Writing a Pinterest Story

(Source)

Story starters, or writing prompts, are a staple in the teaching of creative writing. I've never been a fan of this method of jump starting the writing process. I'd rather use my time and energy on the work that I've already begun. But sometimes, trying something new can make your brain work in different, productive ways.

I've talked before about how Pinterest is a great writing tool, for games like Speed Pinterest and collecting inspiring images for your work in progress. Switching from the verbal to the visual is a fun way to recharge your mind. (I swear I'm not shilling for Pinterest; I'm just another obsessed fan.)

The most recent way that I've found to use Pinterest is in creating a story through pictures, using a story starter. The Scholastic Story Starter Machine is a great option. Yes, it's meant for children. But it's fun! The machine generated prompt was: "Write a funny story about a million year old inventor who is shipwrecked on a desert island."

The result was The Shipwrecked Inventor. I left out the funny part of the prompt, because I only write short stories about sad things. It's a problem. Since I wasn't taking the whole thing very seriously, there was no pressure to create something "good." I thought I'd left that mind set behind in high school. So, basically, yay!

I'll definitely be creating more Pinterest stories via prompt, despite the fact that Pinterest's inability to rearrange pictures on a board can be intensely frustrating. You have to start with the first part last. Even then, Pinterest positions pictures visually in a way that doesn't lead the eye from one to the other in the order you've arranged them. But again, creating a mini-story backwards is another way to stretch before starting your real writing.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: May

"The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.

"Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!"

Last month I was struggling with end stage ennui. That issue still persists, but I've been moving forward, in fits and starts, to complete the end stage. One helpful change I've made is that I'm letting myself do a little revision of the bulk of my WIP. Instead of adhering strictly to the model of writing from start to finish, without returning to what I've written before, I'm allowing myself a little wiggle room to satisfy my revision urges. Doing so has helped me move forward, and it's a great reminder that whatever system or method I use to help write the WIP is just that--an aid.  It's okay to veer a little off course, if doing so helps me move forward.

My other big discovery over this past month is that I've been restraining my urge to create a story that takes big risks. I'm writing a paranormal YA thriller, so you might assume that the issue of suspension of belief is one that I've accepted. But it's taken me a while to get comfortable with plunging fully into the central idea of reincarnation in my WIP. I suppose I've tried to be restrained because I was afraid that future readers wouldn't get on board with the world that I'm creating. But that fear just holds me back. I've realized that as long as I concentrate on world building and allow the reader to feel comfortable believing, then I can create a story that asks a lot of the reader. I'm writing the kind of book I would want to read, so it only makes sense to trust readers to get on board with the kind of outlandish ideas that I enjoy as a reader and viewer.

YA Highway: Road Trip Wednesday #14

"Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic." Today's question on the YA Highway Road Trip is:

This Week's Topic:

What images inspire/ represent your WIP or favorite book?

Since I'm not a very visual thinker, I always have to refer to lots of images to create a mental picture of various aspects of my WIP, which I can then attempt to depict. A lot of my image research comes from books. For my current project, I've looked at a lot of collections of photographs about Vermont, and about barns. 

I've made an attempt to collect some images via Pinterest, but honestly, I find it less useful than I'd expected for image inspiration. I think it's because I have to go to the site to refer to the images, which interrupts the flow of my writing a bit (and also opens me to the temptation of goofing around on Pinterest). But when I'm sitting at my desk surrounded by books, I can jump start my writing by leafing through the pages, sans disruption. Of course, I also use Pinterest as a creative exercise to get my writing moving when I get sluggish, but that's a different post.

Once in a while, I come across an image online that is so perfect that I  have to print it out and stick it up on my wall (the bulletin board's too full). My emotional reaction to the boy in the picture at right is exactly how I imagine my protagonist's would be. He doesn't resemble the written description of the character I'd produced before I came across the image. It's more about his expression than his features. 

I'm also inspired by other people's WIP Pinterest boards. Kate Hart's reflects how I view the town that surrounds the commune in my WIP, while Jen Greenleaf's conjures up part of what I'm going for in terms of the tone of my WIP, although the subject matter is different. I suspect that as I read other YA Highwayer's responses, I'm going to find lots more inspirational Pinterest boards!

Insecure Writer's Support Group: April

"The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.

"Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!"

Is there any other kind of writer than the insecure? I think not. This is my first Insecure Wednesday, and I'm in good company with almost 300 other writers participating.

My writing problem this month: end stage ennui. Ironically, it was not too long ago that I was telling a fellow writer that I didn't have problems trailing my feet (fingers, whatever) at the end of a manuscript. It was in the middle where I typically had problems. But lately I've found myself stymied with the final 7,000 words or so of my WIP. I've used an outline this time around, which helped tremendously through the body of the manuscript. Since my recent reluctance began, I even re-outlined the ending. But it's just not happening.

Usually when I get stuck for a few days, it means that there's something wrong with the manuscript. I had a character do something implausible, or the plot is going in a different direction than it needs too. But with this manuscript, I don't think I'm stymied because of a problem with the ending. I think I'm struggling with finishing before I revise. I've never written this way before, and it's taken a lot of self-discipline. But not revising the first draft while writing has resulted in much greater output.

I already know the solution to my problem. Simply continuing to write, even when you don't want to and you're afraid, is the only way to move forward. I hope that next month I can report that I followed my own advice.

Shameless Self Promotion: Guest Blog Edition

Today, I'm guest blogging for the lovely and talented Ali of Ali's Bookshelf about what's on my book shelf, and how it connects to my work in progress. Thanks Ali! 

Here are some other posts on Ali's blog that you should check out:

Review of Everneath, by Brodi Ashton

Review of The Pledge, by Kimberly Derting

Interview with Stephen Zimmer

The Gaia Wars Book Tour: Guest Post and Author Interview

Speed Pinterest: Writing Trick or Procrastination?

(Image courtesy of Brooklyn Museum)

Writing has been an effort lately. I'm still getting in my goal word count per day, but it's tough. My mind is resistant; nothing is flowing. It feels like a struggle. I'm used to days like these. I know that I'll pass through this period, and I'll move into the flow, where writing feels exhilarating.

I've got various tricks for getting through the tough patches.  Write or Die is my savior. Without it, I'm not sure I could meet my word count on the bad days. But sometimes it's not enough just to push yourself.  I feel like I need to free up my mind, and make it move in a different current.

Randomly, I decided to wander over to Pinterest. I joined a little while ago, but haven't done anything with it. Tonight, I decided to create a free association board. I picked a random concept: the color green, which is my favorite. Then, I gave myself a time limit of ten minutes or so, and pinned all the images I liked that related to "green."

I've found before that doing something totally unrelated can help loosen things up creatively. Clearly this isn't a revolutionary concept or anything, but I often forget that talking a walk can be way more productive than sitting at the computer and flipping back and forth between a gossip site and a nearly empty page. Right now, it's cold. I hate the cold. I don't want to take a walk. But I think Pinterest might be like a mental walk; a way to engage another part of my brain so that the writing part can get its shit together.

So: green. The board I made is not much more than a bunch of loosely related pretty pictures. There is also the distinct possibility that I'm rationalizing a new way to procrastinate. But I'm going to give it a fair chance as an exercise in free association. I'm so tempted to add a purpose to it; to collect a bunch of images that relate to my WIP and use them for inspiration. But for now, I'm going to use my flash Pinterest boards for play.

YA Highway: Road Trip Wednesday #2

This week's YA Highway road trip question is: What's the best book you read in November?

I had to choose two, because one was the best book I read as a reader, and one the best I read as a writer.

(Image courtesy of TamaraWarren)

I read Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby because my work in progress is a YA thriller/horror novel, and I wanted to check out one of the classics to see how it’s done best. My favorite scary movies are from the 60s and 70s—The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby, Jaws, Alien, The Exorcist, and The Stepford Wives (another Levin book, incidentally).  Having loved the movie, I figured it’d be helpful to check out the book. The most useful thing I took away from the novel was how subtle the disturbing parts are.  The evil in the plot is established early on, and the bad stuff that happens is foreshadowed, but Levin surrounds the supernatural with so much normalcy. Of course, that’s the point—the contrast between the two heightens the impact of the horror.  I don’t think I can wholly apply this idea to my WIP, because the commune setting is inherently a couple clicks away from normal for most readers.  But I’m really trying to create a contrast, a sense of the everyday life, normal to most of the characters, that gets shattered. 

(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)

As a reader, my favorite was Holly Black’s Red Glove. I love the Curse Workers series so much. I think there’s only going to be one more, but I wish it could be like the Sookie Stackhouse series—an endless flood of books that lets you continually live with your favorite characters.  The world is so well established, all of the characters (even the minor ones) are interesting, and the inner struggle between the flaws and of the main character, Cassell Sharpe, is fascinating.  If I ruled the world, I would decree that Curse Workers immediately become a TV series (with the creator’s blessing, natch). Wouldn’t Patricia Clarkson be perfect as the mom? If you haven’t read Red Glove, or the previous book, White Cat, I highly recommend them.