by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I was on my way to a meeting last week and was perfectly on
time. The meeting was a bit off the
beaten path, out of the city, and down a road I wasn’t familiar with.
time. The meeting was a bit off the
beaten path, out of the city, and down a road I wasn’t familiar with.
The landscape changed from businesses to a combination of
very nice homes and dilapidated homes to stables to silos.
very nice homes and dilapidated homes to stables to silos.
But when I passed the house pictured above, I knew I had to
turn around and go back. I had to take a picture. It was going to make me a little late (and I’m
practically OCD about being late, as I’ve mentioned here before). But I had
to take the picture. The discarded door propped up against a column, the ruined
and overgrown landscaping, the boarded-up windows….it gave the house the
perfect, haunted feel.
turn around and go back. I had to take a picture. It was going to make me a little late (and I’m
practically OCD about being late, as I’ve mentioned here before). But I had
to take the picture. The discarded door propped up against a column, the ruined
and overgrown landscaping, the boarded-up windows….it gave the house the
perfect, haunted feel.
I’m very fond of Southern Gothic, even going so far as to daringly insert as
much of the element as I could get away with in
a cozy that’s coming out this December for Penguin. So having an inspiration file that includes
real examples of Southern Gothic homes (the kind of places that William
Faulkner would have set stories around.)
much of the element as I could get away with in
a cozy that’s coming out this December for Penguin. So having an inspiration file that includes
real examples of Southern Gothic homes (the kind of places that William
Faulkner would have set stories around.)
The pictures I took went into a special file that I keep for
story inspiration. Pictures are a big
part of it. Description is not my strong
suit, but looking at pictures of settings and potential characters makes the
process a lot easier. Once I was so stunned at a restaurant by running into one of my characters (someone I’d made up…who looked–in my mind–exactly like the stranger in front of me), that I ended up sneaking four or five photos of them with my phone. I’m hoping they just didn’t notice what I was doing. Otherwise they likely thought I was completely insane.
story inspiration. Pictures are a big
part of it. Description is not my strong
suit, but looking at pictures of settings and potential characters makes the
process a lot easier. Once I was so stunned at a restaurant by running into one of my characters (someone I’d made up…who looked–in my mind–exactly like the stranger in front of me), that I ended up sneaking four or five photos of them with my phone. I’m hoping they just didn’t notice what I was doing. Otherwise they likely thought I was completely insane.
Idea files are, in my way of thinking, completely
necessary. And not only for the work we’re
currently writing, but whatever else we might be interested in writing down the
road.
necessary. And not only for the work we’re
currently writing, but whatever else we might be interested in writing down the
road.
Some writers are using Pinterest
for inspiration: pinning images of people who look like characters they’re
developing or settings they’re using in their story. Writer Karen Woodward has a nice post on
other ways of using Pinterest to help us write our books in “Using
Pinterest To Help Build Your Fictional Worlds.”
for inspiration: pinning images of people who look like characters they’re
developing or settings they’re using in their story. Writer Karen Woodward has a nice post on
other ways of using Pinterest to help us write our books in “Using
Pinterest To Help Build Your Fictional Worlds.”
But there’s no need to use Pinterest if you don’t want
to. The important thing is just to respect
our ideas enough to record them. There
have been many, many times when I
thought I’d remember my great idea…and then completely forgot them.
to. The important thing is just to respect
our ideas enough to record them. There
have been many, many times when I
thought I’d remember my great idea…and then completely forgot them.
Evernote is a free,
handy way to record and search our ideas.
There is a desktop version as well as an app (and you can sync them to
each other, if you like.) You can use it
to store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app. Organizing the ideas is easy if you tag your
entries or assign them to notebooks.
Then you can search for the tags when you’re ready to write.
handy way to record and search our ideas.
There is a desktop version as well as an app (and you can sync them to
each other, if you like.) You can use it
to store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app. Organizing the ideas is easy if you tag your
entries or assign them to notebooks.
Then you can search for the tags when you’re ready to write.
Voice recorders. I
use Smart
Voice Recorder—a free app for my phone. It’s just another way to capture thoughts for
later. The reason why sometimes I like
using a voice recorder for ideas is because occasionally I’ll get an idea so
nebulous that I can’t even really describe or pin it down at that point. So I’ll explain what I was doing and who was
around and voice as much about the idea or feeling as I can.
use Smart
Voice Recorder—a free app for my phone. It’s just another way to capture thoughts for
later. The reason why sometimes I like
using a voice recorder for ideas is because occasionally I’ll get an idea so
nebulous that I can’t even really describe or pin it down at that point. So I’ll explain what I was doing and who was
around and voice as much about the idea or feeling as I can.
Word docs work well, too and are a good repository for random bits of ideas. We should back these up the same way we do our stories.
I probably go the old-fashioned route and use pen and paper most often. The most important thing I’ve
learned about this cheap and portable way of recording ideas is that I need to
collect all my scraps of paper at the end of the day and either catalog them
on a computer or at least put them in a central location so I can locate them
when I need them.
learned about this cheap and portable way of recording ideas is that I need to
collect all my scraps of paper at the end of the day and either catalog them
on a computer or at least put them in a central location so I can locate them
when I need them.
How you do record your ideas and find them again later?
Elizabeth – I too am very much affected by the visual (which is funny since I don’t have any kind of artistic talent). So I do the same thing you do; I take pictures that inspire me. I also use the voice recorder on my ‘phone for ideas. It’s those little bursts of inspiration that can really bring our stories alive I think.
Me too on getting places on time. In fact if I’m not early then I’m late.
That is one awesome house. Since I am a visual learner I guess, pictures definitely inspire me.
Oh, I LOVE that house. And yes, it absolutely needs a story. I am sort of a freak for old houses. I’m NOT great about actually recording or taking note of things. I think part of it is that my brain is less visual and more experiential (which might be a problem for a person writing about gardens, come to think of it). But it is the FEEL I want to capture, and I’m not good at spotting what it is about someplace that makes me feel that way.
I still jot things down on paper, although several story ideas I’ve transferred to the computer. I have so many photos I’ve taken over the years that could inspire or fit a story. Lots of old buildings, too. We do seem to have a lot of them here.
I am HOPELESS about this stuff. I don’t take photos with the iPhone in my pocket. I don’t write notes on the pocket notebook I bound by hand myself. I don’t use the top quality voice recorder on my phone.
I just see stuff and think “Huh, that’s cool.”
And then — I’m sorry, what were we talking about?
I can do better. I WILL do better.
Margot–It’s the best part of our stories!
Hart–I know what you mean. Sometimes I have a hard time expressing the feeling of a place.
Teresa–Ha! Me too. I’ve been told that if I don’t show up places 10 minutes early, my friends will call the cops…they’ll just assume I’ve met with foul play somewhere along the way. :)
Diane–Gobs of them!
Joel–Do better! Because these ideas are priceless, they really are.
I usually just write them down on a piece of paper. Even just a line can lead to more later.
Seams like it’s been a nice house in the past. I agree it looks haunted at present. Btw, why does anyone abandon a house like that?
Cold As Heaven
I forgot to answer the last question: I do like Hemmingway; I always have a Moleskine note book in my bag or my pocket >:)
Cold As Heaven
I have recently just set up my pintrest for that purpose and now I use evernote for my notes on the go. Great post.
I use the “Notes” function on my iPhone quite a lot, especially when I’m on the go, or trying to get to sleep. When I’m near my computer or have a big idea (like a whole scene), I create a Word doc and store it in my Ideas folder, which gets backed up to Dropbox. If I’m lucky, the document will expand with more ideas until it actually morphs into a story.
I have had online issues all day. I was here earlier and couldn’t comment. So I’ve rebooted and returned.
Those derelict houses tug at my heartstrings. They have so many stories to tell, and I want to soak them all up.
First, that is an awesome old house that certainly does inspire a story or two.
This is a wonderful post, Elizabeth. I will get right to work on making my idea file. Photo prompts are very helpful to me; I participated in my friend Lisa Ricard Claro’s weekly Book Blurb Friday for a long time, where we used the photo prompts to write little stories.
After reading what you said, I think that I can utilize my phone and hand-write notes on it.
Thanks for stopping by to see me!
Kathy M.
As always, a wonderful post!
And thank you SO MUCH for posting that lovely house picture. I’m writing a horror short story and it is _exactly_ like the house I imagined. It’s nice to have a hard copy! :-)
Great post, Elizabeth! I no longer record my voice when I have an idea. I try to avoid the extra, transcription step. And, if I can help it, I also try not to jot down notes on pieces of paper, which I have done for YEARS. Inevitably, something gets lost. Now, I email myself. All emails have a subject line that corresponds to the title of whatever book it is intended for, and they all get filed in separate inboxes. Nice and tidy. :)
What an excellent idea. I’m going to have to try a hard copy inspirational folder. I use pinterest but almost need sticky notes on my computer to remind me to look at my boards. Your story of seeing one of your characters at a restaurant reminded me of something I read recently about dreams; every face you see in dreams (even the ones you think are strangers) are actually faces you’ve seen in real life and have recorded without realising. So they could be the guy at the supermarket or someone who sat across from you on a train. I wonder if writers do the same thing without realising it?
It’s a rainy day here in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. And, it reminds me that days like this are the perfect time to formulate motive, means and opportunity for an exciting mystery plot. Somehow the overcast skies and rain coming down on the patio create just the right atmosphere for the murder mystery writing thoughts to flow in the correct direction.
A good thing to remember about writing is that some of the most-productive time is spent looking out of the window in deep thought as the plot begins to weave itself together into the final whodunit.
By the time my plots are ready to go, they’ve become torrents of tremendous tirades requiring a few simple tweaks to become finished products.
Try writing on a rainy (or snowy) day and you’ll understand what I mean.
Hi Elizabeth – that’s another project – find out how things work – Evernote, the note thingummy on my phone and now ipad, et al, et al ..
and get clever at categorising things – that’s the bit that floors me – things are recorded … but where?!
Cheers Hilary