NaNoWroMo Day 3: It's Snowing Ideas!

As I was struggling to meet my word count last night (got it, but barely), I realized that while writing prompts are one way to kickstart a new story (you did read my post last yesterday, right?), there are other ways too—and if you're heading into the rest of the weekend wanting to write but without an idea, this is the post for you! Plus, it's cold and icy out there...what else are you going to do?

I present...

FOUR GREAT 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 graphic novel 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 graphic novel 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!

Do something active. Seriously. Sometimes you just need to clear your head. If the weather warms up a little, you can go for a walk—or maybe hit up your local gym. One day. I went mall walking with my grandma—which she calls power shopping. I pretty much had to run to keep up with her.

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