You know those moments when you get a sudden wave of "Oh my God I need to write! Now!" and your skin goes all tingly? What triggers those for you?
I get them when I smell rain, read Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, or Gwen Harwood, when the house is freshly cleaned, when I get into crisp clean bed linen, when I buy a fragrance I've never worn before, when my dog Holly begs for pats, when it gets cold enough to snuggle up on the couch under a duvet, when I put on a new pair of shoes for the first time, when my hair grows long enough to tie it up into a ponytail again, when I'm standing on a deserted beach in the middle of winter, and the ocean is so loud that it roars at me ...
So, tell me, what kind of writing surges do you experience?
For me it's usually in crowds, at train stations, in pubs, or, mostly in my classroom, when I overhear some interesting dialogue or spot a curious character.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to vote I came out of the booths and saw four elderly ladies (probably in their 80's), one was looking back in and another said to her, 'lost your boyfriend?' This perked my attention ('cause it's so cute to think of an 80yr old having a boyfriend!). She announced he was now her husband and the three oldies cooed and giggled over her ring. It was just such an adorable scene :-)
I'm a huge nature buff. And for me, it's got to be the rain. I have different recordings of storms on my computer and I play one of them depending on what type of scene I plan on writing.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing for me and an element I don't talk too freely about in cyberspace is that I pray. Prayer always leads me to that place inside myself that I can never find on my own. That quiet, placid space in my head and my heart where life is slower. It's such a motivator.
For me, things that urge me to be creative (sometimes this is writing) are rain (especially sudden storms/tropical rain), twilight (the blue light where there are shadows that glow), freshly cut grass, nice books, certain kinds of music... sometimes they can be the smallest things...
ReplyDeleteOften, though these just spark the desire to be creative but I don't really follow though. I'll just end up going 'WOW', feeling as though I'll never be able to replicate the emotions that have been evoked in me.
I think it is interesting, however, that the things that drive us to write/be creative are simply those which fill us with a bittersweet joy at being alive... perhaps the desire to create under these circumstances comes down to us wanting to leave our mark on the world, to be able to say 'I was here, I felt it too!'
I tend to write in prolific spurts and then not write for a while. Right now I'm in one of my spurts. I never know when they are going to occur, but they are usually triggered by a sentence, a character, a conversation, and/or a scene that comes to me and won't let me go.
ReplyDeleteI get the surge to write a poem at the most odd occasions, could be on a train passing a beautiful scene, or perhaps seeing the expressions on the faces of my grandchildren. Or lately a text message that was from a cousin
ReplyDeletewhom I have never met. She is my late dad's niece and since my father died when I was three had no knowledge of her, she saw my family tree that I compiled.
Yvonne.
I guess that would be nature for me. Yesterday, after a long-awaited rainstorm, I was sitting on the deck, watching the sun catch some very long spider webs. They came all the way down from the tree tops to the bushes. Reminded me of Charlotte's Web.
ReplyDeleteI like to watch the night sky too...
I have no idea what triggers a surge of words.
ReplyDeleteI usually just sit down and write what I can.
Sometimes, my muse smiles on me and what I can write is in excess of six thousand words in a single day.
The next day... I sit down to write and nothing comes out. Not even a decent blog.
Nice Post, by the way.
:-)
For me it's listening to music. I always get the urge to write when my character talks to me during a song I love. :)
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason, water probably gives me my biggest surge to write. Watching it or being around it always makes me want to reach for my notepad. And, when I'm needing inspiration, a hot bath always gets me going again.
ReplyDeleteWe're talking writing surges & NOT hormonal surges right? I guess the 2 are somehow linked for me...J/K
ReplyDeleteMine come out of the blue, sometimes with just a word or an image....mainly a word though. I can be washing dishes, feeding the cat, sitting on my bum in front o' the T.V. & poof they just pop in my head and I run to find my lil notebook, which hopefully I can find before I lose the thought :)
Normally things come to me when I least expect it. Driving in the car and song will come on and trigger something.
ReplyDeletePeople watching.
Drifting in the place between awake and sleep. I always think of great stuff there.
Unfortunately, my power surges come at night. And then I can't turn off the inspiration. And then I can't sleep. And then I can't wake up. And then...
ReplyDeleteIt's a never ending (and vicious) cycle. Oh, the life of a sleep deprived wannabe authoress.
I get those surges too, usually when the house is quiet and I can't stop thinking about what my characters are doing. =)
ReplyDeleteI have to walk outside to get inspiration and clean the cobwebs from the recesses of my mind. I live close to the ocean, mountains, and parks, so there is plenty of inspiration if I only pay attention to my surroundings and not space out.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
For me, those writing surges come when I'm watching people interact, or watching the news; the news often triggers ideas or inspiration, since my writing is influenced a lot by current events.
ReplyDeleteI also get inspiration when I'm sleeping; recently I've been getting several story ideas and I actually started writing one of them down.
Honestly, it's usually after I watch a really good movie.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if I go on a long walk in really nice weather.
And those are just...two. :)
Two things really give me those surges and oddly enough they both begin with N...nature and naps. :) I get inspired when we go for walks or ride the Harley or take long rides in the car...I wake up from naps ready to write...of course no one can be at home for the nap or the writing to happen...
ReplyDeletewow- you got a lot of triggers! lol. I guess mine is the smell of changing seasons. It just inspires me.
ReplyDeleteI get writing surges when I observe unique characteristics and actions of the people around me - or when I listen to my Carter Burwell station on Pandora. :)
ReplyDeleteI usually need to be alone to get my writing surge on. Out in the yard watching the leaves blow through the trees, or in the bath tub. Something about water makes me more creative, LOL! (I'm a cancer, I guess that's why)
ReplyDeleteLovely post!
When I overhear a particularly juicy line of dialogue (usually from my kids), when I'm lying in bed and can't fall asleep, on rainy days, whenever I enter a coffee shop or the library. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky you have so many of them! My biggies are certain dreams, or inspirations during power walks--those are the times I just can't help it... Every once in a while I'll have that kind of flash while reading--something somebody does will trigger a mechanism or A to B I've been looking for in my head.
ReplyDeleteSo many things can inspire me but a walk in the woods is top on my list of inspiring places.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a great list. I'm usually sparked when I read something amazing - or something really bad. I love to write when I'm in a cabin. Or in the office my husband created for me. I'm always inspired by emotion. And music. And of course my Monday muse :-D
ReplyDeleteMusic usually does it for me as well. Fast-tempo and guitar crunching and I'm inspired.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's when I'm exploring new places or sitting in a coffeehouse and wondering why the couple at the next table are arguing or snuggled on the sofa with a good book when a line of dialogue triggers a totally unrelated event or when I've returned from a walk in the forest and the mind's completely clear.
ReplyDeleteI feel the need to write sometimes. There's no particular triggers, though. I call it the Writing Rush. I did a post on it a while back on my blog, fantasticfantasyfan.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteMusic does it for me - and some of my favourite sci fi shows. They have such increidble imaginative storylines it inspires me :)
ReplyDeleteEverything and Anything! Typically a phrase or a couple of words pop into my awareness and my mind runs away with ideas. I want to stop whatever I am doing and follow the train of thought and write, write, write. Always reminds me of the phrase "all that wanders is not lost."
ReplyDeleteA warm spring day, overlooking the city.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't have the luxury of letting it work that way. I'm too busy with work and family to have much time to sit down and write so I just force myself whenever the time is there.
ReplyDeleteHonestly though, the main time that inspiration strikes me is as I lie in bed trying to fall asleep. I often have to jump up and send myself an email so that I can remember to write what I thought of later.
One day I promise to take the time to write more often when the mood strikes me.
Yes, yes and yes I can really identify with this feeling and love the way you describe it. Great post great blog :O)
ReplyDeleteAll of the above, ma'am. I especially feel that surge when I look at the sky. Blue, gray, black...however it looks, when I see it I feel that surge. It's a fantastic feeling, isn't it?
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ReplyDeleteMarilynne Robinson, definitely! Just did a blog psot on this :-)
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