Friday 3 November 2017

NaNoWrimo: Day 3 - Where Do Ideas Come From?

As I was struggling to meet my word count last night (which I didn't hit—ah!), I realized that while writing prompts are one way to kickstart a new story, there are other ways too—and if you're heading into the weekend wanting to write but without an idea, this is the post for you! 

So...here are four other ways to inspire your creativity:

Read the newspaper or flip through magazines. Sometimes a headline or an interesting fact can spark an idea. Did you know that the inspiration for the Superman Duffy comic It’s a Blast came from an article the author read about Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk taking 200,000 canola seeds up into space?

Watch movies! Yep, you guessed it, those action scenes can get your creative juices flowing. AMELIA “XERCES” DUFFY, the Superman Duffy comic featuring my sister was apparently inspired by the (old) movie, Honey I Shrunk The Kids.   

Play with play dough. It sounds silly, but creating something from scratch—like a character—and then justifying the decisions you made (such as why you chose a specific hair colour) can be just the physical inspiration you need to create a whole back story for that character—and eventually, the plot to a new adventure!

Go for a walk or a run. Seriously. Sometimes you just need to clear your head. And, if the weather warms up a little, it's the perfect time to get that creative adrenaline flowing! (Don’t forget to write your ideas down as soon as you come back, though!)

Did that help? Hopefully you find something to head into your weekend—being behind a couple of days during NaNoWriMo is one thing, but catching up after a week? A lot harder! 

Gotta jet! I'm settling in for some hardcore writing this weekend. How about you?

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Current Word Count: 300 words

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