Howdy, Y’all. Sandra here. Isn’t it wonderful up here in
this fresh air? I love being on the ranch. I’m a bit saddle sore though from
the horseback ride I took the yesterday. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a
horse and those muscles are screaming.
So today I think I’ll take a hike up in the mountains. I love the smell of the pine needles warming
in the sun. I love catching a glimpse of the wildlife out here: deer,
jackrabbits, coyotes and maybe I’ll get to see a cougar. Mountain lions are
rare sightings though. I’ve only seen one in the wild about four times in my
whole life.
I love the feel of the warmth from the golden rays on my
skin. Anyone else here getting some suntan? I have a few more freckles on my
nose. Chuckle.
Maybe I’ll see an eagle soaring up in that deep blue sky.
The thing I like about taking a hike is that the physical
activity keeps my left brain occupied so I have full freedom in the right brain
to create. This really helps me develop my story in my head. Anyone else get
inspired from walking? Some of my best story ideas have developed while hiking
out in nature. In fact, Seeker buddies Myra, Cara and I all have novellas set
with the characters hiking in the collection Love Will Find A Way. link for that
Another strategy I’ve used to get inspired is to do what
Ruthy advises and that is just plain write every day. Sometimes I get stuck so
I find that instead of sitting and fretting about where to go in that corner, I
go write another scene that will fit in another chapter. Or I write a blog post
or even work on another wip. Sometimes letting the other sit and gel for a while
works. When I go back to it, I have some new ideas.
So if you’re stuck, maybe you can go sit on one of the
swings on Shane’s veranda and look out at the cattle, horses and gorgeous
scenery and write about what you see. It could be like a daily diary or some
journaling. And who knows, that info might come in handy in a future wip.
Share with us the ways you get inspired. Or what do you do
when you need to mull over your story ideas? I always love learning new
techniques. We will then be wise like
this great horned owl.
Happy trails, folks.
Hi Sandra! Great photos! Yes, walking can be very inspiring particularly on a mountain trail or my favorite place to walk, on the beach. Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteYes, the beach or along a lakeshore is very peaceful also. I love walking in the desert also because you can see God's awesome creation for miles.
DeleteI'm with y'all on the walking. I do my best thinking, plotting, and praying while walking. Nature is a wonderful muse.
DeleteI understand the inspiration from walking. I sometimes jog around the living room and pause to jot down ideas as they come to me. When I'm outside walking I've discovered the memo function in my phone where I can record either vocally or in text.
ReplyDeleteI also was stuck last night so I worked on something different. You must have been looking over my shoulder as we sat around the picnic tables yesterday after riding. I got up my nerve and edited an article idea I've been playing with. I hit send so it's on its way. Nail bite...
Time to do some more stretching and walking.
Hi Bettie, I did see you working so intently. I didn't want to disturb you, but it did give me the idea about sitting on the veranda (or the grounds as you did). Thanks. Isn't it gorgeous here?
DeleteAnd I love the idea of just plain ole walking around the house. It reminds me that Tina and some of our Seeker friends write while walking on their treadmills. Hey. Whatever works.
And I love the idea of using the phone recorder app to record your thoughts. Does it work if you're out of cell reception?
It works any where on my Samsung. I don't know about iphone.
DeleteI'll chime in about treadmills. There are times I'm at my gym treadmill and some inspiration strikes me and I grab my phone and I'm typing away about the point I want to remember later. So treadmills definitely help me think and plan and get my mind into scenes. Walking is great fun for me. Glad others plan and write on treadmills.
DeleteHi Bettie. Waving to another living room jogger! Looks odd but gets the step count in, the blood pumping and hopefully the creativity rolling.
DeleteSometimes when I walk and pray, a new idea will hit me.
ReplyDeleteYay Jackie. Praying while walking works many miracles. smile Our Lord walked and prayed. smile
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandra. While I believe in discipline, there's no question that sometimes we get stuck. Sometimes getting away from the keyboard IS best. I'm stimulated by BOTH cities and nature, if you can believe it. The nearest big city to me is Boston, and I find after a day there I come home recharged. But my actual home is in New Hampshire, and I'm an hour away from the ocean, freshwater lakes or mountains. Those recharge me too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a "Seven Habits" girl and Stephen Covey called this, "Sharpening the Saw."
I am making progress on the first draft of my WIP and editing the WIP that preceded it.
Back later,
Kathy Bailey
Hey Kathy, I love hiking in New Hampshire. My brother-in-law lives near Dartmouth. We always visit in the fall because the leaves are just plain awesome. I can see how a city could inspire you as well. Lots of people and you see many different types of interaction and emotion to draw upon. Congrats on making progress on your first draft. woohoo
ReplyDeleteLove the Dartmouth/Hanover region. Your brother-in-law chose well.
DeleteHi Sandra
ReplyDeleteI love hiking, especially in the mountains. (I soooo miss Colorado...) I also love your books because I can really picture the nature stuff you put in and appreciate it too. I can feel your love for God's creation.
A friend of ours has a home on twelve acres of land with lots of trees in N.C. He's created a complete circuit of four-wheeler trails through his "forest" that also double as wonderful walking trails. He has plans for one portion to create a "campsite" with fire-pit and tree house for camping out. Guppy is very excited about that. He loves walking the trails and finding long sticks that soon turn into lightsabers with which he can battle Imperial Storm Troopers.
I don't really get stuck, per se, but a lot of my inspiration and ideas come from watching the Gupster explore and discover his world. Well, him and nature - like you. :)
Oh Deb, I'm so entranced with seeing the Gupster battle with his lightsabers. How adorable. And inspiring. I love that your friend made trails in his forest so people can get out there and enjoy it. Yes, we both appreciate nature. Thankfully. Happy writing.
DeleteGoing for a walk/hike or doing a workout is a great way to take a break or get a fresh perspective on a project.
ReplyDeleteAnyone up for a hike later on?
Hey Beth, come along with me. Let's pack a lunch so we can stay out longer. Maybe we'll find a nice place along a stream. I think Shane said there was a lake further into the hills. I'll ask him.
DeleteCount me in. A little safety in numbers and I love the idea of finding a stream or lake.
DeleteI'm in!
DeleteThat sounds great to me!
DeleteLet me get my hiking boots on, and I'm in! Stuffing some trail mix in my pockets for a pick-me-up which I know I'll need later on. I'll share!
DeleteThis is shaping up to be an epic hike/picnic. Love it!
DeleteI do love a good hike, but a picnic added to a hike? Sounds like a wonderful afternoon.
DeleteOh Tanya, it is marvelous here. All this scenery and fellowship. Its very inspiring.
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ReplyDeleteI am off to the lake for inspiration. Nothing better on a warm summer day. Back later. packed a lunch but will be back for supper, can't wait, the food here is divine.
ReplyDeleteHey, we might run into you. Happy hiking.
DeleteLovely post for inspiration and getting unstuck! I'm back to tweaking my outline and wondering if my villain has the right back story or not. He may show up at the campfire with me sometime, so everyone beware. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, Sandra!
Hey Natalie, We are always checking in on the campfire discussions. Some of us (like me) can't stay awake for the campfire so I get to it in the early morning. We have a great transcriber so we can work there in our own time frame.
DeleteNatalie, Villains are sometimes more fun to talk to at a campfire. ;)
DeleteThe fictional ones, of course. Hope you are getting unstuck.
Lovely post for inspiration and getting unstuck! I'm back to tweaking my outline and wondering if my villain has the right back story or not. He may show up at the campfire with me sometime, so everyone beware. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, Sandra!
It's great to hear all the inspiring ideas here - in your blog, Sandra, and in the comments. I'm having fun getting to know all you campers!
ReplyDeleteI agree, walking is helpful for idea-generating and writing anything you can think of helps me get unstuck. Sometimes it takes the form of a journal entry that morphs into my wip. Coming back to my wip several times during the day helps me add words, maybe after walking, after reading, sometimes even after a TV program that sparks a new plot idea or bit of dialogue.
Yes, Dana, I've obtained ideas in some of the strangest places. The TV does help sometimes. Anything to jar some part of your brain's treasure trove of memories and experiences.
DeleteLove this post. I love to walk and usually have my camera with me. After a good walk or hike, I usually feel so motivated to be creative with my writing and other things.
ReplyDeleteSince my health has hindered what I wanted to accomplish and caused me to need to rest, I am finding the last couple of days that I am wanting to go back and read again the manuscripts I have finished which will be good because now I can look at them with a fresh eye.
My friends came over this morning and moved in two more of my bookcases so it will be wonderful to have more of my books back on bookshelves and along with it lots of notebooks got moved so hopefully I have unearthed some of my notes and ideas for my writing. Now I just need to get two lessons ready for teaching tonight at church and then I can dive in.
Thank you for the encouragement. I almost didn't sign up because of all that is going on in my life, but this has been a boost of encouragement.
Oh Wilani, that is such good and inspiring news. What a blessing to have your books back and surrounding you. I'm so thankful you joined us. Your words encourage us as well. Hugs
DeleteWilani, I will be praying for your health and for you to feel better each day. You are an inspiration to all of us in how you keep going.
DeleteSo happy to have you here, Wilani! You want to join us for our hike & picnic lunch?
DeleteHi Sandra:
ReplyDeleteI think inspiration often comes from the inside when we experience a thought conflict like seeing an Ansel Adams photo of a landscape that is more beautiful than the landscape itself. We may be looking at something real but we are actually seeing the artist's creative vision.
I went looking for such a conflict this morning to use as an example and here's what I just came up with: "Are the words 'writer' and 'rider' de facto homophones in that they seem to be mostly pronounced the same way but actually should be pronounced slight differently? How close does the sound have to be to qualify for homophone status?
Here's the thing: if this problem has never occurred to you before then it is at lease possible that you will be firing a new pattern of neurons in your brain to think about it. These newly fired neurons may still be warm and eager for action when you next turn to your writing problem -- or in my case riding problem -- as having the horse's backside coming up as mine is coming down. Ouch!
Observation: the retreat may be virtual but the benefits are real. Wonderful experience so far. Now if I can just figure out the difference between a Lee Smith and a Leesmith. : )
No difference Vince except where you get placed on the shelf. LOL. There are so many Sandra Lee Smith's out there writing. There is even another Sandra Lee Smith in Tucson, Arizona that writes. We both show up at conferences and workshops and confuse everyone. LOL Therefore, I combined my middle name with my last for my pen name. I googled it and there were no other Sandra Leesmith folks out there.
DeleteOkay, you fired the neurons. Brat! Now I'm going to be thinking about whether you are coming up on the horse or the horse is coming down. The visuals are hilarious. Thanks for the laugh as well as the neuron boost. chuckle
At least my middle name isn't Lee! LOL
DeleteExactly, Sandy. Isn't this a hoot?
DeleteHowdy again. I got up this morning and threw a couple of logs on the brainstorm campfire this morning. I threw out a hot question so I hope i dont get burned. I'd enjoy it if any of you felt like taking a ride over to that blog with me.
ReplyDeleteThe sunrise was beautiful this morning with pinks and oranges spreading across an azure sky. The morning chill was held a bay as I tossed another log into the waning campfire.
Good morning Bettie, yes, the sunrise was gorgeous. Makes up for missing the sunset. Its so much later this far north. We will be bouncing into the campfire blog all day long. Some of us (like me) can't stay awake for the campfires so Shane provided a terrific scribe so we can read what folks wrote all day long and at our leisure.
DeleteWalking works for me. Last week, when I was stuck, I dictated to my phone while walking in circles. (Where I couldn't be overheard!) It helped! I took my dictated mess back to the computer and put my thoughts in order.
ReplyDeleteChris, I'm so enjoying the visual of you making order out of a dictated mess. Yikes. But the activity did get your brain going. yay.
DeleteThe Nevada heat prevents me from walking outside, so I do it around my dining room table! My hubs thinks I'm crazy, but it helps. I don't have anything to talk in to, but writing longhand sometimes gets the molasses out of my brain.
DeleteEnjoying all the fresh air here in Idaho. And all the like company.
Hey, I get the heat thing. When I'm home and its 100 plus degrees, you find somewhere else to walk. Many walk in the malls. They open them for walkers even when stores are closed. Walking in the swimming pool is fun too.
DeleteI enjoy walking with my camera. Sometimes, I just need to breathe and be intentional about looking for God's beauty. This ranch has been fabulous for photograph-taking! I usually come back to my writing spot refreshed and ready to dig back in.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm really stuck, I find it really helpful to talk out the snaggle with a friend who can help me see different angles of my story, and the thing that's got me stuck.
Hi Jeanne, I think you are right about talking out the snaggle. Unfortunately, I don't think of doing that. I already have ideas from the campfire talks. I should be doing more of this. It helps. Thanks for the advice.
DeleteGreat post, Sandra. I also find that I can get so many fresh ideas when I walk. I often try to schedule my walk after I have been writing a while so I will be able to think about what I'm working on.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice Sandy.
DeleteSandra, walking is great for the body and soul. When I lived in Montana, I was out everyday on our 22 acres doing something. With my camera I photographed every wildflower and mushroom on our property, and when moose, elk, mule deer, grouse, black bears, and any other of God's creatures came into view, if I could get close enough, I snapped them. Now, that's my kind of hunting and shooting!
ReplyDeleteSo enjoying this retreat. But I must say, the vast variety of M&M's are sorely threatening my vegan lifestyle! LOL
Marcia, I brought some cherries from Oregon. I'll bring some out and put a bowl on the veranda to nibble on. Much better for you and they are really sweet this year.
DeleteI love seeing the wild animals. I saw several on my horseback ride yesterday.
Yum on the Oregon cherries! I just enjoyed the Flathead cherries from Montana last month on our trip. They are awesome!
DeleteSandra, you know what I like. Let's do that hike this afternoon! I've never seen a mountain lion in the wild, but we did come upon a small grizzly bear in the Wind River mountains of Wyoming....and crept quietly backward down the trail. (Yes, that's in my manuscript.) My favorite wildlife sightings are the moose we saw often.
ReplyDeleteBack on topic.....pounding the trail certainly gets my creative brain engaged. Research trips, both real and virtual, give me story ideas and help me past those times I'm blocked. My first story was inspired after seeing an old hotel sitting along the tracks as I passed by while riding Amtrak. When I needed more words for a historical romance, reading a memoir from that time period filled my head with many possible ways to go.
Shane told me about a short trail which leads to a relaxing waterfall. After I get a few words down, I come by your RV to see if you're up for a refreshing trip UP the trail....coming back will be downhill. *smile*
Yes, Sherida, please stop by. I'll be ready. My hiking boots are sitting by the door. I think I heard Shane mention that trail also. Sounds like a good one to take.
DeleteI love your inspiration from the old hotel. When we were kids, my parents would take many driving trips and us three kids sat in the back and weren't allowed to talk because we would bicker. So I would watch out the window and make up stories about all the people in the little towns we would pass through. (Those were the days before freeways-LOL)
Well, I've seen an adolescent black bear up north but not a grizzly or a mountain lion. I headed out for a little hike this morning. The sky was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWalking can help get the creative brain engaged, but so can working on another creative project like making jewelry. Also, I'll find that ideas pop up when I'm not trying as hard and I go on to do another boring activity like vacuuming or doing dishes. Exciting, right?
I do think journaling can help things take off. It's been years since I've done that creative type of journaling and I just bought a special notebook, pretty-colored gel pens and stickers to encourage myself to get back to it . . . soon. Happy trails this afternoon, everybody!
ha ha ha. I'm laughing about the vacuuming and dishes giving you creative ideas. I'm usually turning to those things because I'm blocked, but more as a chore and escape. Now I'll have to use that time creatively. And hey, the house gets cleaned besides.
DeleteOh the notebooks and gel pens. Be still my heart. I love stuff like that.
Now, if I would get to the decluttering it would actually look like I cleaned my house. ;)
DeleteI must confess I often am praying for ideas while I'm doing chores. Desperate times call for desperate measures! :)
You ladies inspired me to start my creative journaling today. Now I get to affix a fancy sticker as a reward.
Yay. Go for it Kathleen.
DeleteForgot to mention, great photos, Sandra!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteThere's nothing like walking outside and taking in all that nature has to offer! Ever since we left the crowded East coast for North Dakota, I've been out walking nearly everyday (except for when it gets well below zero during winter).
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I like to do to help my creative process is use the Kizoa website and put together movies of my ideas or short one-line stories. Any time I get stuck, I refer to one of them. :)
Carrie, you've given me a new tool. I had never heard of the Kizoa website. How fun is that?
DeleteIt's a great tool I think! Here's the site: https://kizoa.com/
DeleteI hadn't heard of this either. I will have to check it out!
DeleteThanks for providing the site I will go check it out. This might be a live link Kizoa
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ReplyDeleteI am so glad that Sandra was here today... And Deb yesterday...
ReplyDeleteI had to head up north, into the hills and chase off some very stubborn gray wolves. But I did it... and I survived! :)
I knew the wolves had been re-instated in Montana. I didn't know they had reached out into Idaho. They were almost extinct. How exciting. I hope you stayed safe.
DeleteAll of you have inspired me to take a walk. I used to walk outside in my pastures every day before I joined the local gym, and most of my best books were created out there in the fresh air. Outside is waaaay more inspiring than walking on the elliptical. (Though watching the Property Brothers on HGTV has inspired me a couple of times. lol)
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Linda. TV can also occupy your mind. But you are right. Good ideas come from news events and other programs of interest.
DeleteWow, Just returned from our hike. It was gorgeous. Loved seeing the deer and coyotes. Saw several hawks and an eagle. Loved the exercise and especially loved the fellowship with other writers. I'm grabbing some grub and then heading for the motorhome. I'm sure that the minute I stretch out on the couch, I will be zonked out. See you all in the morning.
ReplyDeleteChecking in a little late this evening. Thanks for the post today, Sandra. Wondering if anyone else finds themselves on the receiving end of inspiration during prayer and worship in church or even during study time at home. Funny how my spiritual life effects the lives of my characters.
ReplyDelete