I am working on text revisions for The Strange Little Monster and the Swamp Goblin today. (Sequel to A Strange Little Monster, illustrated by Stephen Michael King.)My editor suggested that I should try to make a couple of important lines more poetic - to create stronger images. Great advice. If only I could find the right words!
Sitting in my tiny study this chilly Sunday where does one go for poetic inspiration when the words won't come of their own accord? Of course there is the thesaurus - always a good place to start. But often so limiting, especially when we now have the world at our fingertips with the world wide web!
So I googled some key words, phrases, concepts etc and in seconds I had sound bites, YouTube clips, gorgeous photos, poems, articles, quotes and much more spiralling across my screen, providing me with more than enough inspiration to create the images I needed.
Although often diverting and the cause of much time-wasting the WWW is also the most amazing resource for a writer!
Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteYou can find almost anything on google but I've never used it purely to find inspiration... Interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteJeff
Thanks, Jeff. Within seconds I was watching wolves howl, listening to the haunting music of pan flutes, reading beautiful poetry ... A great resource at our fingertips.
ReplyDeleteSue, I find I can write and edit on demand, but not be creative on demand. Music often helps me unfocus my mind and stop pushing. I like to think of it as sidestepping the blockages or something just as fanciful! Another thing I like is Dreamlines http://solaas.com.ar/dreamlines/ I enter keywords and then sit back and watch the dreamy, out of focus images unfold. Again, it's like I've given myself permission to relax and let the creative side of my brain take over.
ReplyDelete