Mar 28 2008
4 x 4 Writing Challenge - Inspiration and Writing
4 x 4 Sources Of Writing Inspiration: Group Writing Project by Joanna Young at Confident Writing. It ends at midnight your time tonight, March 28th, and as I told Shelly, I was not going to do it because I don’t have inspiration… but as soon as I wrote it in her comments, the word challenge jumped out and smacked me upside my head, and tired as I am, well, I tried to come up with something!
First the rules, and we know I have a hard time with certain rules, so for me, this was a bit hard this time:
Share 4 lots of 4 things on the theme of writing and inspiration
You don’t need to follow these headings: there are zillions of possibilities (4 blogs, 4 books, 4 authors, 4 people, 4 teachers, 4 pieces of music, 4 paintings and so on)
But please stick to the format of 4 x 4 and the theme of writing and inspiration
Post your contribution by 28th March (midnight, your time)
Let me know you’ve written your piece, by linking to this post, leaving a comment on the post, or contacting me
So, here goes!
4 things that inspire me to write:
- word prompts
- photo prompts
- a challenge, be it word choice, number of lines, number of words
- EMOTIONS, mine or yours - or his - or hers - or theirs
4 things that my muse or self-preservation insist I not do not use with or for inspiration:
- All structured poetry (except Fibs, Pleiades, Abecedarians)
- Non-fiction other than in poetry
- Memoirs that would include stories that would harm another person
- Anything that requires research (Quickest way to squash my inspiration.)
4 things that interfere with my writing/inspiration/mood:
- No furniture comfortable enough to sit in for as many hours as I would write
- Computer drying out my eyes so much I have to stop writing
- Inability to concentrate at times, want to see and hear everything, or can’t block out noise
- The necessity to eat, sleep, and exercise - among other things
4 memorable inspirational moments:
- During mother-in-law’s terminal illness, I created sympathy cards for each family member and her best friends - tailored to them, they were more appreciated than I dared expect and I realized more than ever that words written with emotion and by instinct could make a difference.
- Reading my first few memoirs out loud to my husband, Leon. I read them in pieces during commercials for American Idol. He objected as I read something negative about him, then hushed once I said, “Wait until I finish it, you came out looking like the good guy and me the bad guy.” Those first few attempts brought a lot of laughter to our American Idol “date nights”. (Could be because I don’t read well out loud.) Laughter just “inspired” me to write more.
- NaNoWriMo - Making the decision to try writing my first novel when I had only written a handful of stories. I wrote strictly by instinct - no plan. Have yet to go back and finish it, but it was the most remarkable feeling every day of those 30 days I have ever had, and each time I pick it up, the feeling returns.
- Creating a blog - in the middle of my first NaNoWriMo. My first entry. I had no idea how to start a blog and my instincts took over. I believe my family would label it obsession, but it sure beats a few other obsessions I could have come up with.
4 responses so far
Well, see I knew you would get inspired to write something! You always are right on top of anything with a word prompt, and that is all this is. I never even thought about the physical stuff that keeps me from writing (she says as she tries to make her gnarled fingers find the keys). Good list!
It was reading yours that did it, Shelly…this prompt originally felt too much like writing non-fiction, grin! So, thank you!
Thanks for taking part! I’m glad that the challenge or the word or something or other prompted you to join in. I enjoyed reading your list - especially the way you allow yourself to write from instinct.
Joanna
Thank you, Joanna. I am glad I found your site.
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[...] Marcia at Tumbled Words: 4 x 4 Writing Challenge - Inspiration and Writing NaNoWriMo - Making the decision to try writing my first novel when I had only written a handful of [...]