Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Tuesday's Inspiration -- Trust Your Instincts #MFRWauthor


I'm still reading Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott and the bit about Broccoli rather threw me until I read further in the essay. This is all about Instinct.

I'm a planner and a plotter. So my stories are ready to go when I sit down to write, but sometimes a thought hits calling for a left turn when I wanted to turn right. Sometimes I ignore thes instinctual moment and find as I move forward I'm stuck. What happens then is a return to the point where my gut told me to turn left. Suddenly the work flows. These days it happens less and less. I've learned to listen to what my instinct tells me and almost always the story is better for a turn from the plan.

So my inspiration today is for you to listen to your instincts. So you started the story with one plan in mind and you're going nowhere with the story. Something tells you to make a turn from that well planned road. Try the new direction and if that fails listen to your instincts and make another turn.

2 comments:

Paul McDermott said...

I have to admit, this has happened to me. Generally, however, I can rely on one of my characters - often a lesser 'support' character! - to ride off into the sunset dragging the plot off in a direction I had never even considered ... :)

Janet Lane Walters said...

That's part of the joy of writing. Sometimes that new direction is a wonderful one. I once did this with a book when I'd finished the second draft. Something told me I had to make a change. I did and it'sbeen oneof my most successful books complete with a secondary character taking the starring role.