If you haven't voted on my most recent Battle of the Bands then I invite you to visit here and let your preference be known. And now on with my August posting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group...
The Insecure Writer's Support Group
The co-hosts for the August 5 posting of the IWSG are Susan Baury Rouchard, Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jennifer Hawes, Chemist Ken, and Chrys Fey!
August 5 question - Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be."
Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?
Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?
Back when I was in high school and college I kept a dream journal. I kept it partly as a sort of self-analysis or something, but I also enjoyed the surrealism of the dream world. Being prone to writing as it was, I began to make stories out of some of the dreams. At other times the dreams might inspire a song or a poem. I guess I could say my exercise in journaling inspired writing in other forms that were in a sense like a bonus--something I hadn't planned on doing.
In my more recent years, distanced from those school years by some five decades, I'm finding that as I am inspired to write songs, certain songs call for me to write a story that helps me visualize the songs better. And more and more I'm less drawn to fiction as my thoughts turn more to memoir.
Maybe in a way I've gone full circle from where I started in my writing interest. These days I crave more reality as real life around me seems to become increasingly more unreal. Who needs fiction when the real world has become so wildly crazy? No wonder I'm looking back.
If "2020" had been written as a novel years ago, would you have believed it? Has this year been more inspirational to you, more distracting, or more something else? Where do we go from here in your estimation?
Fiction reality is certainly more real now. Not as inclined to write at the moment but when I get my manuscript back from my test readers I'll probably be more motivated.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I love motivation.
DeleteLee
2020 feels to me what I imagine it would be like to be at war. But I bet our parents and grandparents felt even worse during WWI and WWII.
ReplyDeleteLiza, So far aside from that brief period of supplies panic at the beginning, there seems to be a pretty ample supply of things and we haven't been called upon to ration anything. What would people do now?
DeleteLee
Thanks Arlee for your experience. I still keep a diary, including early morning writing with dreams. I find it gets them all out of my head. Reality sure inspires dreams anyhow .... using them to create stories ensures me they don’t become nightmares. Fiction often anticipates reality and this pandemic certainly finds echoes in films, songs, books of the past. The silver lining being that 2020 has , I hope, heightened our awareness of the power of Nature and how humans should respect it more. Reading Sapiens, at the moment, it puts things into perspective.
ReplyDeleteSusan B, I fear less the power of nature than I do the power of societal corruption and gullibility. At least nature is non-discriminatory.
DeleteLee
Yes Lee this world has gone crazy, as long as we don't go crazy with it. I didn't find out I could "Write" not until my hubby passed away 22years ago. It helped the grieving process.
ReplyDeleteHave a good August and keep well.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, writing is a tremendous antidote for things that ail us.
DeleteLee
I used to keep a dream journal. Dreams are always the source of my stories.
ReplyDeleteL.Diane, dreams are great story sources. I think a lot of writers have used them throughout history.
DeleteLee
If anything does come out of this I hope it's that we respect and care for each other more. Time will tell, I suppose. I think as fiction writers what we come up with probably can't hold a candle to what nature can throw at us and I can see how you would lean towards memoir.
ReplyDeleteWhen I write, I intermingle genres, often throwing romance and mystery together. I agree with you about the world right now. It's so surreal, that I can't get myself back into the writing game. I have ideas, but no drive to write. Hopefully, it will come back if our world tips itself upright again.
ReplyDelete2020 is definitely a dystopic novel in my book!
ReplyDeleteDream stories. What a brilliant idea!
ReplyDeleteYour memoir, dear Lee, would definitely sell better than a book about 2020!
Lee,
ReplyDeleteKeeping a dream journal sounds interesting. I can't say mine were interesting enough to write down. Some caused me to go, "That didn't make sense!" Anymore if I dream I usually forget most of what I dreamed by the time I get up.
As bad as it's been at time this year, I think an author would depict 2020 even worse. I can almost imagine the author would pen an up rising against the paid degenerates who have communities under siege to restore law & order once again. Speaking of which I did read about a small town in Colorado that did just that. Bravo! I am pretty much ready to close the last chapter on this book and am ready to reach for something calmer. You asked has this year been inspiring. The year itself hasn't but I have felt more inspired to do creative things. Perhaps it's a natural mechanism instilled by God to help me cope with the things I cannot change but whatever the reason I'm enjoying it!