Inspiration in The Time of Doubt

The past few days have been full of inspiration.

I had been suffering from Multiple Writing Style Disorder for a while, and I needed to stop and think about what I wanted out of my writing.

I also found myself reflecting on what–if anything–of myself I was putting into my work. You know the old(ish?) adage “write what you know”? Well, I realized that there was a bit of distance between the world I was creating and my own life. So, I decided to dip a bit of my soul into it–nothing too involved but just enough to connect with my work. It’s only been a couple of days since I tried it, but so far, I like it.

The main source of my recent quest for self-discovery was a blog post about J.K. Rowling’s writing process. It’s been awhile since I read the Harry Potter books; I have a reading list a mile long, so I didn’t really have time to revisit a series that I’d read multiple times already. But for some reason I decided to Google her writing process to see if I could poke a sharp stick at my Muse, and I came across the aforementioned writing process blog post. It’s contains a brief collection of Rowling quotes that you should check out if you’re a fan of her work: http://harrypotterforwriters.blogspot.com/2012/01/guest-post-jk-rowlings-writing-process.html

Honestly, it isn’t anything ground-breakingly original, but then again a lot of profound advice isn’t. Whether it’s about writing, attaining happiness, setting goals in life, or just how to deal with disappointment, sometimes the best advice reminds you of what you already know either from experience or intuitively. Hearing (or reading) someone else express it can be enough to jump start your brain and heart.

The pearl of wisdom that stood out most for me was keeping in mind who I was writing for. I noticed that I was thinking of my imaginary readers a bit too much. Sure, you want to have an idea of who your audience is, but in the end, what matters most is that the story you tell is one that you enjoy writing, that you would enjoy reading, that you would be proud to publish, not simply the one that will sell the most copies. I had to let that sink the past few days, and I’m much happier for it.

Well, that’s all I wanted to share this time. Time to get back to writing! I hope everyone out there remains (or becomes) lucid, inspired, and unshakable.

Listen, Watch, Read . . . Repeat

The more you experience something, the less of an impact it’ll have on you.

Movies, music, books, food, you name it—repeatedly experiencing a single one, even one of your favorites, lessens its enjoyment until you’re saying “meh” instead of “WOW!” Try eating the juiciest lobster every day for two weeks, and you’ll know what I mean.

But, this post isn’t about lamenting over what was once enjoyable and has lost its power over us.

Instead, I’d like to make a short list that includes a song, a movie, and a book that break this trend; they have the same (if not stronger) effect on me the 20^th time I experience them as the 1^st.

A Song

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Pink Floyd

Album Cover for "Wish You Were Here"

No matter how many times I listen to this song, I can’t help but get all contemplative.

The words are just so haunting; if you’re unfamiliar with the song’s origin, it’s supposed to be a tribute to one of Pink Floyd’s former members–Syd Barrett–who pretty much lost his mind to the point that he would stand on stage and play one chord or just stare blankly at the crowd. Some say he had schizophrenia, others that he just took a lot of LSD that damaged his mind. He was eventually removed from the band.

The song has the somber feel of nostalgia for a better time (“Remember when you were young / you shone like the sun”) and resignation that everything comes to an end (“Pile on many more years / And I’ll be joining you there”).

Truly a song that hasn’t lost any of his power, even after multiple plays.

A Movie

The Godfather

Mario Puzo/ Francis Ford Coppola

The Godfather: Connie's Wedding

There isn’t another movie in the world that I own multiple copies of yet I’ll STILL watch a television marathon from beginning to end no matter what else is on.

Maybe it’s my fascination with The Mafia that helps keep this movie perfect in my eyes (I have a lot of shelf space devoted to true crime books). But it’s much deeper than that.

Every scene is a work of art, from our introduction to the Godfather at his daughter’s wedding to Michael’s insistence that he personally murder a rival gangster. Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and James Caan lend a life to their characters that makes me want to watch them again and again. And each time I notice something new.

That’s all I’ll say about that . . .

A Book

Harry Potter

J. K. Rowling

Hogwarts in Christmas. Yeah, I'd like to live here too.

It has to be the world Rowling created.

I grew up watching ’80s movies; many were empowering for kids (The Never Ending Story, The Goonies), so I always felt that longing to go on an adventure and save the adults for a change.

Harry Potter lets children discover a place that is different from—better than—the mundane one we live in; it’s  a world where kids matter too. It’s a place where an eleven year old and his friends learn magic, confront evils that no one else can, and save the world–a world that makes school seem COOL.

I’ve read the series multiple times now, and I haven’t read a line and said to myself “Ugh, again?!” or felt the desire to flip forward a few pages to get to the “good parts” (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had that effect on me).

Every part is a good part, and I fall deeper in love with this world every time I pick up a Harry Potter novel.

Alright, you’re turn! Share a song, a movie, and a book that you can enjoy again and again . . . and again . . . . and again.