips.

P.S. I will not be posting on Friday 5th November as its Diwali (our Festival of  Lights). I will see you all next Tuesday.


A Must Read for all  Writers is a post  Inspirations, which  I read  at Adventures in Agentland .