Category: inspiration

inspiration, meaning in life, Writing

My Next Book (after the current one)

carolyncordon

I’ve begun thinking it may be time to get on with a new writing project, something different to my current, big project, one that is different to that current project, in many ways.

So my current project is working on an anthology, where I’ve asked for the work of others, to come to me, so I can work with those words, and make a beautiful book. The book will be “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19”. An important book, for sure, an historical book, that will be a record of what people have been doing, thinking, and writing about in this difficult time.

But with that project at a waiting stage (waiting for what? Waiting for me to work out what the next step was), I’ve been thinking about putting some of my thoughts about what life was all about, into a book, a new book. Writers write, editors edit, and those you do both of those things, well they self-publish …

Three of my self-published books

I know how to write, how to put a book together, and I know a printer who knows me, and has worked with me on most of my self-published books. I trust him, and he does a good job. Marketing is a problem, for many writers who have to take on that role, but writing and getting the writing made into a book, what a lovely time that is. But marketing the book … It has to happen though, doesn’t it? If you want to sell your new book, you have to show it to people.

And of course, having a blog, obviously, that is useful, to show your work, your words, to other people. So here I am, talking about my previous books, my current book-in-progress, and the one that may come after the current book. I’ve written about a number of different things. In the photo above we have “Mick Jane and Me”, which is a memoir talking about my life with Multiple Sclerosis. And “Precious Gems” is there too, a poetry collection about child sexual abuse, and other abuse too. And then, for something completely different, is “Dig It!”, an amusing little book with illustrations I created with my clever friend Ally Hean who did the pictures.

All mine, all self-published, and all available too, if you’re interested in having a copy go to this page and find out how. So books are my thing, books and words. If only marketing was as natural to me … I’m trying though, and if anyone out there would like to have me talk to a group about my writing, I certainly am a natural at doing that, for sure. I can talk about anything, in interesting, and amusing ways, if I’m asked, and it’s something I love doing!

Libraries, service groups, school students, I’ll happily talk to them about writing, poetry, and my books! Once upon a time, I was a shy and retiring little mouse, who never said boo to a goose, now, talk, talk, talk, I can go on for as long as I’m asked to, and I’ll be interesting, informative, and maybe even funny!

So my next book, that began this blog post, has a working title, which will not be its final title (Life Is …), and it has some chapter headings. five of them, in fact. And some of those chapters have brief notes on what they may be about. And of course, I’ve just remembered, I actually have another book-in-progress, which still seems unlikely to become my ‘current work-in-progress’ still, the first in a series of murder mysteries. Time still feel to fraught for that one.

Although, there’s the next book in the Buster the Dog series, that began with “Dig It!”, nd that one will not be a serious book, but a funny one about Buster the Dog, and McTavish the Cat, and the troubles they have learning how to live in the same house, after Buster’s ‘owner’ finds a new woman in his life, and moves in with her (and her cat). At the moment, this is still a project to come, as I’ll be writing it with my friend Janette, who is doing the McTavish side of the story, and both of us are working on other things.

And thinking about that thought, I almost had a title for that next book, but it drifted in and then drifted out again, before I could write it down … Ah well, if it’s a good enough idea, hopefully it will drift back in, and I’ll write it down next time! Words come and go, don’t they? Words and thoughts, good ones, so so ones, terrible ones. And the title of that book may well depend on something that will come,and be appropriate when I’m writing the book. Time will tell … Hmm, Time Will Tell – could that be the title? Haha, who knows I have to write the book first!

inspiration, New Ideas, Writing, writing prompts

Thoughts? Or Writing Ideas?

carolyncordon

Promises are dreams whose time is yet to arrive.

If it is said, that doesn’t mean it can be done. Or does it?

Celebrations – a person is born, another person dies.

Cloudy skies may bring rain, rain brings life to plants, and death too, to some.

If all dreams came true, that would create a crazy mixed up life wound up with paradoxes.

One hair. It can mean and do so many things. How many can you think of?

Flowers, beautiful, yes? But in picking them, we hasten their death.

A hound running free is a beautiful sight. Unless it’s your dog, and it’s supposed to be inside.

So many great inventions can lead to death of the user. Why don’t we ban inventions?

Should dumb people be required to be treated with extra kindness, or laughed at?

If you found that previous one offensive, write about the reason/s why.

How many items in the image can you name?

If you can name them, what would you do with them, in a piece of writing?

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I came up with this semi-random set of writing prompts today, and if I ever run out of things to write about, I know I can look at this list, and there will be something to write about. Surely if I can do this in about half an hour, which includes the time it took to prepare my lunch of bits and pieces that are in that bowl, then I can always finbd things to write about.

If I can do this, can you do it too? How do you find things to write about? Do you struggle with that idea, or is it easy? I’d love to know your answer to the question, please leave your answer in the comments!

inspiration, meaning in life, writing exercise

Things A Writer May Need

carolyncordon

A Writer needs many things, many of them things everyone needs, food, shelter. income, ability to communicate. But a writer also needs a particular ability to write, and also ideas to write about. They need a curiosity about things too, if they are going to remain committed to their life as a writer.

Writing can be a lonesome business, just you and the black page/screen. And a need to fill them with words. If you don’t actually write, can you call yourself a writer? Or are you a ‘gunna’ because one day, you’re gunna write this, or that, but not yet, because this and that reasons.

Once a previous gunna actually begins getting their words written, they often realise the beauty of actually writing, and they’ll wonder why it took them so long to start. But one of the reasons some of them quit is because they never feel the thrill of getting the best words written in the best possible way, and they feel like failures, and go somewhere else for their interests in life.

But if writing is the thing that wakes up your creativity and joy in life, go for it, be creative, explore what you like to write, and what you feel you’re best at writing. Put your thoughts to the test, and share your words with others to see if others agree.

Look for inspiration everywhere you go, take not of any interesting things you see, or hear, or learn, and think about how you could use those ‘found’ interesting things, to add even more interest to your writing. If other people are interested too, cherish those people, they are your potential readers of your words, buyers of your books, listeners to your talks, and followers of your blog!

But not everyone will like what you write, so as a writer, you need a thick skin, and the ability to step away from any hurt caused by negative words and responses to what you do with words. Not every book will be loved by every person, and that doesn’t matter. We are all different, in what we like, and do. That means there’s less of a crowd, which makes it easier for you to step up and shine!

So share your words, grow a hide, be curious, get on with living your life, and write your words!

inspiration, New Ideas, writing exercise, writing prompts

Scrabble Inspiration

carolyncordon
Today’s Scrabble game 20 June 2020

My husband (Graham) and I have been playing Scrabble every day or so lately, and while we had almost finished the game in the photo, I had an idea. I often have ideas, some of them big ones, others not so big. Some fun things, some serious ones.

Anyway, I was looking at the various words on the Scrabble board, and thought about what an interesting mix of words we had there. That thought led to the almost inevitable idea of, why don’t I do something with that random mix of words, something fun, for me, and for my writing friends. My writing group and the radio station I’m involved with, have fun with five word challenges, to come up with a winning piece of writing, to win a bottle of wine (for the writing group) or to simply have your words read by someone involved with the PBA FM ‘Words Out Loud’ radio program.

Anyway, my idea is this –

Look at the Scrabble Board, and write something, using as many of these words as possible (perhaps aim at having at least twelve of the words in your piece of writing). Poetry or Prose, Sensible or Silly, Fact or Fiction, go for it! If you write something that leads to an award winning story, or film, please remember where the initial idea came from, and mention my name!

With the blank tiles, one of them is simple – it is a ‘u’ (aqua) and the other is not so simple, it is an ‘e’. You can use the words as they are on the board, or with ‘s’ or ‘ing’ added or removed if you wish , but perhaps no other changes that can’t have been actual words possibly scored for this game. There are a number of ways you may wish to go with this idea. Perhaps you might try writing a piece using only words that are on the board (a very, very short piece of flash fiction). Or you may wish to write something using words from the Scrabble board, but other words as needed, as well. Up to you, of course!

If you enjoy this little writing exercise, please let me know, and I may do it all again, after another game. Graham and I know lots of words, about many, many different things. Some of the words may have been new to one or other of us, and learning new words is always a good thing to come from a good and interesting game of Scrabble!

I’m not saying who won this game, but as far as I can see, on looking back at the scores we have, this game had the highest score for one of the two players, so far. Scrabble is a fun game, and really rewards players who are readers, and who have a wide range of subjects they read about.

I’m going to write a very short piece, using other words as well, and post it in the comments. You might wish to do the same, up to you.

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I ended up with a poem, not a story, but it’s very much a story poem, a narrative poem, scaled right back … I’ve put the poem in the comments section.

inspiration, meaning in life, New Ideas

Writing Inspiration – Accidental or Formal

carolyncordon

When you write creatively, you’re a writer. Many of us take a long tome to actually acknowledge this, and claim the title, but it’s true, if you write, you’re a writer. And if what you write is poetry, then guess what, you’re a poet. The words don’t have to be published, or even shared with anyone else. There are many writers and poets who have many written words tucked away, hidden from the world that may be desperate to read those words, without realising, as you don’t realise it either.

So, there are many of us writers and poets. And of the many out there, what we all love is getting an inspiration, that lights the fire of our imagination and mind, and the words come. For some they feel they need that inspiration to come from something within themselves, or from Nature, or some such thing. Others feel fine using writing exercises, and things such as a five word challenge can be their inspiration.

Or an inspiration can be a happy accident, where two different things come together, adding up to, not two, but fifteen, and something far greater than the sum of its parts has emerged. Certainly, I feel my current writing adventure was one of those happy accidents, where a phrase, and an idea have come together, and an Anthology is on its way to coming into the world.

I enjoy five word challenges too though, and am finding that the more often I do them, the better I get at doing them. I know many of my writing friends enjoy doing five word challenges, because members of writing groups I’m involved in do them, and produce marvellous pieces of writing with them.

Nature, though, Nature is my biggest inspiration, in my life, and in my writing. My usual writing position at home, during the day, gives me a window into Nature, with flowers, trees, creatures, and the sky all bringing me peace, ideas, and conflict too, sometimes – all inspirational.

My front yard inspiration

Today I was watching an ant. It was in my back yard, I was standing watching the goings on in and around some ant nests, and one ant was carrying something, so I decided to watch where it would take it. WE often think of ants as being purposeful workers, but this ant wandered around one tiny area, about 30cm x 30cm, carrying that burden over difficult areas, backwards forwards, over and under weeds, toward a next hole and away, back again. Then I looked away and the ant was gone!

Well the ant of course could have still been there, because there were ants all around the nests, but I couldn’t see one carrying that piece of whatever it was. And of course, to me, all of the ants around that nest look exactly the same. I was only able to see that particular ant because of the ‘whatever it was’ it had been carrying. So, burden gone, interest gone? No not really – the idea of carrying a burden, a thing, giving one a sense of purpose is definitely an interesting idea to write about, in many ways.

What could it mean to the one with the burden, or to be burdened and to put it down, and go back to normal life. Does carrying, or having a possession make you more important than others, or give you a sense of purpose? These ideas could certainly be inspirations for many kinds of writing.

Inspiration is the thing that takes our writing from ordinary, to something more, something greater, from the mundane to meaningful and perhaps magnificent. Use the world as your inspiration and look with eyes, and mind, and all of your other senses, if need be. Inspiration fed gives much to the writer, seek it, feed it, benefit from it. The world needs your words!