Unlooked-for and wide-ranging inspiration
Or, there’s actually something here that I can work with
After an extremely wet few months, with more rain than I can recall falling in years (nevermind this amount of rain so late in the season), the weather seems to be turning towards winter.1 This will, hopefully, mean more time for writing as the days get shorter.
And more writing has been taking place – mostly on Porselein2 – and mostly in the form of lots of notes and passages where I’m trying to figure out the world, story, and characters as I go along. I had planned on only slight revisions to the overall storyline, but it turns out the ‘slight revisions’ have turned into ‘big changes’ (but for the better) and a lot more work on the world itself (as it is a secondary world).
At least I now seemed to have passed through my initial ‘what was I thinking, this will never work’ phase to ‘hang on, there’s actually something here that I can work with’. It’s as if the story is a pile of mostly blank puzzle pieces that I have to try and put together by drawing on the designs as I go along. And create some more pieces to fill the gaps.3
A lot of this note-taking (most at the moment, in truth) I’m doing with a notebook and index cards. It’s as if my brain can think more clearly if I’m physically writing and making notes before transferring the stuff I need to the computer. Plus, it has the perk of not being electronic which means that I can spread it out on the desk or floor as I need4 and there are no popups, messages, or tabs to draw my attention away from what I’m trying to do.5
I’m still careful not to fall into a worldbuilding trap, but lots of new avenues are opening up as I go along that will make the story richer and make the world feel lived-in instead of simply existing for the length of the novel.6
Unlooked-for and wide-ranging inspiration
Some of the story and world inspiration I came across during the past two weeks or so, have come from a range of different sources — and all have come my way unlooked-for. The best story inspiration to me, is when you find something that makes fireworks go off in your mind for either an existing story or a new story. Here are a few of those.
Alexandrite: The Chameleon Gemstone — Rock & Gem Magazine
First read thanks to a link in the Rock & Gem Magazine newsletter, I read about this gemstone that changes colour depending on the type of light it gets exposed to. Am I including this in my worldbuilding for Porselein? Indeed. Did I also stray into the symptoms of chromium exposure and how I can use this in the story?
Isn’t it so amazing that something like Alexandrite actually exists?
The Survival of Civilizations After 1177BCE, a lecture by Eric Cline. Given to the Philosophical Society of Washington, and available on YouTube.
The secondary world in which Porselein takes place is going through a time of rebuilding after a great calamity. As I have yet to read Eric Cline’s book on civilisations after the Bronze Age Collapse, I figured that this lecture would be a good place to start.7
Side note: I can also highly recommend the podcasts The Rest is History by Tom Holland8 and Dominic Sandbrook, and Empire by Anita Anand and William Dalrymple. Highly entertaining and presented by actual historians.
Dreaming, creating, and perhaps even becoming more hopeful
I subscribe to number of newsletters that share interesting, mostly long-form writing and articles. These are a few of the interesting pieces, strangely enough also linking with each other.
Bringing Back the Magic of Dreaming by Leo Kim (Noēma)
“It’s only once we’ve re-enchanted ourselves with the possibilities of our own dreams that we can begin to build a better society.”
Methodical banality by Hannah Katznelson (aeon)
“Like today’s large language models, 16th-century humanists had techniques to automate writing – to the detriment of novelty.”
And then there was this piece by Brian Klaas — The Age of the Surefire Mediocre
“…I have a curmudgeonly viewpoint about modern culture: that too many mainstream creative industries have taken a nosedive, replacing innovative genius with average sludge.”9
However, my inbox also contained these lovely writings (amongst others), reminding me that you don’t have to only listen to the voices shouting about churning10 out more and more instead of just enjoying the process and the challenge of creating.
So, thank goodness for —
texture tuesday by Sarah C. Swett
Reminding me that there is space for slow projects and making something simply for the pleasure of making it, is a valid reason for creating. Things don’t have to be viewed through the lens of ‘content’.
and for —
Life with Wool: Three Bags Full by Clara Parkes
“The first raw fleece to whom I ever said “I do” was at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, which always takes place the first full weekend in May. It’s a daunting commitment to make, the acquisition of an entire fleece.”
Even if these did not directly inspire any stories (yet), simply seeing other people go about creating and learning makes me happy and urges me onward with my own creations and projects.
And, lastly, a song to play us out — enjoy!11
Which is also the time of year when I’m greeted at least once per day with ‘Aren’t you cold?’ I think my inner thermometer may be broken, as I’m wearing T-shirts while everyone else is wearing jackets and coats.
Working title of my current WIP.
And look under the table because there is always that last piece you need to complete the puzzle.
Much cheaper and more eye-friendly than a number of screens as well. Although I do use two screens – especially at work – I’d need quite a few more to give the same feel.
And, since I work on a computer the whole day, stepping away from screens are really nice and a way to tell my brain that I’m now busy with my own writing. Not to mention that, with winter on its way and loadshedding looming on the horizon (no matter what the PR says), being able to continue writing without electricity is also a boon. For the non-locals: loadshedding = power is switched off for a number of hours, with areas taking turns, in order to keep the power grid from collapsing. Sometimes there’s warning that it’s going to be implemented, sometimes not, and you just get the update on the loadshedding app to tell you.
Still a standalone book. I’m really resisting creating a series just for the heck of it.
Even if you’re not busy worldbuilding, this lecture is still incredibly interesting.
Not the actor.
Which is something that I have personally been feeling more and more.
That is to say, not really thinking about what you’re creating, just that you’re creating a lot of it, even if it feels meaningless to you. So, churning, not creating.
Just look at the artwork he’s wearing! There is no way that I can call what he wears on stage ‘costumes’.