Blogger: Mary Keeley
Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, IL
Authors are creative people—and it’s a good thing. If you had a strictly “process” brain, you would miss those unscheduled inspirations that come at inconvenient times.
How many ideas come to your mind when you’re sitting at your computer? And how often do you sit there staring at a blank screen? Ugh!
One of my clients just e-mailed me an idea that came to him in the middle of the night. He had been struggling to significantly trim the word count of his fiction manuscript without removing anything vital to the main plot. This inspiration not only solved the current dilemma, but he also saw a way that the portions he was going to have to remove from this novel can be used in the next book.
Inspirations are wonderful, aren’t they? They can come to you while you’re at the grocery store, at your day job, or with your writing group partners. An author recently told me that inspirations sometimes come into view during the day while she cares for her two small children. She composes them into story form in her head until she can sit down at her computer after the children are in bed.
David Baldacci, known for his suspense novels, took an interest in his family’s history. His novel, Wish You Well, is the result of his study. He commented in the “Author’s Note” of the book: “Ironically, as a writer, I’ve spent the last twenty years or so hunting relentlessly for story material, and utterly failed to see a lumberyardful within my own family. However, while it came later than it probably should have, writing this novel was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.” Publishers Weekly called it “. . . his best novel yet, an utterly captivating drama.” He dedicated the book “To my mother, the inspiration for this novel.”
Inspirations are different from ideas that you manufacture. They can come to you quietly, or they can wake you from a sound sleep. They can develop gradually, or they can blow us away with their complete impression. They’re a special blessing and encouragement from God. So hats off to you,writers, as you anticipate, give thanks for, and develop the inspirations God gives you to communicate to your audience.
I know you’ve had instances when an inspiring idea came to mind. Do you recall where you were when it occurred? What did you do with it? Is one forming now?
Lance Albury
Ashamedly, many of my inspirations came during church. If I have plot dilemmas and the preacher isn’t holding my attention, my mind drifts into my story world. I believe my brain is clearer in those instances because all else is blocked out.
Caroline
Most of my article inspirations come while in the midst of everyday tasks – especially while driving or doing something else where I can’t immediately write the thoughts down! With the non-fiction I write, it’s especially important to observe and participate in life. The lessons, godly illustrations, and guidance come from living life for Him.
Sierra Gardner
I remember the day I solved a major plot problem in my WIP. I was driving home from Philadelphia in the snow and thinking about my story when all of a sudden the solution came to me. I whipped out a pen and paper and wrote everything down immediately before I could lose it. I love it when those moments come – they are rare and it is so important to capture them.
Cynthia Herron
Good Morning, Mary!
Since we lived in and out of hospitals during the chronic illness of one of our children, believe you me, time spent in those medicinal-scented halls gave me lots of food for thought.
Though those days were dark, we always believed God was raising our son up to do great things. I don’t know how we knew this…other than FAITH. It was a dismal time: 360 pills a month, blood transfusions, surgeries. How could a loving God allow such strife for such a young person? Because for those who love Him, God works all things together for good!
Ultimately, our son was healed! Not in the way we planned, dreamed, or hoped, but in God’s own unique way. Today, our son is completing his college education, and will student teach next fall. (He’s given me permission to share his story, as he does so often, too, with those who may need encouragement.)
One day, I may write about a young man, miracles, and the ministry! Working title, “He Touched Me. Packing Up My Mat!”
Perhaps, that’s already been done…
You unleashed a firestorm this morning, Mary! I better get back to work. : )
Cheryl Malandrinos
My children inspire many of my ideas. One of the ideas I am tossing around right now is a series of books starring Beatrice, a five-year-old curious, slightly mischievous little girl. She has an imaginary friend named Charlotte that shares her adventures. I have five potential book ideas for them.
The idea first came to me when I was having an especially trying day with my strong-willed daughter.
I hope to start on the first book next month.
Melissa K Norris
I get a lot of my ideas in the shower. I don’t know why. Maybe the sound of running water and nothing else?
Sometimes while I’m running, but usually the shower. Whatever works!
Lynn Dean
Love your distinction between inspiration and a manufactured idea. As professionals, we’re trained to generate ideas, but it’s so much better when God inspires the solutions!
Like Lance, I tend to get a lot of inspirations in church, but they’re usually drawn from the sermon–from asking myself what sorts of scenes would show the lessons being applied. The trick is to “show” the principle in story instead of telling or preaching it.
Lance Albury
Another place where I’ve found much inspiration is during the ACFW conference Early Bird seminars; not so much the regular classes. I’ve written pages of notes pertinent to my WIP during these sessions the past two years.
Salena Stormo
I was at a local museum watching a documentary on local history and had the most incredible idea for a story. I love moments like that when a whole story pops into my head from out of no where. 🙂
Jessica R. Patch
Most of my inspiration comes in the early morning over my study time and coffee. My latest manuscript developed over the passage when Mary assumed Jesus was the gardener. I thought, “How could you spend so much time with someone and not recognize them?” That one flicker of thought took off like wildfire and the plot was born! A real life tragedy in our family weaved into the pages as well.
Larry Carney
Thank you for this post, Mary. I find that my secular writer pals really don’t show much appreciation for inspiration; God surely uses their talents to His ends, and it irks me that they can be so thankless for their gifts.
Rick Barry
Several times for me, the lightning bolt of inspiration has struck while I was driving down a highway. Once, the shock was so overwhelming that I whipped out my cell phone and blurted to my wife, “I just found out what happened to Roger Greene’s parents!”
A pause. Then, “Who’s Roger Greene?”
“The hero of my novel. I finally know why he grew up in an orphanage!”
Another pause. “Okaaaaaayyyy….”
Lesson learned: Bolts of inspiration are wondrous events, but non-writers would rather wait and read the fruit of them later. 🙂
Sarah Thomas
Driving and mowing grass. The problem is remembering to WRITE THEM DOWN. I have such awesome ideas that there’s no way I could ever forget them. And then I do.
My worst ideas are the middle of the night ones. They seem so perfect, but in the light of day they’re almost always more weird than wonderful.
Jennifer Fromke
I dreamed the first scene of my current work in progress. When I awoke, it hung in my mind like few other dreams and I truly wanted to be in the middle of it again.
I’m longing for more inspiration . . . looking for some each day.
Caroline
I should add (to my above comment) that those inspirations are much more from *failing* to live life for Him, rather than succeeding. But, hey, that’s where lessons are learned and growth is experienced, right? I’m thankful for His forgiveness and strength.
Lee Abbott
My 45 minute commute to and from work is my time to talk with God. Inspiration comes so often that I keep a notebook and pen beside the seat. It takes only a word or two to nail down a thought before I leave the car. Usually the inspiration relates to my writing, but many an office problem gets resolved on the road too.
Sandra Ardoin
I’m trying to be more of a plotter than a pantser. What I find fascinating, though, are those times when my fingers type in a comment, a prop, whatever–something that hadn’t occurred to me before. So often, I find out later that it adds more flavor to the story. For instance, in my current project, I added a photograph near the beginning. At the end, that photograph became an unplanned key to the climax of the story.
I guess God loves to write fiction, too!
Sarah Forgrave
Lots of fun comments here. Rick’s story had me laughing out loud.
Early in my writing journey, I had a lot of ideas come to me during my commute to and from my corporate job. Now that I’ve changed to a stay-at-home-mom career, my commute from the top of the stairs to the bottom is pretty short.
I love to people watch, so any time I’m in a busy public place, inspiration usually flourishes. I spotted a real-life version of one of my heroines while waiting for a delayed flight at the airport. Would have loved to take a picture, but settled for sneak glances and lots of mental notes. 🙂
Lenore Buth
Great posts this week, Mary.
Like Lance and Lynn, I find myself scribbling notes on Sundays during sermon time and not because I’m bored. Often what I write doesn’t seem connected to the texts or sermon
My most obvious time of inspiration came years ago when I was writing my book for parents on how to talk to your kids about sex. For days I simply could not come up with the language, even though I prayed for the right words. One night about 2 a.m., I woke up and they were there.
I grabbed the clipboard by the side of our bed and scrawled it all down. First thing the next morning I deciphered the words on my pad, then copied them word-for-word.
That book is now in its fifth printing and I’ve revised it every time, but I’ve never found a better way to express it.
If you asked me whether God hears our anguished prayers, I would answer, “Absolutely–and often when we’re at the end of ourselves, especially when we write for Him.”
May your heart light up with Easter JOY, Mary!
Mary Keeley
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences of inspiration. Larry, you alluded to a great point. For Christians, we realize our inspirations as gifts from God. Isn’t it encouraging to realize He is actively involved in your writing–for his kingdom purposes.
Deborah J. Thompson
I loved this post (you might notice that my website is titled “Inspired Reflections”)!
For the past several years, a number of friends had been encouraging me to write a book. And while we had wonderful, “inspiring” conversations where I had helped to bolster their confidence and motivate them to seek a deeper relationship with God, I couldn’t imagine translating those thoughts and ideas into the printed word.
One friend even went so far as to urge me to write a book and call it “Choose Joy”. I was flattered by her belief in me, but didn’t have the slightest idea of where to even begin.
Then one morning less than a week later, I woke up early with the entire outline in my head. I got up, started to write, and wrote almost every day for 6 months. I am now in the process of editing my manuscript and starting to work on my book proposal.
“Your Life, Your Choice–5 Steps to P.E.A.C.E.”, provides a roadmap of how to harness the power of our choices to alter our attitudes, our thoughts, our actions and ultimately our lives. We all know that we are supposed to think positively. But figuring out HOW to do that when life has just punched us in the gut, is a journey all on its own.
P.E.A.C.E. is an acronym for the 5 steps that helped me to achieve peace in my life–even in the midst of a crisis, and it assists the reader in moving from the theoretical to the practical.
Our unexpected inspirations are such a blessing and I believe, part of God’s divine plan for us.
Inspiration is the spark–obedience and discipline are the necessary actions that will move us from an idea to a finished product. We need them all to achieve our goals. God illuminates the path and expects us to follow it. When we do, magic happens.
Thanks for such a thought-provoking post.