Juliana Haygert

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RTW: Inspiring me …

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

 

This week’s topic:

 When you need creative inspiration, where do you go?

 

Wow, it’s been three months since I last participated on RTW. I can’t believe it has been that long. Well, I can’t promise I’ll be here every Wednesday from now on, but I’ll try to ;)

Okay, on to the question.

 

I don’t really have a physical place I go to, especially since I just moved to Connecticut and I’m still figuring the place out ;)

1. Reading. Of course, it’s the most inspiring thing ever to me, be it a CP’s manuscript or a good book on my TBR list. I just can’t live without reading as much as I can’t live without writing.

2. Songs. Especially music videos on YouTube ;) I’m one of those people who does everything, and I mean everything, with music on the background. I have about two dozens of playlists reflecting the moods of my scenes and some are separate by WIP, so, if I’m writing, you bet I’m also listening to music.

3. Movies/TV Series. I like to watch things that are “similar” to what I’m writing so I can see what NOT to do. Not because the movies or tv shows are bad, not, they are usually good, but I don’t want to copy them, even if without meaning to.

4. Pinterest. It’s so fun to create storyboards and check everyone’s pictures and add more and more to my Inspiration board ;)

5. History. I haven’t had a history class or read a history book in ages, but I love history. Especially Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse and Chinese. It’s so fun and invigorating to learn how they lived, what they wore, their hobbies, their legends! Oh, Egyptian gods and their “powers” … I have a WIP in that line ;) I have a BA in art studio, but always said that I’ll get a degree in history someday, just because I like it so much.

Sometimes, I also talk about my stories to my husband and one of my best friends, though they have some valid ideas and suggestions, they don’t understand a thing about writing and end up mixing up a few things. But that’s okay. The intention is what counts ;)

Now I want to know about YOU. How do you get your creative juices flowing?

Cheers,

Comments

  2. You have a lovely site Juliana, and it’s great to see a NA writer around!

    I also end up watching similar things to what I’m writing for what works and what doesn’t, though sometimes I get the best inspiration from completely random movies, books or TV shows.

  3. TV shows and songs can be great for inspiration! I’m starting to think if I should check out Pinterest, for inspiration of course.

  4. I will pay attention to good TV shows or movies, not for any specific ideas, but knowing that these will all feed into the trough that is my imagination… and hopefully, one night, my brain will give the trough a stir, and something wonderful will pop out. It happens from time to time… :)

  7. Ooo, history! Good one! I see all this legends and myths from Greece, Egypt, Norse and I just think how cool would it be to use for stories some time? Anything with mythology in it is going to hook me in.

  8. Oooh, history – that’s a good one! Looking back at mythical gods or cultures of the past are a really good way to jog the creative juices.

  9. We seem to find inspiration in many of the same things. :) History is a particularly good one. It’s not on my list, but I can’t help agreeing with you as all of my WiPs are influenced in some way by it!

  11. I have so far avoided Pinterest and Goodreads, but the advantages are starting to outweigh the disadvantage of more timesucks . . .

    And how cool is it that you get to discover all these new inspiring places since you just moved!

  12. Great post. I should start making boards for my characters for my WIP. Reading other YA books remind me why I love to write and what my ultimate goal is.
    Great post! Thanks for sharing.

  13. Great list! Thanks for sharing. How do you like Connecticut so far? My sister and her family live there and New England is one of my favorite places to visit. In fact, I’ve often been inspired by my visits there. Have you been to Concord, Massachusetts? Alcott, Hawthorne, Emerson – you can visit all their homes. Also Mark Twain’s home in Hartford – amazing. I hope you’ll be able to check out all the fantastic historical places around you, even if that history doesn’t go as far back as your favorites! :)

  14. I’m with you on the songs, and the reading, and the history. Even though I know time-travel isn’t a popular sub-genre right now, I can’t help but write it because I love to put my characters into history.

  15. Hahah, so funny we both stumbled on the same ‘inspire’ image ;) I also like to look through pictures and photographs occasionally to get the creative juices flowing.

  16. Creativity can be so plentiful – and likewise, so elusive. Reading helps me also…and your love of history is one we share. I have a few spots I like to write in, but my favorite is an overstuffed chair by my livingroom windows. It’s raining here today, and I’m hoping to crank out a thousand words in no time! Ha.