Inspiration, Motivation, and Process

It’s been longer than I hoped for since my last post. As usual, life is hectic and I don’t expect it to calm down anytime soon. But that’s okay. I don’t think I would have so many ideas for stories if life was calm, which brings me to my next topic. Writing!

It’s a bit odd that I haven’t written about writing yet, seeing as how that’s the main reason I started this site to begin with, but you know: life is hectic. So today we’ll start with something simple. Inspiration, motivation, and process.

When it comes to inspiration, it is hard to pin down one contributor. I think that an overactive imagination will consistently be my go-to answer. I daydream a lot, and I tend to have interesting dreams at night. But beyond that, my inspiration wells from the need to see more than what the eye can detect. Rather than seeing a pool of murky water, I wonder what folklore there would be about such a charming pond in the woods. The clouds in the sky look like huge boats; but where they are sailing to? The lyrics of that song are really interesting, this is what it makes me think of. I want to know the story of what I come across. This need is perhaps a byproduct of growing up watching fantasy and sci-fi movies and playing video games. If I’m not given the backstory of something, then I’ll make my own. This could all stem from a deep-seated desire for escapism, but I’ll save that topic of discussion for my therapist. At the end of the day, I come up with stories all day long. Whether little snippets of conversation in my head, or large-scale projects about cities in skies and despairing kingdoms. They happen mindlessly at this point. In fact, I only turn a fraction of my ideas into stories to tell.

That leads me to motivation. Why do I turn my silly ideas into stories? First, because I easily get bored. But it’s hard to believe that I am bored enough to write four books at once. My intrinsic motivation comes from my need to create things. If I’m not creating, then I’m not fulfilled. Plain as that. A tad dramatic, but it is what it is. However, that still doesn’t really answer the question. Why writing? I write because I have something I want to share: struggles, joys, lessons, etc. Writing forces me to sit down and really think about these things that are so important to me, and state them intentionally. I want to share my experiences in the best way I can, and for me, that is through the written word. Making a story that comforts people, being there for them in times of stress and relief. It might take longer to do than other forms of art I enjoy, such as my painting process, but that’s what makes it special to me.

So what really is my process for writing? Honestly, it depends. I haven’t ever gone into a story with no idea of what it would look like. I always know the beginning before I start, and usually the end, but the middle (and the title) typically eludes me. Over the years, though, I started outlining my ideas more and more to give me direction while writing. Sometimes it is just a bullet point list of things that need to happen, other times it is a chapter by chapter summary. I definitely utilize outlining far more nowadays than I did in past years. It makes writing easier to figure out, and saves a lot of revising time later. Of course, I don’t follow the outline religiously. Often I use what I come up with ahead of time, but sometimes I will be in the flow of a chapter and get a new idea than what my outline says. Preparation is helpful, but sometimes it is best to let the decisions made during the actual writing take priority. Once the first draft is complete, I take to many stages of revisions. During the first round of edits, I focus on the plot: if there are any aspects of the story that are unclear, structurally weak points, or plot holes I missed. Basically, whatever prohibits the development of characters and plot. After that, I focus on proofreading. And then once the book is complete, I panic and revise it one or two more times for safe measure. Then I’m finally faced with the detail I leave out until I can’t ignore it any more: the title. I don’t have advice for titles; I suck at making them and it takes a long time to find one that fits my stories. Sorry for the inconvenience. Best of luck.

Beyond finishing the book, there are a few ways to seek publication. I tried traditionally publishing with the help of a literary agent for years, but it didn’t work out. I recently decided to pursue self-publishing for my first book, Fate of Shadows, and I’m excited to pursue my dream this way. Self-publishing hasn’t ever been on my radar, but now that it is, I know I have a lot to learn. It can be overwhelming, but the aspect of learning new skills is something I’m always happy to attempt. Plus, having more direct control over the publishing process sounds divine. So more updates on that endeavor to come!

My processes are also always changing. Feel free to email me with questions, discussions, or different methods!

lue.thoughtsofagoblin@gmail.com