Time to take a break from exciting. No that is not a cue to run to another blog. I hope I won't be boring. However, after the week we've had, I'm going to have trouble keeping your interest.
I have no one to interview, no contest winners to announce. No contest to announce we're having. It's just me, folks.
I'm going to rant a bit about triggers. All kinds. Do you have any? I have food triggers. Salt water taffy comes to mind as one, but to be honest, food in general is a trigger to make me eat like a pig. What other triggers do I have? Email. I'm addicted--I blogged a bit about this on my personal blog yesterday. I'm looking for an intervention. However, a dear friend called me after reading and gave me some advice. I'm working on it, keep your fingers crossed it works.
The whole thing started me thinking about what other triggers there are. As writers do we have triggers that get us in the mood to hunker in to our chairs and write for hours? Or do we have triggers that set off an idea?
I have had something trigger an idea, and have acted on it. What sets off the trigger in your brain? Are we wired different than other people? Have you ever had people ask you "Where do you come up with your ideas?" I have all the time, and I usually shrug and say "I don't know."
The truth is, I come up with all my ideas because something triggered a germ of a thought and it grew. Some stop after a blurb and others grow into stories. While writing this I've thought over my ideas and their triggers. Is there one thing more than anything that will trigger my germ of an idea? Yes, music. Then the hard part comes, growing the germ to a blurb, then synopsis and finally to a novel.
Tell me, what are your writing triggers?
Readers do you have triggers that germinate in your mind and make you crave a certain genre when you go to the book store? Or do you usually buy the same genre over and over?
Thanks for stopping by M&M hope to see you all back tomorrow, and the next day and the next...
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13 comments:
Seeing my dream coming to life in my mind is what triggers me.
Great thought provoking question Mary.
I have a lot of triggers. Usually my kids trigger my YA ideas.
For my adult ideas, anything from a song to a movie to a news story will trigger an idea.
I also often ask "what if?" to spark ideas. Things like what would I do if I was suddenly widowed? what would I do if I had never gotten married? What would I do if a robber came into the store I was in? Etc. Putting yourself in your lead character's shoes and throwing yourself into crazy situations can be both fun and enlightening.
Anyone else have triggers they want to share?
I have many triggers. Often reading someone ELSE's stuff will send me off somewhere. Taking a walk, especially without a notebook tucked into my pocket, will trigger streams of dialogue that I may or may not remember when I get home. Similarly, showers.
Lately, though, I've mainly had stalls. For example, your mention of your personal blog, sent me running off to VIEW your personal blog. Blogging, mine and everyone else's, has consumed me lately. I make my coffee, I check Twitter, I check the blogs. And check them and check them. At least I've managed to fix the BlackBerry so that I no longer get the constant Pavlovian beats whenever someone adds to their "status."
Today, I'll blame everything on the weather. Too hot and muggy here to do anything but think how hot and muggy it is!
Lots of times, story ideas appear when I'm ticked off about something. My young friend's husband turns out to be a creep, so her situation turns inside out in my mind and becomes a fluffy pink-and-white sweet romance . . . .
For a few minutes before gun-toting villains with Bowie knives between their teeth break into the story, kidnap the heroine's ex-husband and her children so she has to go to some swampy hot hell-hole to rescue them, but it's okay because the mercenary helo driver is sooo hot--
Nothing like being stuck in revision hell to spark a steady stream of stories that would be infinitely better than the garbage I've already written. Sigh.
Story ideas come out of frustration.
And Mary, don't ever worry about being "boring"--you don't need fireworks to make the haystack thrilling. Grins. Back to work.
Tonya, that is a great trigger to have. Dream trigger!
Kari, 'what if' is something I do. Not that I realized it until you said it. But it does come after something has triggered the germ of an idea.
Terri, you sound like you need an intervention from social media like I do!
Mellyn, I don't think I've heard of anyone having ideas over being ticked off. I guess that works great if you write suspense!
Thanks for the comments.
If I have problem with a scene I'll go for a walk. There I can clear my mind, of work, and focus on the scene I'm struggling with. Another is driving. Yeah, I know it's dangerous not concentrating on the road. For some reason it seems to work for me especially when I'm having trouble getting through that impossible scene.
Lindsay,
Driving and walking is where I do most my brainstorming. If I'm walking with my husband he's always telling me stories of when he grew up. Like "Before this was all houses we'd play baseball in this field..." Anyway it started a small town story brewing.
When driving I was listening to Alanis M (don't know how to spell her last name) and came up with my Watching Jenny story.
Mary, like the others I have no idea what triggers my ideas. For my Casserole Lovers Series, I awakened out a of a deep sleep with a plot.
I guess if anything, it's TV. I love watching what they do with contemporary crimes pulled right out of the headlines. I once saw a 20/20 about a family whose child had a rare genetic disease. To save him, cord blood from a genetically engineered embryo was used. Not only did the family get to keep their older son, but they welcomed a brand new baby boy into their family --Deadly Deceit (my sperm story) was born.
And just for the record, I'd love to hear what your friend told you about avoiding email. I am also addicted.
Great blog, Mary.
Liz,
See you do know your triggers! I didn't really think of it until I started to wonder what triggers me with writing vs. email and other things.
Very interesting way a writers mind works!
Mary,
I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one who brainstorms and drives. And it works, all though not as safe as walking. The other night I threw out 3500+ words and spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what I could replace them with. Tried 3 different concepts. None worked but in the 10 minute time it took me to get home from work I had the new scene plotted and recorded.
Now I have to find the trigger to sit down and write the words. BTW-chocolate ain't help 'en either.
I must confess I'm a big "what if" kinda girl. I take a pad of paper- yes, Liz, a pad of paper- and write WHAT IF at the top. Then I begin all the crazy possible ideas in total random order. I don't this is a trigger, but it becomes a conversation with myself. Then my two Golden Retrievers vote on the best scenario.
Cassy,
Figures it would take two Goldens to do what one collie can do
hmmm. Provoking is right!
I've just left my emails alone for ten whole minutes while trying to figure out what my writing triggers are.
The first thought was about what makes me put my butt in the chair AND open word instead of email. Usually it's to avoid housework! Yup, dirty house, busy muse.
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