Anissa Stringer
Wow. This is a much harder question than you might expect! Sometimes when people ask this, they’re really asking: How do you find the time and ideas to write full-length novels.
The answer to that is: Finding the time is hard and it takes some sacrifice (there are only so many hours in the day), but ideas are easier to come by and come from many different sources (other books I’m reading, TV shows, documentaries, strange ideas that pop up in my head, and even dreams).
The other thing people sometimes mean when they ask about inspiration is: How do you turn a single idea and a few words into a novel without losing interest or getting so frustrated that you quit before you’re done?
That question is much harder to answer and it changes as you grow as a writer. When you’ve never completed a novel before, there’s so much to learn about writing dialogue, setting a scene, ramping up tension, plotting, character growth, and so forth that it feels like you’ll never turn your idea into a full-length book.
But slowly, as you get more accomplished and find your voice, moving a story along becomes second nature. It helps a lot to attend writers’ workshops (your local library may have some that are free!) and read everything you can get your hands on about the craft of writing. online critique groups like Scribophile.com are also helpful if you don’t know many other writers.
If you’re asking about inspiration because YOU dream about writing a book but aren’t having much luck in moving it beyond the “idea” stage, it’s important to dedicate time to your writing every single day. You can visit my website at https://www.StringerStories.com (click the “For Writers” tab at the top) if you’d like to view a free Prezi about how you can maintain your forward momentum even if it’s by spending just 10 minutes a day on your writing. Good luck--and I hope this answered your question!
The answer to that is: Finding the time is hard and it takes some sacrifice (there are only so many hours in the day), but ideas are easier to come by and come from many different sources (other books I’m reading, TV shows, documentaries, strange ideas that pop up in my head, and even dreams).
The other thing people sometimes mean when they ask about inspiration is: How do you turn a single idea and a few words into a novel without losing interest or getting so frustrated that you quit before you’re done?
That question is much harder to answer and it changes as you grow as a writer. When you’ve never completed a novel before, there’s so much to learn about writing dialogue, setting a scene, ramping up tension, plotting, character growth, and so forth that it feels like you’ll never turn your idea into a full-length book.
But slowly, as you get more accomplished and find your voice, moving a story along becomes second nature. It helps a lot to attend writers’ workshops (your local library may have some that are free!) and read everything you can get your hands on about the craft of writing. online critique groups like Scribophile.com are also helpful if you don’t know many other writers.
If you’re asking about inspiration because YOU dream about writing a book but aren’t having much luck in moving it beyond the “idea” stage, it’s important to dedicate time to your writing every single day. You can visit my website at https://www.StringerStories.com (click the “For Writers” tab at the top) if you’d like to view a free Prezi about how you can maintain your forward momentum even if it’s by spending just 10 minutes a day on your writing. Good luck--and I hope this answered your question!
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