Comments on: It’s no good asking Ruth Rendell

By: Nicola Monaghan

Nicola Monaghan — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:32:11 +0000

I definitely agree about the inspiration well. Mine was empty for years while I thought ‘I’d like to write but I have no ideas’. Then I just bit the bullet and started writing. Random scenes at first, with absolutely no sense of story or even characters. Stuff I’d witnessed or seen. The more I wrote, the more I wanted to, and the more I suddenly found there was to write about. I still find that now when I’m writing every day I feel a lot more inspired with new ideas and projects.

Enjoying catching up with the blog.

By: Sophie

Sophie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:46:40 +0000

I will happily assist you in making such a list, should you wish to pursue that idea (;

FEI (E being everyone’s), I listen to Ladysmith most of the time. It’s a Danish band. The songwriter and I are frengers (not quite friends, not quite strangers), which is quite beneficial to me as he sends me songs when they’ve been recorded. I almost always use them when I have very emotional/important/big-huge-scarily intense scenes to get down on paper (:

By: Fiona

Fiona — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:37:52 +0000

Hi Soph and Erika, thanks for stopping by and sharing your productivity equations. Interesting that you both like music when you write… it’d be good to compile a playlist of best tracks to write to.

By: Tweets that mention It’s no good asking Ruth Rendell -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention It’s no good asking Ruth Rendell -- Topsy.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:24:14 +0000

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Fiona Joseph and Splendid Speaking. Splendid Speaking said: The more you write the more you write. Help for those struggling to 'put pen to paper' or fingers to keyboard. http://fionajoseph.dev/?p=490 […]

By: Erika Robuck

Erika Robuck — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:10:08 +0000

My ritual equation:

(coffee + classical music) – interruptions = productivity

By: Sophie

Sophie — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:52:54 +0000

I think you might be spot on about the Productivity/Creativity Principle. I find that if I sit downto truly focus on nothing more than the writing, eventually it all comes easier. Maybe not for the first couple of minutes, or (heaven help me!) hours even, but when you get to that point where an idea comes to mind – one very good, very viable idea, the one idea it takes to get past the blankness that goes with sitting down to write without having the idea first – it definitely comes quickly. I guess it’s the old ‘strike while the iron is hot’, isn’t it? I find that when I write it’s about just that. Taking the idea when it comes and toying around with it, thus making it bigger and better, more perfected.

As for finding the idea/helping it develop? Well, night time works wonders for me. Why? I’ll give you another equation (;

Total darkness + total silence = totally awesome writing!

Add some music and we’ve got a home run!

By: Fiona

Fiona — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:36:17 +0000

Hello good friend! Yes, best not to take the wine drinking idea too literally, especially in my case as I have a very low tolerance of alcohol :-).
I don’t think I’ve ever hugged a tree, but I do like the idea. Haven’t you written about trees on your blog? Send me the link when you get chance. xx

By: brenda

brenda — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:30:42 +0000

I think I would stay away from the wine senario – it’s too much fun and then hey ho everything is not so good. For me inspiration for creativity/productivity can be found in trees and when you feel shitty and lost for words etc – you can hug them.