Welcome to my blog

Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Friday 21 December 2012

Inspired to write


Thank you to the lovely Patsy for giving me this Inspiring Award. I have to squeal that the award is for my blog, but the Indoor Writer is hijacking the response and so here she goes (again) with 7 random facts of what has inspired her writing...

1. Several English teachers inspired me to write. My earliest memory of having a story read aloud in class was age 7 and from then on I declared I wanted to 'be a writer'. There was a couple of years during early teens when the ambition changed to 'international show jumper' (I went through a pony craze), but then reverted by the time I was off to uni.

2. At uni my Zoology studies didn't really inspire, so I wrote a novel in my second year. It was dreadful and remains handwritten (on lined A4), hidden away in a plastic crate in the loft. (Now if I was a true literary genius it would be locked in a trunk in the attic...)

3. Post uni I started a correspondence course for writing (you know the type: earn your fee blah blah), but never finished this as I met a nice bloke. And guess what - that bloke is now Handsome Hubby. Romance led to marriage and a baby... and the inspiration to write disintegrated for many years.

4. Hubby was seriously ill for several months and somehow this triggered the writing again. Wrote a short story, Hurricane Harry's Heir, during this period which later went on to be published in Five Stop Story Anthology. The original version was written 10 years ago... which demonstrates how you should NEVER throw any writing away.

5. Giving up my full time career in 2010 was another trigger to write. Suddenly my head was empty of work gunk and quickly flooded with story ideas. Since then I haven't stopped writing short stories.

6. Inspiration for stories comes from many sources but I find other people's writing often triggers new ideas. Reading, watching TV or listening to the radio can prompt a story theme or sometimes just a title, and oddly the rest of the story emerges later. A quality piece of writing stirs emotions and I hope one day I could write that well. When a book or film makes you think WOW I wish I could write like that, that is truly a moment of inspiration.

7. I find reading about writing actually prompts me to get on with it. LitPig is modelling below four of my particularly favourite inspirational books on writing:
Stephen King: On writing - full of his wisdom on the writing process and semi-autobiography. A rare page-turner of a how to book.

Simon Whaley: The Positively Productive Writer. Full of enthusiastic and encouraging tips, plus some nagging. I have put into operation several of his tracking systems (but then I was a control freak to start with).

Della Galton: How to write and sell short stories. It does what it says on the cover. This is one of several books that helped me to get that first Womag sale.

Noah Lukeman: The first five pages. You can read a review of this from a previous post here.


I'm passing this on to these inspirational bloggers: Simon, Helen, Della.


14 comments:

  1. Hi Tracy. Just realised we both stopped working full time in 2010. I was going to nominate you for this award then realised you were one of Patsy's other nominees! Have a great Christmas and New Year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Wendy - Merry Christmas to you too! Hope Steyning doesn't turn into an island and we get some dry weather soon :)

      Delete
  2. Oh dear, my younger daughter is planning on studying Zoology at Uni - I hope that, unlike you, she is inspired.
    Good to hear what has inspired your writing. Best wishes for Christmas and onward & upward in 2013!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remember how long ago I did my degree, er a scary number of years. And to be honest it was the wrong subject for me, but found out too late. Best wishes for 2013 and lots of writing success!

      Delete
  3. Thanks for mentioning the four books on writing. I've downloaded samples for my Kindle before deciding which one to treat myself to, to help get my writing in 2013 off to a improved start.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment Elliot. They are all great books and having a kindle makes it so easy to dip in and out too. Best wishes for your writing in 2013!

      Delete
  4. Interesting facts. Thanks for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Patsy - I enjoyed reading your inspirations too :)

      Delete
  5. Great to read more about you, Tracy. Have a wonderful Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Rosemary. Merry Christmas and best wishes for lots of writing success in 2013!

    ReplyDelete
  7. A well deserved award. Have a great Christmas! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kate. Wishing you a happy Christmas too and much writing success for 2013!

      Delete
  8. Congratulations. I too find your blog inspiring and very helpful. Thanks for writing it! Edith http://inaroomofmyown.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for the lovely comment Edith. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year :)

    ReplyDelete