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What Do YOU Think?

I’m interested in getting your thoughts about stuff I see and hear, quotes I read, stuff that passes as knowledge – and starting an authorey conversation.

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You really do. Hunt it down and wrestle it, don’t wait for it. Life is full of distractions and next thing you know it’s three years and you’re still finishing novel 1 chapter 10. Go after it with a club. Make it your bitch.

What are YOUR thoughts on this idea?

37 replies on “What Do YOU Think?”

I agree and disagree. I feel like the quote is implying you have to make your own inspiration. Write every day, no matter what.
I’m with you on that.
Here’s where it gets sticky. You can also read that as you have to make your own plot inspiration. Which I never do. Those prance through my life, show themselves, and then I hunt them down.
But it might be saying you have to get out into the world to see things and do things that will inspire you. I agree with that as well.
Tis a complicated quote you have chosen today, young Dan.

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I don’t like to opine too early in the discussion because I think that tends to shut down other people from commenting, but for me it means you can’t wait for inspiration. You have to be working hard all the time. Yes, inspiration comes but I believe that’s more a combination of hard work and education and being ready than it is walking along and hoping to be struck by a golden idea out of the blue. I have too many writer friends who don’t write or who get stuck, and I believe it’s more to do with hoping some great idea will come to them instead of them doing the hard work required to see them. It’s not that they aren’t creative, it’s just that they’re hoping some other entity will do the hard work, and in my experience that’s just not how it happens.

People who find inspiration are usually the ones working the hardest as well.

Including you. I think the reason you find inspiration prancing through your life is because you were doing all the other hard things so you are prepared when the opportunity presents itself. Someone who is not prepared and who has not done the hard work does not see the opportunity when it’s there.

That’s what it means to hunt it down. To do all the things other people aren’t willing to do, learn from those things, and be prepared.

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I agree, Dan, that “hoping to be struck by a golden idea out of the blue” is a foolish way to go about finding something on which to write a fantastic feast. The table’s still bare once lighting has struck and passed.

If you enjoy writing, you already are a writer. Writing every day, of course, is important.The most important thing in writing, though, to me, is being aware of life, gleaning from your own experiences, which are similar to others, possibly, and foster similar ideas, but which are uniquely varied by your own viewpoint and voice.

I think London was speaking of the hard work of writing when it comes to shaping an ordinary idea, creating a story, hammering it all out into a readable storyline flow that comes from your own heart and mind.

Ideas themselves, inspirations, if you will, are the easy part, but the most deceptive, too. If you live, you have inspirations. Life is all around, with ideas from which stories may bloom. But can you craft them into readable material? London says keep your big shaping stick handy!

I run 20 different blogs, here, at WordPress, to keep my inspirations organized into different subject matter for my work, here, because ideas are flashing through me like electricity all the time. Inspirations? Easy to acquire! Writing? Time-consuming, hard work, hunt down preparation — but the joy of my life!!

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I agree and disagree. I am not a fan of ‘waiting’ in the sense of thinking some great idea will miraculously appear — you have to train your mind to be open to ideas all around you. On the other hand, London’s choice of the word ‘clubbing’ would not be my style either! I like to just be open to any stimulation — once we have a good idea for a book, other inspiration seems to follow.

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Of course, London’s word choice came from a hearty soul who thoroughly explored the rough side of life, and who gave no quarter to rough, or to smooth sailing — witness “The Call of The Wild.” His “club” is a tool, meaning go for it with all you’ve got when the idea is worth pursuing. London’s words came from one who never paled at the prospect of the “hunt” for a story idea.

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Imitate Columbus: Set sail and worry about the footling little details while on the journey, and even if you end up somewhere you didn’t intend to get to- well so what!

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I’ve found them more interesting that the original plot, which was gently eased into a sub-ploy with no harm to anyone.

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Sure. We all experience that. But some people rely on that.

It’s my personal believe that because you are a hard worker and doing the things that are necessary that you recognize the full potential of the inspiring moment – or see it at all.

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Okay. Well, it does come easy lots of times — having an idea for a story — whether it’s a beginning, middle, or ending, or just a scene idea, but some hard work usually follows, too, to build it. it’s true, though, that when I’m asked, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’, I may smugly answer, “I live!” 🙂 I doubt that it would come easy to anyone who doesn’t really enjoy writing; those would be the folks who wait for inspirations only.

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What do YOU think? Let me hear from ya.