Clowns and Romance

The last time I was at the library, I picked up Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher in an effort to get the kiddo to read something new.  Plus, Jim Butcher is one of my favorite authors.  I told the kiddo the author was challenged to write something based on the ideas of Pokemon and the Roman legion – two things my kiddo loves.   

On Monday night, I had a friend over while I was helping the kiddo get his reading log done.  I told my friend the same story about how the book was written and she thought it was pretty neat.  Somehow, the conversation turned into a challenge of our own.

Each of us now has to write a story in a week based on two ideas chosen by the others.  I ended up with Clowns and Romance.  This is how my thought process went after I was given my topics….  Clowns, really?  I hate you guys.  I hate clowns.  Hey, maybe my romance can be about killing clowns.  Alright!  Let’s write!

I haven’t written the story yet.  It will probably happen on Saturday or Friday night.  Whenever I get the time to sit down and write.  But I love the idea of throwing two completely different ideas together and getting a story out of them. 

Write: Keeping it all in order

I have two white boards in my house.  A large one in my bedroom/office and a smaller one by the kitchen table.  I've gone through a couple different ways to organize these and still feel that I should just coat the walls in dry erase paint and write everywhere.  One of the things I added to this last round of organizing is more space for random ideas, like Hercules on Probation.  In order to keep white space available, I've also created a spreadsheet for ideas and to do lists.

I'm still getting the hang of my organizer, but I really enjoy having all my writing ideas in one place.  Often, I'll get home and my new wonderful idea is at work and I can't remember what it was.  Or I will jot it down on a piece of paper and promptly loose it.  This way, I can have one sheet with my ideas that I can pick from at any time (except on the van, but nothing is perfect).

When the Hercules idea came up, I wrote it down on my white board and transferred it to the spreadsheet when I next logged in.  Last night, when I sat down to write, I looked over the ideas and picked one to write about.

I have different columns with space for a title, a description of the piece, where I might submit it, and considerations for those submissions.

How do you organize your thoughts for writing, crafting, or getting things done? 

Inspire: Conversations over Dinner

The kiddo and I have some interesting conversations.  Especially when he is grounded from TV and has no other option but to talk to me.  Mwahaha ahem. 

Recently, he watched the Disney movie Hercules in school.  Why?  We aren't exactly sure.  But it was his favorite part of the school day.  Me being me, and the kiddo being the kiddo, I had to ask if he shouted out any inaccuracies about the movie.  He didn't, mostly, but he really wanted to!  Ah, my kiddo, he takes after me so much.

So began a conversation about Hercules' twelve labors that he had to do because he killed his family.  Then the thought came to me....  Hercules was on probation.  He became famous because he was sentenced to community service.  How odd is that?  And so we pulled out the myth books and read up on old Heracles to find out that he was a repeat offender and hadn't gotten the message the first time around.  The second probation lasted a much shorter period of time, and he didn't even write home!

The kiddo thought this would be a great story idea and I have to agree. 

See what can happen when you sit down and talk?

Write: The Joy of Friends

Inspirations can come from any source.  A mural can come from rolls of butcher paper during a contest.  A poem can come from an empty can rolling across the sidewalk.  A story can come from an abandoned glove.

Anything can come from anywhere.  Even writer's block.

It's what you put into the story that is important.  The story is imagined, "Where did that glove come from," and that thought leads to another, "I bet their hands are really cold right now." 

Inspirations are inspired and the Muses are everywhere.

I am lucky to have found a fantastic group of crafty friends who are full of inspiration.  If I can't use it, maybe one of them can.  Maybe they have an idea that sparks one of my own.  My friend Kristin, designer and creator of our mural and art group, has brought in some of her wonderful projects for our sew 'n swaps along with our other groups.  My friend Sarah always has abstract, crazy, wonderful ideas that are completely off the wall but are inspiring.  My son always has some idea that inspires me to take up the challenge and make him something (although the plarn bag turned out too girly for him.  I have to make another one in more manly colors).

Who inspires you?  Where do you get ideas from and who helps you realize those ideas?