Inspiration and Motivation

What's the difference between inspiration and motivation?  Well, inspiration is to be mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially something creative.  Motivation is the reason you do it, right?

Lately, I feel as though I am lacking in both departments.  The first novel was almost easy to write.  I drew from my personal experiences, wrote the emotions of them and went from there.  This time, I find the emotional element of it failing.

I think it may be due to the difference in age in which the emotions were being experienced.  As a child, I, like most people, was emotionally immature.  I did not know how to deal with my emotions the same way I do now as an adult... Growth, experience and all that stuff.

I am also finding it difficult to write the emotions of the other people involved with the sequel.  I do not know for certain how they were feeling, so I can only assume.  You know what they say about assuming.

Though both books are written as fiction, they are based on my real life.  I need to find a way to step out of my own real mind and into one of creativity.

They say to remember that the first draft only has to be written, not perfect.  I keep reminding myself of this as I write on.  "Just write the story, Dina.  The rest will happen during edits."

With that said, back to writing. ;)

Excerpt from "To Speak of it Again"

To our right was a vast, wooded area bordered only by a small garden and wooden fence. To the left sat a house? At least I think it was a house… Yeah, it was a house or at least a resemblance of one. Did people really live like this? 

The wood shake siding was falling off, and there was tar paper covering what was left of the roof. A single, blackened chimney pipe extended out of a hole in the roof and thick, black smoke billowed into the air, happy to make its escape from the torture chamber it had been created in. 

Self publishing and promotion

Is it spamming your friends if all you're trying to do is get your work out there?  Yep, it is.  Do your friends care if you do it?  Yeah, probably some of them.  What are your options though?

Start blogs on every site known to man just to advertise them to the same people?  Yep, I've done that.  Start your own website?  Yep, done that too.  Join Twitter, Myspace, Linkedin, Facebook, Google+, etc., etc., etc... Yeah... all those too.  So, now what?  Be patient and work on the sequel.

It's one thing to self publish your book, it's a whole other to promote.  I've been blessed with a lot of friends that are sharing my book around the internet but I watch the numbers stay the same every day on my preview count and sales pages.

Patience should be the first thing taught to new authors...

Where to start

Outlines, character development, plot twists... It can all be a bit overwhelming.  I write without formula.  With today's technology, it is easy to go back into your work and make changes.  Let the ideas, the words, simply flow from your brain to your fingertips.
Writing is an art and there is no right or wrong way to do it.  Only YOU can decide what you want to say and how you want to say it.  You will never write something that pleases everyone.  The only one that has to be happy with your work is YOU!
Step away from your work when it is feeling forced.  Take a walk, read a book, get some exercise or just breathe.  The words will come to you when you allow your mind to clear itself... I promise. ;)
Well, it is time for me to take a bit of my own advice.  I'll catch up with you later! <3
~Dina