The Frozen Guide to Ideas

I do love a GIF post. Seriously. I've got Van Der Queries here. And Buffy here. And a bit of Doctor Who here. Some Tangled. Let the tradition continue with the Frozen guide to ideas. 

The moment you wake up with a shiny new idea:

And you think:

The exhilaration of jotting down some basic plot points: 

Although it can be hard to see where the story is going: 

And you think:

So it's time for a break:

Sometimes a quick break is all you need to get back to feeling like this: 

Happy Wednesday.

Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Life Goes On

It fascinates me when there's an idea in the air that seems to spring up simultaneously from different places. There are writing trends in pop culture, but that's not necessarily what I mean. I mean two people in different places feeling the same vibe from this moment in history who get inspired to write...

Vampires.

Or cowboy space opera.

Or fallen angels.

Or dystopia.

I guess with that last one it's easy to see where the inspiration comes in. A world in financial unease and geo-political unrest. Newspapers sensationalizing every awful thing. It's easy to see where dystopian ideas spring up. In fact, this isn't a modern phenomenon by any means. This genre is as old as oppression and as relevant as pain.

STUNG by Bethany Wiggins (highly recommend, by the way) sprang up from the vaccine craze of the last few decades combined with the mysterious dying off of honey bees.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins sprang up from a world at war that is too entertained to realize it is at war.

ENDER'S GAME by OSC sprang up in 1985 inspired by zero population, genetic engineering, and the question of war-time military ethics.

1984 by George Orwell sprang up in the late 1940's in response to the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert sprang up from uber consumerism and corporate culture.

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano sprang out of science's obsession with immortality.

PITY ISN'T AN OPTION by Jessica Brooks sprang out of economic depression and political disenfranchisement.


The overarching theme in most--not all--of these is that life goes on, however miserable things get, and that there is hope. 

Sometimes that hope resides in one person who holds the cure. Or in teaming up in the face of incredible odds. Or in sacrificing yourself for your family. Or faith in a higher power. 

Have you read something in this genre recently? What did you take away?

A Guide to Writer Traits

When drafting a new WIP there are certain things a writer will encounter. We can try to fight them. Pretend they won't happen to us, but the time will come when you are faced with these things:

Your appearance will suffer. You may/will be so engrossed in your WIP that your hair protests. Embrace it. Our presentation may suck, but the words you could write in the time it takes to brush your hair are what counts:

You've marked out your writing time. Everyone knows not to disturb you, but someone will interrupt you in the middle of THE MOST IMPORTANT scene to ask you a question. You'll need a speed answer to preserve your wordage flow:

Your computer will decide to shut down/freeze/go wonky at the most inconvenient moment. You will utter this phrase many, many times:

Or possibly want to do this:

A balanced meal takes time to prepare. Valuable writing time! Sometimes the major food groups will end up looking like this:

We all know that sometimes the brain needs a break. Never underestimate the value of procrastination time: 

A writer will find that everything else is exciting while procrastinating:

And don't forget the benefits of a power nap:

And then there is the ultimate writer trait to embrace. You can try to avoid it with carefully thought out writing plans/word count goals/time management, but the words are tricky. The words will hit you when you least expect it. Then comes the time when the words demand you write all night:

Happy writing! 

The Big Bang Theory Query

That moment you finally finish your MS:



And you send off the query:



When a new message shows up in your inbox:



Or the post drops through the door:



The face you make when someone asks you "If you've heard anything yet?"



And you have a "I hate waiting" moment:

 



Then you get a new idea:



And the waiting isn't so bad, right?: