“You’re the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasies.”
This is one line from Pat Benatar’s long ago hit HEARTBREAKER. I love it. It brings all sorts of story ideas to mind. I often find single lines in a song, or a movie strike a chord. I’ve also learned that when that chord is struck I should write down my ideas then and then, because they do not stick around. I can play the song over and over again, but the magic of inspiration is gone.
Does that happen to you? I find it happens with more than my writing as well. Like watching The Biggest Loser on tv. I feel so inspired and like “hey, if they can do it, I can do it.” Then I go to bed only to wake up and realize that I don’t live on a ranch with a personal trainer where the only thing I have to do is workout and write in a journal.
Real life is hard. Anyone who tells you different is lieing, or living in their own world. It’s hard to balance work, self, family and health. So one thing I’ve learned, is I need to jump on the inspiration when it hits…no matter when it is or what it is, and follow through.
I think you all know my goals. Write, and get healthy. What are yours, and where do you find your inspiration?
Good thread Sasha! I alway get story ideas from song lines. Or titles. Or watching a movie…I’ll like think of twisting the plot…
My inspiration comes from everything. And my goals…to write and to have sex.
Much like yours, to write, be happy and be healthier. I get a lot of inspiration from music too, but it comes from just about eveyrwhere else too, like Vivi Anna. Some from identifiable sources, TV ads, scenery, passing comments. Other ideas just appear LOL some would say it’s madness, we know better 😀
I have so many goals, but primarily to write, and write the best book possible. I live in fear of anything I write sounding the same. I want it fresh and new every time.
I guess I get most of my inspiration from within. I have very strong desires and obsessiveness that drives me.
I love a song my Tim McGraw, though. I wrote this out some time ago, so this is just a copy and paste:
…People always ask me, son what does it take?
To reach out and touch your dreams, to them I always say
Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Is it a fire? That burns you up inside?
How bad do you want it? How bad do you need it?
Are you eatin’ sleepin’ dreamin’ with that one thing on your mind?….
‘Cause if you want it all, you’ve got to lay it all out on the line…..
Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Can you hear it? Knocking at your door?…
There’s always a price you pay no matter what you do.
If you’re gonna climb that mountain to the top,
It always comes down to
How bad do you want it? How bad do you need it?
That’s the kind of drive I have. 🙂
Oh Cheyenne! That’s powerful…
Oh and congrats on the big article in RT! You deserve it!!
Eve~ I’ve had that sort of reaction to books too! Movies as well. LOL
ViviAnna~ Well I know you’re doing prety damn good with at least one of your goals…:P
Saskia~ Madness? At my very first writers conference on e of the speakers said ( i’m going to paraphrase here ) "The main difference between writers and Schizophrenics is that schizaophrenics DO what the voices tell them, and writes just put it on paper. "
Chey~ I love that song. It’s so true as well. If you want it, and are willing to sweat for it. Dreams are possible.
Yeah, I’d like to keep on writing, stay healthy, and generally manage to balance my life successfully too! Not sure how I’m going to succeed but I’m damn well going to try! 🙂
And I too, like most other posters here get inspiration from all over the place. A lot from television, but also music, films… and I have those ‘Saskia’ moments too, sometimes, when an idea just comes right out of nowhere in particular! I think that’s the best kind of inspiration of all… and also kind of scary!
Oops, and I forgot to mention… those random moments of maverick inspiration often come when I’m getting washed in the morning. I do some of my best thinking while standing naked at the sink! :laugh:
Is that too much information? 😉
Dianna~ Winning the lottery would be nice. But then, if I never buy a ticket I guess I’ll never win huh?
Wendy~ Not too much info at all! In fact I think the best odeas always come when we’re busy. Our subconsious is much more creative! IMO
Unfortunately, my "chord" is often struck around 6:00am. My brain starts whirling with everything I’d like to do, or write about, but I’m too lazy to get up and follow through.
I can’t tell you how many great achievements I’ve accomplished before I’ve even gotten up for the day! ;-P
As far as my goals go…well. Right now I don’t really have any! 🙁
I guess that’s bad, isn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to have goals and aspirations? To be driven to change our lives and our world?
Right? Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Now I feel guilty…
But I like where I am right now. I feel balanced and safe. Satisfied and content. All my needs are being met.
Basically, I have no complaints.
Maybe it’s because at 49, I feel I’ve had my bellyfull of attaining goals and creating or being dragged through drama and all those adrenaline rushes up to this point.
The memories of all that are enough to last me the rest of my life, I think.
But it does feel vaguely lazy of me to sit back.
Maybe I should force myself to get out there and get something done!
*reflects a moment*
nahhhhh…..*slumps back again*
LMAO @ Amber!
I think safe and content is great! Enjoy it! ANd you fdo have goals. You want to stay safe and content. You wnat to make sure your kids are taken car of, your husband is taken care of, and even Jiggy! You’ve achieved goals, now maintining them is the goal! 😉
To lose weight & GET healthy.
To get better & better at my writing.
To become obscenely wealthy with my writing.
To quit my sucky job because I’m obscenely wealthy.
To find somebody special to share everything with.
My inspiration? J.K. Rowling, who overcame every obstacle thrown in her path.
goals: 1. Get thru school – starting again in mid-life is a bitch, keeping up w/ all the students 20yrs younger & peppier, but I have the burn, the clock ticking… 2. Use the damned degree & knowledge to set me up for retirement at a decent age – don’t want to work till I croak! 3. Write something worth reading, something that is publisable. That means letting down all the roadblocks & letting the work happen.
Inspiration: songs, snippets, bumper stickers, quotes, movies, or taking somebody else’s idea & thinking "how would a middle-aged woman get in the middle of that?" then just going with it. 😉
Yes, I do have my "men" to take care of, Sasha! After all, somebody has to keep up the Weird Cat Lady rep around here! ;-P hee hee…have a great weekend!
To get published, and get published, and then maybe get published. Healthy – hmmmm, okay maybe that too. Inspiration? Pretty much the same ones that you listed and then a book that I read where I think "I would have done it this way." Sometimes things just come to me out of no where.
😀 my goal is to win the lottery…not the big one just enough to be comfortable.
I find that if I have an idea for a story, I need to sit and write it out. The most frusterating is when you are working at something else and this great idea comes into your head, then you go to write it out and it doesn’t work.
Which Tim McGraw song is that?
Pretty much the same. Be healthier. Write. Have fun while I’m doing everything I can. :laugh: