And you know what? I enjoyed it. Watching this TV show, that is, though I enjoyed drawing the mermaid, too. Most of my regular TV shows are "adult" and intense and sometimes silly, but still adult--and it was a lot of fun to watch this and see how the writers wove the character interactions and friendships--so far, I think they've done it really well, in a way that has kept me clicking to watch the next episode.
Sometimes, if I'm feeling worn out with my writing and I need inspiration, I'll pause and read a book, or watch some movies, or play some video games. Depending on my mood, any of these things can get my imagination going, or help me work through a plot problem, or whatever. Seeing different worlds and stories and characters that have been created by other people is a very powerful thing. Such is the case with me at the moment; taking a break and watching something different has really helped my creativity. When my head doesn't feel like it's stuffed full of cotton, I feel I'll be even more ready to dive back into my current novel. (Which, for the record, has absolutely nothing to do with mermaids.)
What helps you get your creative juices going? Has this winter been as insane for weather and illnesses for you as it has for me? How many licks DOES it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop??
Get well soon, Laura.
ReplyDeleteI don't look for inspiration; it usually finds me - especially when I am driving and should be concentrating on other things...like staying alive!
Thanks, Donna.
DeleteI find driving good for inspiration, too. :D
The cold both kids had this past week was our first of the winter - I got horribly sick this fall, but that was right around a time of tremendous physical and emotional stress, so that wasn't too surprising. So not much illness, but plenty of grumpiness (mostly due to the fact that this has been a snowless winter, so all of our usual fun winter outdoor activities have not happened, and we've been stuck inside watching it rain most days).
ReplyDeleteAs for inspiration - re-reading certain favorite old YA books helps. I've been finding the new show Once Upon A Time fun and inspiring; I love watching how they stay within the limits of certain fairy tale parameters, but once inside them, anything goes and nothing is traditional at all. And when I'm REALLY uninspired I watch old episodes of Firefly!
It has been weirdly warm this winter! I'm glad you haven't had much illness.
DeleteOOOH, I love Once Upon A Time. It has been so much fun to watch it. And yaaay, Firefly, too! It's been too long since I rewatched that, but it sure is an inspirational show.
Hope you feel better soon. My kids were sick all fall. but so far this year we've kept pretty healthy.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, just doing something different energizes our creativity. We get so used to our regular schedule that we stop seeing the things around us. Change gets us looking around again, opens us up to opportunities.
Thank you! I'm glad your kids have been healthy so far this year, at least, though I'm sure it wasn't fun last fall.
DeleteExactly! Sometimes I wrestle so hard to keep going on writing, when if I just give myself a break to refresh my mind, I do so much better. I'm trying to be better about that.
I hope you're feeling better; I am still sick. So much for a nice long weekend. I have a number of books or movies that lift my spirit. When I finished "Mockingjay" and was so disappointed, I came home and started listening to "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Funny that the latter book--even though it deals with the terrible things of war, including the death of someone you've come to care for--is so uplifting and inspiring, while the first one just made me angry.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna; I'm feeling quite a bit better today.
DeleteOh, I've never even heard of that latter book. It's funny how different stories of war can have different effects on us. I tend to much prefer the books that leave me feeling uplifted and inspired.
Nice to meet you. Good luck with A-Z. I look forward to your posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Nice to meet you, too!
DeleteI always thought it was three licks to the center.
ReplyDeleteMovies and music always provide me with inspiration.
You know, I was always told three licks, but it never seems to work for me.
DeleteLoooove this, Laura :) So sorry you're sick! I've had a week break from writing myself just to get re-inspired and get my head clear. Annnd your drawings are SO awesome. *love*
ReplyDeleteThank you, Morgan! ^_^
DeleteOh, I hope you've been enjoying your week break. It's so needed sometimes.
I think I know which mermaid show you've been watching, I watch it as well. It's cute and a little bit of a release from all the other overly dramatized shows out there. And the accents are pretty cool
ReplyDeleteIt is cute, and it's one my kids can watch with me, which is nice.
DeleteCleaning helps - I let my mind wander while I tidy. While cleaning one day and not writing, I put in a DVD of Family Guy - "Something, Something, Something, Something Dark Side." Not sure why, but it definitely put me in the mood to write. I think I'll watch it this morning. :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe since cleaning usually puts you in a writing mood, the DVD now does the same? Enjoy watching it! :D
ReplyDeleteLaura: Actually, it doesn't take many licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop because I usually bite it! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI've spent three weeks with the flu, so I can relate to staying in bed drinking tea. I watched episodes of Roswell and some other show I can't remember from my fever haze. Ah, it all blends together into one gooey mess. But I wasn't writing very much, that's for sure!
Hope you're feeling better, Laura. My daughter loves that particular mermaid show. Inspiration seems to hit me when I least expect it and at the oddest times: taking out the trash, doing the dishes, etc.
ReplyDeleteI tagged you over on my blog if you'd like to play :)
You're not alone, Laura! (Ouchie, I think exclamations hurts my heads.)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have been struggling with Flu-like symptoms for several weeks, off and on again. This is now day 5 for me and this headache! (again with the over-zealous punctuation) I think it must be this warm-cold-warm-cold weather we're having in the midwest. Barometer must be going nuts. I would only know this because my head feels like it's about to burst... like a... like a... pumpkin in the hands of an idgit, dressed to kill... yep, with a bag over his head, on Halloween night. So, not only do I feel like smashed pumpkin goo on the sidewalk, but now I have this vision of idiocy run amok.
I hope you're feeling better soon, too! (ow)
PS: Inspiration comes most often whilst my brain is busy with menial work, like gardening or driving or shoveling poo around the farm. I carry a small notebook with me for those rare moments that I actually come up with something brilliant... or at least usable.