Tag Archives: inspiration

Life Quotes…

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Quote The local radio station I listen to on the way to work has a feature where one of the presenters shares a cheesy ‘life quote’  each day, usually for the others to mock. You know the kind of ones…that if you said them out loud, rather than in your head, you’d probably feel a bit silly. (A bit like this one).

I can understand people liking quotes like these, maybe even finding some strength in the words that they relate to themselves…they’re just not for me really. But, I doubt you’d find a writer who doesn’t like quotes at all: they’re like little pieces of word art that you can hang inside your head 🙂 And with pinterest and the amount of ‘word art’ you see in shops these days, it’s easy to see that words as art is more popular than ever.

I have to admit, I am quite partial to quotes about creativity, inspiration and the weirdness of life… Several of my favourites – like this from Einstein – are on the walls around my little desk (my writing cave/corner), mixed in with ones that are aimed at getting me writing and not procrastinating.

Quote1

You know the type: “What are you waiting for?” “Do more of what makes you happy” Sometimes you have to be tough with yourself to get anything done!

To stop me collecting quotes on my wall, like the books on my shelves, I’ve taken to popping them on to a Pinterest board whenever I come across them (if you’re interested, you can see the type of thing that makes it here); or the little quote feature in Goodreads is pretty nifty for collecting any of the writerly ones you come across there.

 

 

2016, a year gone by

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Over new year there are always lots of reflection posts and ‘what I’m going to do next’ ones floating around everyone’s blogs. I’ve not done one so far this year – I’ve enjoyed reading other people’s posts, sometimes been saddened to see what they’ve struggled with in 2016, other times I’ve been impressed with what they have achieved. Now that we’re nearing the end of January, I suppose I’m finished procrastinating…

For me, 2016 was a bit of a mix – my new job kicked into high-gear and never really stopped, which meant alot of my mental space was dedicated elsewhere. I wrote sporadically – Cirque de la Nuit moved on a bit, but not as far as I would have liked… my ‘new adult’ project got a few scenes expanded, nothing major. I did release a book (surprisingly) – Faris and Jack – but it was something I had written a long while ago (nearly ten years!) and I got the chance to re-edit and polish it up whilst on holiday in Scotland.

So far, Faris and Jack has proved to be the most popular of my books, in terms of downloads. I’ve not pushed it hugely, opting rather to release it free electronically for all the major e-readers forever. I’ve already written the sequel and the outlines for the final couple of books that go with the series, so I’ll be aiming to get the second one out in 2017, then hopefully (!) finish Cirque de la Nuit because it feels like it deserves to be finished. I’m actually enjoying writing that story more than any I’ve done so far – little pieces clicking into place more easily, more naturally than the books before. Perhaps that’s just practice helping me along?

So that’s about it really, from a writing point of view. I’d like to blog more than I did last year – it was a bit of a bust across the four blogs I work on, with only bits and pieces being posted… I’m not doing too badly so far this year and I’d like to post about the 2017 reading plan if nothing else, I think there’s going to be some interesting reading this year.

For anyone reading this, I hope that you write well in 2017 and that the year is good to you… I hope that readers amongst you find some fantastic books to enjoy and embrace the new writers that you find… For everyone, I hope that 2017 takes you closer to achieving your dreams and that you have a happy year.

Mel x

Random Post – Sharing your words

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A funny thing happens when you write a book and put it out into the world for people to read. Now and again, people will take your words and do something with them that you weren’t expecting. And that surprises you.

Not long ago, I was trying to update my website with blog posts I’d featured in and Googled my name to check I hadn’t missed any. (Side-thought: do you make the ‘G’ a capital letter, when you’re using Google as a verb? Dilemma…) A couple of things popped up that I’d never seen before: a quote from one of my books being used on a promo for a dating website ‘Meetville.com’:

Love is having someone to do nothing with

 

And it seems to be one of my more popular quotes, featuring in other places too…

Another dating service: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/568438784188184705/

Inspiration for a photo-blogger, which I thought was pretty cool! 🙂 http://365.mollysdailykiss.com/day-180-marketing/

 

 

The thing that got me thinking about this today, was the tweet I accidentally ran across which features an image inspired by a quotation from the currently unpublished Outlanders (link to Twitter is below the picture). The actual quote from the book is: “Mad – empty – crazy – lost – dying… I was all of these things and nothing as well, because even though I breathed and moved, I was not alive.” The picture is based on the highlighted part…

beach

https://mobile.twitter.com/nicratwoman/status/563508039165046784/photo/1

Post by: Phoenix Rising @nicratwoman

What was a little freaky is that the picture used could be an absolute match to a major scene that happens later in the book – a scene that has not been published, or hinted at anywhere (outside my head) and which does not actually generate the quotation from the book that the person used to inspire the image.

Now that is random! 🙂 Maybe even spooky…

Incidentally, the same quote was also used by Susan Noyes Anderson, inspiring her poem ‘Fade to Gray’, which you can read here: http://susannoyesandersonpoems.com/2012/08/30/fade-to-gray/

It’s really interesting to see what another creative person – the poet, photographer, musician – does with something that you wrote in a particular context, and how the same words turn into something new.

 

As a writer has this happened to you? What have your words or blog posts inspired? 🙂

 

Music to Write By…

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ns

Background I don’t know about the other writers out there, but I do find music helps me when I’m writing.

If I’m trundling along in the car, thinking about whatever I’m working on, certain songs will jump out at me (metaphorically speaking, obviously, otherwise it would be dangerous). Usually, I find myself day-dreaming, mini-montage style about a particular scene or piece of dialogue. Perhaps, because I was a teen of the nineties 80s power music has a tendency to get me thinking of action scenes or inspiring ‘progress’ moments for the characters…I tell you – film makers of the eighties have a lot to answer for in the strange world that is my brain.

When it comes to actually typing the stuff out, I struggle to have songs on, even in the background – they’re better for prompting ideas and scenes really. For actually writing, fingers to keyboard stuff, I have a couple of favourite soundtracks – both from films – whose scores cover a range of themes from battles to romance. If you’re looking for some inspiration yourself, why not check them out on You Tube clips here.

Gladiator    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xQqFDInc5s

The Last of the Mohicans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42MAk4_DBFc

My other ‘go to’ is composer Craig Armstrong – he’s done a lot of film soundtracks and early on worked on several British movies (Love Actually, Plunket and MacLean). His piano compositions are beautiful and if you’re looking for background music to match your scene, or just in general, this could be right for you.

Anyway – after sharing some of my inspirations, it’s back to work – because NaNo waits for no one and I’ve only got a bit more to go now 🙂

*flicks to iTunes and presses PLAY*

Inspiration – Day 1

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To help keep me motivated during NaNoWriMo this year, and maybe to help any of you who are taking the challege as well, I’m going to share some of my favourite Pinterest piccies with you. Every few days, when I need that extra push, I’ll pop something up for how I’m feeling about writing that day – I hope you like them and if they inspire you too, then that’s even better 🙂

So, here we go – Day 1 – it’s the beginning, so let’s be optimistic about what’s ahead 🙂

Journey

A Journey of a thousand miles / Lao Tzo Quote /

Typography by Jennifer Wick

Word Art!

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Anyone else love words as little bits of art?

I recently noticed from my ongoing affair with Pinterest just how many times I pin pictures that are more words than images… True, the quotations and wordy-art I like often have pictures accompanying them, but a lot of them are actually quite plain. One of my most recent additions to my ‘writing corner’ in the real world, is an image printed over a page out of an old dictionary… In some ways, I think I get ‘words’ more than I get traditional art – maybe they ‘speak’ to me more than other mediums, because writing is the main art form I use? Although, I do have to say my stick men are really something to marvel at 😉

Hope's Daughter / The Rainbow Maker's Tale 'Tag Cloud'

Hope’s Daughter / The Rainbow Maker’s Tale ‘Tag Cloud’

And you know what? I one of my favourite word art things are ‘tag clouds’ – especially when you generate them from something you’ve written yourself. The one above is coloured is in the colours and shape of a globe, made up from the blurbs of The Rainbow Maker’s Tale and Hope’s Daughter. I love the way tag clouds pull together the whole range of ideas in your book and bring them down to a collection of the most common words.

When I look at this picture there are things that leap out at me immediately as key themes from the two books, that are actually thrown together by accident when the cloud is generated: ‘Dangerous Friend’; ‘Lies Station’; ‘Secrets System’; ‘Parents Oddities’; ‘Society Terrifying’; ‘Hope, Believe, Love’; ‘Follow, Simple, Life’….

Once I’ve written the blurb for a book (which I seem to do reasonably early on when I’m writing – as if I’m trying to sell the story to myself!) I like getting a tag cloud put together and put them around my desk or in my notebooks for that piece – they’re great little tools for getting ideas clicking together and keeping you focused on the main ideas you want to write about.

So…how about you – do you find yourself drawn to ‘word art’ because of your love of books…? Or, if you’re an author, what do you think your ‘tag cloud’ would say about your book?

Outlanders…I’m Writing (ish)

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OUTLANDERS - Cover - 9

Outlanders…. A work in progress

So…with a little spare time on my side, I’m trying to make a ‘proper’ effort to do some writing and move the Outlanders story forwards. It’s a bit frustrating, as it’s not like I don’t know what’s going to happen, when, to who and how…I’ve just really been struggling these last few months to sit down and do anything productive with the manuscript.

I’ve just re-vamped my ‘playlist’ to try and help get the creative juices working and put me in the right mindset for writing, and funnily enough, I have found myself rather inspired by a song that I came across accidentally, which a friend of mine had done several years ago. And yes, it is now in my ‘inspiration’ playlist 🙂

I knew Kerry had worked in music before, but sometimes when you know someone in a different part of their lives it can be hard to picture them in one the others. Anyway, what I found funny when I came across this track was that her voice, the lyrics, even the tune reminded me of Cassie and the journey she’s got to go on in Outlanders. 

Here’s the track:

“Dream Another Dream” Featuring Kerry Lee Clark Produced and co-written by Rickytee

I love the idea that comes through in the song about making your own decisions, internal strength and moving forwards when life – or dreams – don’t happen the way you thought they would. Some of my favourite lyrics are:

“Find another way to be yourself some day”

“You’re choosing all the roads you follow, you gotta walk in your own shoes.”

“If you want to make it, you’ve got to take it, cos nothing’s free. / You build yourself a new tomorrow.”

 

So what do you think – do you like the track, feel the inspiration? Do you have your own playlists for your book when you’re writing? And any advice for making me knuckle down and get some work done 🙂

 

 

Need Inspiration…?

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Need some inspiration today?

Need some inspiration today?

Just read this interesting post on Bookbaby, which might help you if you’re looking for some inspiration today. (Click the picture above to go through to the blog page and read the article).

My usual tips are the same as their no. 1… Just do it! Write, write, write then write some more 🙂 trying to get away from distractions can be tough, but maybe try some of the other tips here and see how far you get! And with NANOWRIMO around the corner, maybe you could use that to give a kick-start to your project.

Now, if only I could follow my own advice! 😉

Monkeying around

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The lovely Story Reading Ape let me swing by and post on his blog today, why not drop in yourself to find out some more about the characters and inspiration behind my books in The Ambrosia Sequence?

http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/02/09/guest-author-melanie-cusick-jones-discusses-the-hopes-daughter-series/

Best of all, take a look around his blog while you’re there for lots of great tips, features and guests, on all things reading and writing. (Oh, and for the Monday Funnies too! :)