The Cure For Inspiration Blues
- Keep a Dream Journal. Did you know that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 3 days after having a vivid nightmare?
- Try this: Write from the point of view of someone who committed a murder today… do NOT mention the murder!
- Tell the same story from four different points of view.
- Plan an escape to solitary confinement… 48 hours in a cheap motel with no telephone, television or internet access! You’d be surprised what your imagination can produce under pressure!
- Find a family photo that was taken one year before you were born. Write a story that starts the minute these people break their pose. Where do they go? What do they do?
What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Authors?
“Read everything they can get their hands on! Reading is the best ‘tool’ of the trade. Trust your instincts; don’t be swayed by trends or others methods of writing. It’s easy to doubt yourself when you first start and to let others dictate how you ‘should’ do something; i.e. outline vs. write. Every writer has her unique style and rhythm and it’s vital that she find that beat and listen to it.”