Writing
Charlotte Rains Dixon  

Waiting For Inspiration

I am, at this very moment, guilty of doing what I tell students and clients NOT to do:

Waiting for inspiration.

I’ve been sitting here, with my hands on the keyboard, which is in my lap, where it is a very un-ergonomic position, waiting.  Once in awhile looking around at some of the latest book news for inspiration.  But I can’t even get that steamed up about J.K. Rowling attempting to squash some poor pathetic middle school librarian like a bug (he was sobbing on the witness stand, J.K, lighten up!).  Nor could I even find it in myself to chortle gleefully at the news that those big, nasty drug companies hire ghostwriters, too.  (And now of course, I can’t find the link, but never mind, it was really only the first paragraph that was interesting.)  And even the news about the guy who has written 20,000 books failed to outrage me.

Nope, I’m brain dead tonight.  Flat out brain dead, the way you can only get when you’ve been working full out on a project for weeks or months on end and then suddenly you are done.  I always have all these ideas for things I’m going to do when I’m finished, and then when I actually do finish suddenly none of them have appeal.  And all I am capable of doing is wandering around.

Thank God American Idol is on tonight.  Go, David Cook!

Charlotte

Charlotte Rains Dixon mentors creative writers from passionate to published. Charlotte is a free-lance journalist, ghostwriter, and author. She is Director Emeritus and a current mentor at the Writer's Loft, a certificate-writing program at Middle Tennessee State University. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Spalding University and is the author of a dozen books, including The Complete Guide to Writing Successful Fundraising Letters, and Beautiful America’s Oregon Coast. Her fiction has appeared in The Trunk, Santa Fe Writer’s Project, Nameless Grace, and Somerset Studios and her articles have been published in Vogue Knitting, the Oregonian, and Pology, to name a few. Her novel, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior, was published in 2013, and she is represented by Erin Niumata at Folio Literary. Learn about her annual writing workshops in Europe at letsgowrite.com, and visit her blog at www.charlotterainsdixon.com, where you can find all kinds of tips and techniques on writing and creativity.

0 thoughts on “Waiting For Inspiration”

  1. Martha Alderson

    Best way to get the inspiration flowing is by focusing on something else.

    Might I give a suggestion for your focus???

    http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/

    Writes await your comments.

    Thanks in advance………

    Reply

  2. Martha Alderson

    PS

    I added your blog to my links.

    I hope you might consider adding mine to yours????

    http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/

    Reply

  3. Donna Sundblad

    Next time you’re feeling creatively drained check out Pumping Your Muse Prompts. Quick, easy, creative prompts to give you something fun to write.

    Reply

  4. Roy Burkhead

    Excellent posting, my friend. :-)

    Reply

  5. Jen

    Ah, I hate that feeling. I’m sure that your muse will return from her vacation soon!

    Reply

  6. Charlotte

    Thanks you guys, for all the comments. I actually had an incredibly productive day, though it wasn’t on my novel, as I intended. Instead I spent the day planning a new website for my writing coaching. I’ve had this on my mind for, um, two months now, so it was great to get it all on paper. I guess all that wandering around last night was what I needed.

    Plus, David Cook rocked American Idol. I’m in love. Do you think I’m too old for him?

    Reply

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