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Inspiration and writing

Written by Della Galton on . Posted in ideas, Inspiration, Tips on writing. 13 Comments

I was writing a short story yesterday – well trying to write one actually – and it was like wading through treacle. There was nothing actually wrong with it, I mean the words were OK, but I was not enjoying it at all. I got to 800 words and realised I didn’t know how to end it, and that’s when I realised that actually there was no plot – this has happened to me a few times lately.  OK, so plot isn’t a major problem, I can quite often engineer one and insert earlier signposts into the story. But yesterday this didn’t work either. I just couldn’t understand why I was having this problem.

And then it hit me in a flash (sorry for cliche) what the answer actually was   I was not inspired. I was not inspired because I didn’t feel anything. I had no emotion on which to hang the story.

I don’t know about you, but I always have to be emotionally engaged to write a decent short story. Or to write a decent anything come to that. As soon as I realised this, I abandoned the story I was writing and went back to one I was emotionally engaged with, but that I hadn’t finished. Oh the difference was amazing.

And yes, I’ve just finished it.  And yes I’ll go back to the other one some time, but not before I find a way of becoming emotionally engaged with it.

So, how do you find inspiration and hence emotional engagement with your work. Here are three of the ways I do it:

Music – borrow emotion from music – put on a tune you really connect with, feel the emotion and transfer it to the page.

Other writers – last night I went back to my writing class after the Christmas break. Listening to other writers and reading my work to other writers is amazingly inspiring and very motivating. If you don’t go to a class, then maybe you could do a story swap online with another writer, or hold a manuscript evening at your house where everyone brings something to read.

Read – reading something very, very good also works for me. I’m the type of reader who gets motivated by other writers’ brilliance.  Every time I read a brilliant short story I think, one day, I’ll be able to write something as good as that.

How do you get inspired? I’d love to know.

 

 

 

 

Speed Short Story writing

Written by Della Galton on . Posted in Inspiration, Short stories for magazines, Writing. 15 Comments

How many short stories can you write in a week? How many in a day? I’ve just read a feature in Writing Magazine,  October Issue, about a guy who wrote, edited and formatted a novella length story in a week.

Did it suffer for being written fast? Is it possible to write good fiction fast? It got me thinking.

When I first started writing full time in September 2000, I wrote three short stories a week. The first one on Monday morning, the second on Monday afternoon, and the third on Tuesday morning. I edited them across the week. I did this every single week without exception. Holidays – pah! who needs them!

I also taught four creative writing classes, one on Wednesday morning, One on Thursday morning, one on Thursday afternoon and one on Friday morning. These all needed preparation too. Hence I had to cram the short stories into the earlier part of the week.

Did my work suffer for this? I don’t think so. I’m judging this by the yardstick of sales and I sold 90% of my work.

Interestingly, this pattern of working has changed across the years. I haven’t written three short stories a week for a while. I’ve been doing other things, for example, writing novels and non fiction, editing for a publisher, as well as teaching, although interestingly I only now teach two classes a week. I must be getting lazy 🙂

But this week, I reverted to my original working pattern. I wrote one short story on Monday morning, one on Monday afternoon and one today.

They were – in case you are interested – 2400 words, 1000 words and 2300 words respectively. Although that might change on the edits.

Oh it was so brilliant, so exhilarating, so exciting. I haven’t felt so inspired or motivated for absolutely ages. I’m not sure why. Is it something to do with speed writing. Is this speed writing. It certainly was compared to what I’ve done lately.  But the ideas for more short fiction are also coming thick and fast. It feels brilliant.

I will let you know if I sell them. But does anyone else write like this. Do share.

Della xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Am A Best Selling Writer

Written by Della Galton on . Posted in ideas, Inspiration, Writing conferences & schools. 8 Comments

I am a best selling writer.  And so is Lynn Hackles.  Here is the picture of us recording these words on film.

 

Lynne Hackles and I saying we are best selling writers!

No, we have not gone mad.  No, we have not just hit the best seller lists. And no I am not pregnant – just forgot to hold my stomach in! We were both attending a brilliant course at Caerleon Writers Holiday in Wales, run by a lady called Solange Hando called Make It Happen In 2012.  The course was about motivation and one of the exercises she asked us to do was to state out loud what we wanted to become, as if it was happening now.  You wouldn’t believe how motivating this was. Try it and see. And let me know how you got on.

Solange’s other tips included making an Olympic style chart listing five things we wanted to achieve and pinning it over your desk where you can see it every day and brainwash your subconscious into making it reality. Another creative visualisation task, which is very effective.  Here is mine:

Another of Solange’s tips was to publicly state your goals. It’s a lot harder to renege on goals that you have publicly declared you will do. So, I have just done this too – to you all. (That’s if you can read it!) But I know what it means, which is the main thing. Please feel free to nag me at intervals. And if you would like me to nag you too. Let me know.

The whole course was a delight. In fact, Caerleon was a delight.  The atmosphere was amazing. Anne and Gerry Hobbs are wonderful hosts. Being among a hundred plus writers for a week was incredibly inspiring. The food was awesome. I am heavier and happier for having spent a week at Caerleon, which is an annual writers’ holiday.http://www.writersholiday.net/caerleon.htm

Next year’s holiday is already in my diary. It will take place at Caerleon on 28 July to 2 August 2013 and will include the following courses:

A Complete Introduction to Contemporary Romance – Kate Walker

Creative Non Fiction – Adding Colour to Technical Writing – Simon Whaley

Wannabe A Writer We’ve Heard of – Jane Wenham Jones

How To Write and Sell Erotic Fiction – Della Galton

And there are others too. I really recommend this, all for a price of £499

Hope to see you there.

Della xxxx

The Fleetingness of Beautiful Things

Written by Della Galton on . Posted in ideas, Inspiration, Writing. 13 Comments

This is a picture of my amaryllis – or to be more accurate, Adam’s amaryllis, which is in our kitchen. It flowers twice a year if I’m lucky. The flowers last for about a week. And then they die.  Isn’t it stunning?

My Amaryllis

And isn’t it sad that it is so fleeting.

And it got me to thinking about other fleeting and beautiful things. Like sand sculptures that will be washed away by the next tide.

And what a good emotion that is – that beauty that you cannot keep – for writing a short story.

As fleeting as a short story itself, maybe!

So I wrote one.  I wonder if anyone will buy it.  And what are the fleetingly beautiful things that stir other writers to create?

I would love to know.

 

 

Writing New Year Resolutions

Written by Della Galton on . Posted in ideas, Inspiration, Writing exercises. 5 Comments

Here are some New Year resolutions you might like to try – in case you didn’t make any of your own!

Writing ones, that is…

January

Write the first page of a feature or short story, or perhaps even the opening page of that novel you’ve been planning to write.  By the end of the page you might be hooked enough to carry on.

Or you could always treat yourself to my new book 😉 Order it from me and I’ll sign it for you!

Buy a signed copy from me for £8.99 including post and package!

 

February

Enter at least one short story competition.

March

Interview one of your friends or family and write up the piece as practice for feature writing..

April

Join a writing class or book yourself on a course.

May

Give yourself twenty minutes to write a selection of opening paragraphs.  Then pick the best and make it into a 1000 word short story.

 June

Start a manuscript group with 3 or 4 friends. It’s the best way to get motivated.

July

While on holiday, take a notebook and make notes.  If you’re abroad, write down specific details, such as what food you ate, otherwise just note down landscapes and places of interest.  You never know when they will come in useful for either fact or fiction.

August

Get out an old piece of work you weren’t happy with and try re-writing it from another character’s viewpoint.

September

Buy a notebook and keep it for writing titles in.  Carry it around with you for when inspiration strikes.

October

Read out a piece of work you’ve been having trouble with to a trusted writer friend to see if they can help. This can be a reciprocal exercise.

November

Enter a poetry competition.

December

Write some Christmas verse and personalise your Christmas cards.

Tell your friends!

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