One of the things that I really love to do to get inspiration as a writer is to attend open mic events, poetry slams and literary readings where people read their writings from the stage. I think it’s great to experience the written word in the spoken format. It changes it, adds a new dimension and makes it something slightly new.
Attending these events always inspires me. Sometimes I hear a word or phrase that sparks something for my own writing. Sometimes I consider exploring a new form of writing after hearing it aloud. And sometimes it’s just the energy of the crowd that makes me want to write.
What’s interesting is how many different types of writing events there are and how different each one is in terms of the energy and ambience of the event. Some of the ones that I most commonly attend include:
- Open mic poetry events. This is where people of any age and writing level sign up on a list and get to read their own work for a certain amount of time. These can vary widely in style depending on the host and may even end up more like a variety show with comedians and musicians being included. I typically find these events to be interesting (albeit slightly overstimulating) because of the diversity of the group that comes to read although this, again, can vary a lot depending on venue.
- Poetry slams. I discovered these back in my college days and then lost touch with them again until just the past few months. These are events where people sign up to compete against each other for cash prizes. They get a certain amount of time to read one poem which is voted on by a set of audience members. Here it’s more about the performance than the words themselves (although the words matter) so you get a totally different vibe that’s almost more like theatre than poetry reading.
- Multiple writers reading together at an event. One of my favorite writing events in San Francisco is Writers with Drinks. At this event, five or six different authors are invited on stage to read from their works for about fifteen minutes each. They get enough time to really explore their genre but you get exposed to the writing of several different people. This is usually less intense than a poetry slam but not as laidback as most open mics I’ve been to. Each author brings his or her own following so there’s a lot of support and you really sense a writer’s community at things like this.
- Single writers reading their work. This is what you typically get when you have an author reading at a book signing in a store. They read a specific work for an extended period of time so you really get to know the work. Then they usually take questions so it’s a great way to learn a lot about a writer’s process. However, I usually don’t love these events unless I’m specifically interested in the author and have read at least some of his or her work.
- Erotica readings and performances. There is a whole other set of literary readings which is geared entirely around sex. Sometimes these are erotica authors reading from their books at book signings. Other times they are open mics of erotic poems. Or sex workers’ performance art shows that include authors reading. Whatever the format, the underlying vibe of these is sexuality so it’s a different feeling than what’s at other writer’s events.
What other types of events do you go to where writers read their works?
One of the things that writers need to do if they are going to be good at their craft is to face themselves honestly. This sounds like an easy task but those of us who have tried doing it know that it’s one of the most difficult things to do in life. It’s also one of the most worthwhile – not only because you start to create better writing once you’ve carefully examined yourself but also because you start to live a more authentic and open life.
In the spirit of this, I just thought I’d share a quote that I came across recently while going through some things. I can’t find the full piece of writing that it came from but I have a note on back of the photo I wrote it on that it is an excerpt from In the Museum of the Lord of Shame by Gary Rosenthal. It goes as follows:
“And so, when we get close
To the wound, when we cross
The border into Egypt
And begin to get close
To where the secrets are buried,
Our nervous system hears a voice
And the voice says,
“You don’t really want to go down there”
And you really don’t,
Anymore than Orpheus wanted to go down
The Dark staircase
Where cobwebs pulse
Like trampolines
Upon which the hosts of houseflies
Try to leap out of this world.
But what you need
To reclaim
Lives down there
South
Of your predictable borders
Where the soul is
Encrusted in Salt
From the tears we’ve yet to shed.”
Be brave as a writer and brave as a person; go deep down into yourself and see what there is to see there. And then come back and share it with the world since who you are is completely unique and who we are can benefit from reading about your experience.
I recently posted an article here with my top 18 favorite writing quotes of the moment, something I did because I believe that great quotes can be one of the most inspiring things for writers to read. A comment was left on the post by Greg Babic, an Australian author who has written a variety of different articles, short stories and books.
One of those books is a book called Words to Inspire Writers. This is a calendar-like collection of quotes that are designed to inspire writers in their craft and in their lives. I hadn’t heard of this book until Greg left his comment here which makes me really excited that he did indeed leave the comment. A quick scan of his blog informed me that this book is actually available online for free!
The book is filled with all different kinds of quotes from all different types of people. I’ll pull the three quotes that are written under the date of my own birthday as an example but you can check out the whole free book here.
I’m home in bed with a cold today. It’s rainy out and I’ll probably spend most of the day reading and napping. For many writers, this is the ideal way to spend a day (other than the whole having a cold part). We love to read. And we love to find just those words and phrases that inspire us to improve our own writing.
I’ve collected quotes from other writers for a long time now and I have a big collection on a lot of different topics that inspire me in my own writing and my own life. Here are 18 of my favorite writing quotes and creativity quotes:
- ” There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.” – Martha Graham. This is part of a longer quote; a lengthier version is included on the home page of my website because I think that this is one of the key things a writer should always remember – stay true to yourself even when the writing doesn’t come easily or starts to feel routine.
- “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” – Audre Lorde. In the same vein as the Martha Graham quote, this reminds us that we must say what we must say.
- “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is ultimately to be at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.” -Abraham Maslow. One final way of saying that you’ve got to stay true to what you really are, this time from someone known from the field of psychology rather than writing.
- “It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.” -Vita Sackville-West. A beautiful way of writing about the importance of writing!
- “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov. And a beautiful way of showing how to be descriptive in your writing! Read the rest of this entry…
One of the things that I’m trying to do as the year comes to a close is to sort through everything I have here that I don’t need. And that includes getting rid of a bunch of favorites and bookmarked websites that don’t apply anymore.
In doing so, I came across this article on 10 lessons from Einstein. There’s some great little reminders about life in there that are worth taking a look at it if you’ve got any interest in poignant thoughts from a brilliant mind.
I’m not sure that I agree with all of these lessons myself. However, there are two that stand out for me right now:
- There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.
- The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Life is here for us to enjoy if we’re willing to pay attention to what’s happening around us and if we’re willing to adopt an attitude of curiosity and appreciation. It’s not always easy, especially when things in life are really not going our way. But the more that we can stop to look at the small things that make us small and the more that we can find wonder in the interesting things happening around us, the easier those tough days will be. I think those are important things for writers to try to remember.
“I always wrote with the idea that what I put out there is going to stay there. Once I publish something, it has been published. I’ve never deleted more than one or two posts from my site. I don’t think that there are takebacks.” -Alison Headley
The quote is listed on The Quotations Page for writing quotes, a source that I always find inspiring. The things other people have said about writing often give me pause for thought and this one is no exception. It’s important to realize that what we’re writing is going to be seen by others. As we write, we should keep in mind that this could be something that we’re permanently associated with. By doing so, we maintain the integrity of our own writing and always challenge ourselves to do our best work.
It’s always tempting to think, “it’s just a blog post” and slack on the quality of the writing because you know it’s going to get buried in the archives in a few days. However, something that others have seen always has the potential to crop back up again. Try to do your best writing at all times so that anything that comes back will only be something that you want to nod in agreement with.
Question of the Day: Do you ever find yourself writing with lower standards because you’re “only” writing a blog post?
[Tags] writing, quote, alison headley, inspiration, blog, standards, quality [/Tags]
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
It’s always inspiring to see people joining together in any sort of movement. Earth Day is one of those times. To celebrate, take a moment to learn something new about being green.
- Real Words posts about green writing
- Wikipedia on Earth Day
- Earth Day Official Page
- Go Green @ Treehugger: http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php
- Guide to a Healthy Life Style
Question of the Day: What are you doing as a writer to celebrate Earth Day?
[Tags] green writing, earth day, green links [/Tags]
Auroville is a city in South India first constructed in the late 1960′s. Based on the commune principles of the hippie era, this city was designed to be an open-minded forward-thinking community. It’s changed throughout the years but that basic foundation has remained the same. Today, Auroville is considered one of the world’s eco-cities.
It would take an entire book to explain what Auroville is all about but ultimately it’s an idealistic place where the residents aim to live above the politics and materialism that pervades most of the world. While it’s not likely a place that I would want to spend my life, it’s inspiring to me as a writer.
For one thing, it shows an alternative way to live in the world. That’s great for creating characters for fiction and is just a generally inspiring thing to see. For another, it’s constantly evolving – a process which is interesting to read about and which can be inspirational for story development.
As with all of the places, people, ideas and saying that are mentioned in this daily Real Words column, Auroville is one of those things that deserves a second glance with an eye towards how it can impact a person’s writing immediately and over time.
Question of the Day: Do you think visiting a place like Auroville would be good for your writing work?
[Tags] writing, auroville, commune, ecocity, india, inspiration [/Tags]
What writer doesn’t like to receive praise for his or her work? Even when you don’t agree with the person who is giving you props, you have to smile a little bit when someone sees value or talent in the creative efforts that you are putting forth. And if you take it with a grain of salt, this praise can be really inspiring. It may even make your work better.
Praise inspires me as a writer in the following ways:
- It makes me feel like continuing to work. I’d probably write without any recognition at all but getting that praise gives me an added boost of energy to sit down and do the writing.
- It points me in the right direction. I can often tell from praise whether something is worth following up on or whether I should let a topic go. Of course, sometimes my own creative impulses will drive these decisions but that input can inspire me to go further with a topic that I may have dropped otherwise.
- It challenges me to maintain a high standard. When someone has praised your work, you know that they are reading it. This inspires me to keep writing with an audience in mind. When it starts to feel like no one is paying attention anyway, we sometimes let our writing slip. That praise can bring your focus back to finetuning your writing.
And of course, it’s just a pleasant feeling to be acknowledged for your work. Go praise one of your favorite writers today; perhaps they’ll be inspired to write something magical.
Question of the Day: How does praise inspire or hinder your writing?
[Tags] writing, praise, acknolwedgment, reward, work [/Tags]
I’m the first to admit that Reality TV is probably not the best source for inspiration. However, it has its moments. For some, watching the development of characters on these shows can assist them in creating their own characters for novels and short stories. For me, recent inspiration came from one line in a show that made me literally laugh out loud.
The show was Hell’s Kitchen. Abrasive Chef Gordon Ramsay was all worked up about how slow one of the contestants on the show was being at his work. And what he said was something along the lines of “you’re moving like a tortoise … giving birth”.
I’d never heard anyone say that before and it caught me off guard. It took the usual metaphor that is tired and obvious and gave it this twist that struck me as ridiculously humorous. Not much on TV actually makes me laugh aloud so the show got points for that. But more importantly, it got me thinking about the fact that there is always a new way to the same old things if you’re willing to look for that way.
Yes, a lot of metaphors have already been made before. But we can take those metaphors and put our own spin on them to make them apply to different situations or say something slightly different than what they usually say. A good writer will edit out the cliches in her work and find a way to write a new turn of phrase.
Question of the Day: Can you think of any other twists-on-sayings that you’ve heard which stuck with you?
[Tags] inspiration, quote, hell’s kitchen, chef gordon ramsay [/Tags]
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