I apologize for not posting in over a week. But I really haven’t done much but read. I’ve been drowning in the vast, complex, compelling Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey, so I’ve not been sleeping or eating much, let alone blogging.

When I was a kid, I spent three or four hours a day reading, and all weekend long if my parents would let me. I really didn’t do anything else, a lot of days, especially when I was immersed in the kind of fantasy series that hurtled me through one 700-page book straight into another, and another. Back then, I read The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien at least once a year, and I frequently re-read The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny, the Dragon Prince and Dragon Star books by Melanie Rawn, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams, and the first few Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan. These books shaped my imagination and my first efforts at fiction.

In fact, my first attempt at a novel features a first-person narrator who thinks a lot like Corwin of Amber and travels through a somewhat cartoonish version of Middle Earth. But in college, I gave up reading most fiction except what was assigned for my literature classes and have only recently started reading fantasy again. There’s a gaping hole in my knowledge of contemporary fantasy.

I’ve gradually started filling that hole, and now that I’ve read Kushiel’s Legacy, I’m kicking myself for those lost years of inspiration. Nothing compels me to write more than reading the kind of book that makes me completely forget about sleeping until my alarm goes off and I realize it’s time to get up and go to work. This inspiration goes beyond the imitations I wrote as a kid. Even then, I put my own twist on the characters and world. My “Corwin” was female, and my world was inspired by bits and pieces of many stories, as well as my own imagination.

But now, I have some experience in understanding the mechanics of a story, not just the emotional impact. Now, even as I’m swept away by the power of the story, I’m reflecting on what elements create that power. Now, even though I’ve completely fallen in love with Phedre, the narrator of the first three Kushiel’s Legacy books, and Joscelin, her consort, (and I haven’t crushed this hard on characters since Melanie Rawn’s Rohan and Sioned) I can step back and examine what makes them such compelling characters. I don’t want to imitate them, but I want to learn about them, the balance of traits, strengths and weaknesses, that create such sympathetic, yet admirable characters. And I notice all the little details that make the world of Jacqueline Carey’s story so exotic and yet so familiar. It gives me ideas for ways to make my own world come alive.

I don’t know if I’ll ever write something so incredible as Kushiel’s Legacy, but having the opportunity to study such a masterpiece can only improve my writing. And that’s what I mean by passive creativity. Part of me says I’ve been wasting time, devoting so much energy to reading these books. My laundry has been dirty and my fridge empty, this past week. I could have spent the time doing something “productive,” like working on the blog design and writing my own stories. But the creative part of me knows better. Reading is research, inspiration, sowing the seeds of future creation. Though I haven’t written this past week, my imagination is fired in a way it hasn’t been in a long, long time.

Every writer is told, again and again, that the way to learn to write is to read and to write. As simple as that, but much more complex. Reading teaches the writer what works and what doesn’t, what story elements will repel readers and what will drag them in. In the course of observing these things, I’ve learned ways to make my own stories better. So as I read, I am creating, imagining my characters better and stronger, my world more detailed and inviting, the tension of my plot rising to a more dramatic peak.

Passive creativity is the ability to incorporate all the lessons of life into your creative work. Whether you’re a writer, an artist, or anyone else with a problem to solve, practicing passive creativity will make your efforts stronger. Creativity doesn’t mean that every idea has to come from your head alone. We are all influenced by everything we see and learn, whether we acknowledge it or not. But recognizing these opportunities to learn allows us to apply the lessons directly to our own work, and makes it better and stronger for the effort.

I don’t see myself forgetting this lesson soon. If I want to write epic fantasy, I need to study the best, and even the worst, to see what works and what doesn’t. As complex and vivid as Jacqueline Carey’s novels are, I have a feeling I’ll be learning from her for a long time to come.

What inspires you? Are there books, songs, movies, art, that compel you to create? What do you learn from your inspiration?

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Posted: January 16th, 2008 under Creativity, Writing.
Comments: 2

Do you ever discover a new blog and get sucked into reading the archives, from beginning to end? I’ve been reading Miss Snark lately, which is not only not new, but is not even updated anymore. However, the archives are absolutely fascinating. I’ve been doing little else than reading them for the past week.

Miss Snark is an anonymous literary agent who answers questions about the business of publishing. Having a novel published has always been a dream of mine. As I’ve grown older and more cynical, I’m much more realistic about the slim possibility of being published, but that doesn’t make me any less fascinated with the industry. For a while, I was planning to get into publishing as a career after college. I’m just in love with books in all their stages of life, from the story idea through the metamorphosis into books on the shelf.

Even though I say publishing is just a dream, I find myself making notes as I read through Miss Snark’s archives. Even more importantly, the posts make me focus less on my own creative angst and more on the eventual reader of my writing. After all, a literary agent is just another reader looking for a new favorite, albeit a pickier reader with a lot of lousy writing to slog through. As I read through Miss Snark’s list of annoyances, like beginning a story with a description of the weather or taking chapters to get to the action, I’ve been taking a hard look at some of my stories and wondering just what a reader would make of them.

I realized that I’ve been writing only on instinct for a long time. Yes, I read books about writing and learn a great deal from them. I study the works of my favorites and analyze their techniques. But it’s been a long time since I’ve shown or even talked about my writing (other than this blog) to anyone except in the most general terms. So what I need to do is finish something, and show it to someone, and hold my breath until she or he tells me it’s terrible.

That’s the probable result. After all, even though I’ve been writing creatively for most of my life, my enthusiasm for it has come and gone in fits and starts. I’m a better writer than I was when I was 12, I’m sure, but I’m guessing I’m still a long way from engaging, thought-provoking, and all the other wonderful compliments I’d like to someday garner for my writing.

As a writer, I just can’t be a typical reader, much less with my own work. When I read for fun, I tend to pick at things that most readers would never notice. And yet, when I reread my own work, it’s hard to forget what I meant to say and focus on what I did say and whether it makes any sense. It’s almost like I’m standing outside in the fog, looking through a window into a vast library filled with readers. I want to see into their heads, understand what they like and why, but I can’t even hear what they’re saying to each other.

What it comes down to, yet again, is that I need to focus on writing, only writing. And when I’m done writing, I can revise, then edit. And then I can ask readers what they think, and probably begin the process over. After all, writing is in its essence, communication. If I’m not writing something that will touch someone, why am I writing? If I just want to see what I think, I can keep a journal and never show anyone. That’s fine for anyone who wants to write that way. But when I think of how ecstatic I am when I reach the crescendo of a wonderful book, I am reminded that I want to create that experience for someone else. It’s the gift I’d most like to give the world.

The best writers not only offer a window into the hearts of their characters and humanity as a whole, they offer their readers a chance to examine themselves and become better and wiser for the experience. Someday, I don’t want to be the one on the outside looking in. I want to be the one who can open the window for someone else.

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Posted: January 9th, 2008 under Writing.
Comments: none

I realize I’m reviewing 2007 a little later than most people. And it seems a little backwards to have already posted my goals for 2008 before examining the last year. But I find that I usually know what I want to achieve, regardless of where I’ve been. Looking back helps me refine my methods of pursuing my dreams.

My goals for Here to Create have always been to offer what help and insight I can to my readers, while exploring my own creativity and writing regularly.

For 2008, I want to increase the usefulness of my posts and establish a regular blogging schedule, so I used the Google Analytics stats I have for Here to Create to examine the most popular posts from last year. Here to Create is only about four months old, but already I can see some trends.

Top Five Posts for 2007

By far the most popular post on Here to Create from 2007 is Simple Photo Editing Using GIMP. When I wrote this post, I never anticipated the reaction it would receive, but it’s been stumbled frequently at StumbleUpon and Google searches for GIMP tutorials have brought many new visitors to the blog. I’ve been meaning to do another tutorial for GIMP, and the success of this post encourages me to continue to develop my skills so I have more to share with my readers.

10 Reasons to Get Up Early and 4 Tips How is the second most popular post, also frequently stumbled. One trend I have noticed is that list posts, as well as “how-to” posts, seem very popular. As a frequent blog reader, I understand the reason: when I read something that inspires me to take positive action, I’m more inclined to bookmark the article and recommend it to others. I’m glad to see that some of my posts have had that same effect on people.

9 Tips to Be More Creative is another popular list post. Again, I think the success of this post had something to do with the easy-to-read formatting, and also the universal desire to be more creative. One of my plans for Here to Create from the beginning was to incorporate research and tips on general creativity, and I intend to emphasize this more in the new year.

85 Resources for Fiction Writing is a post I had hoped would be successful, and I was pleased to see it made it into my top five for the year. Even better, my stats show that readers visit this post again and again. My intent is for this list to be an ongoing collection of links, updated regularly and improved with brief descriptions of the content of each resource.

Stuck in a Creative Rut? Read These Inspirational Articles and Break Free is a list of articles about creativity. I have always tried to balance Here to Create by including not only my own experiences, but also links to relevant information. I read so many things that I’m sure readers will find useful that I sometimes have to restrain myself from posting lists like this all the time.

Overall, the most popular posts of 2007 were about creativity in general, a topic that can be valuable for nearly everyone. I will certainly try to maintain Here to Create’s appeal to a broad audience. Still, I was greatly encouraged by the success of my two posts on GIMP and fiction writing. I will also, in 2008, write more posts that narrow in on specific topics.

As I look back not only on what I’ve written in 2007, but also what I’ve read, I’ve come up with more concrete steps to create useful posts for my readers. In my favorite blogs, I prefer the clear formatting of lists and short paragraphs. But I also like some variety in the types of posts from one blog: some how-to, some generally informative, some with a more personal slant. I’m going to attempt to create a more satisfying mixture of post types and topics in 2008.

The clearest effect of blogging on my personal creativity has been a significant boost to my goal of writing regularly. For most of the four months Here to Create has been in existence, I blogged every weekday. Recently, I’ve been blogging much less, but my other writing has really taken off. What I’ve learned from blogging every day, though, is that regular practice makes writing easier, because I think of my life in terms of writing. Every experience is potential fodder for a blog post or another piece of writing.

If you haven’t already moved on to the new year’s goals, what did you learn from 2007? How are you applying the lessons you learned to the future?

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Posted: January 6th, 2008 under Creativity.
Comments: 2

When you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, do you stop to think what you want to accomplish in your creative life in the next year?

As I’ve been thinking about what direction I’d like to take Here to Create, I started thinking about what other creative goals I have for the coming year. I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. It’s so easy to start off the new year with optimism and excitement, then quickly crash and burn from trying to do too much too quickly. Still, there’s something compelling about the idea of having a fresh start, and the new year is as good a time as any to do some thinking and set some goals.

Writing Goals

Here to Create

• I plan to create a new design for the blog to make it more user-friendly.
• Even more importantly, I want to create a new posting schedule and stick to it. I have found that when I don’t have a concrete expectation for myself, it’s far too easy to put off posting indefinitely. I want to try posting less frequently than my old daily schedule but have more in-depth posts.
• As for specific blogging goals like increasing my RSS subscribers and daily visitors, I don’t want to set a number. Rather, I would just like to see these numbers continue to increase as evidence that I’m providing useful content to my audience.
• I am also planning on researching additional ways to make a little money from this blog. Rest assured though, that it will never be all about the advertising. I’m writing Here to Create out of a desire to share my experiences and help others when I can.

Establish a regular writing habit

• Writing consistently every day is a habit that seems to fall by the wayside when I get busy with the rest of life. Part of my problem in meeting this goal in the past is not specifying how long or how many words I have to write in order to meet my goal.
• I’m attempting to make this more concrete by saying that I need to write for 15 minutes every day. This can include blogging, working on a novel or other project, or freewriting. I plan to track my progress using Joe’s Goals.

Write fiction

• I’m not going to say that I’ll work on a novel every day, but I do want to be thinking about my stories frequently, whether I’m writing, revising, or merely mulling over my next idea. By itself, this isn’t so much a goal as a mindset I want to cultivate.
• I do intend to track when I’m working on a specific project. One of my downfalls in the past has been starting a story, then letting weeks go by without working on it, then losing interest. I’ll track how often I work on a project with Joe’s Goals.
• More concretely, I want to complete a first draft and do one revision of Heartwood, my NaNo novel, before the end of the year. I have several other stories that I also want to work on, but I’m not going to set any concrete goals for these stories just yet.

Participate in NaNoWriMo again

• I enjoyed NaNo and learned a lot about myself and how I write. I’m sure it will be a useful exercise next year too.
• Next year, I want to try plotting more thoroughly before November, with the goal of completing a first draft, not just 50,000 words.
• Another goal is to get involved with the local group of writers who participate in NaNo every year.

Other Creative Goals

Take photographs regularly

• At one time, I attempted to take a daily photo, but that quickly fell by the wayside. I would like to establish a more regular habit though, so I don’t suddenly discover it’s been months since I took any photos.
• I’m going to attempt a weekly photo session, with the understanding that photography seems to be a seasonal hobby for me. I prefer nature photography, but I really don’t like snow, so I don’t expect that I’ll start practicing this habit until spring.

Evaluate my interest in jewelry

• Jewelry-making used to be my main creative outlet, but I’ve hardly picked up my pliers for over a year. I need to decide if I want to renew my interest on a more limited basis, or if I should sell or give away all my inventory and supplies. If nothing else, making this decision will get rid of some guilty feelings and help me focus on what I really want to do.

Get organized

• This may not seem like much of a creative goal, but I find it much easier to think when my space is at least somewhat organized.
• Specifically, I want to finish the project I started last summer of sorting and organizing my creative work space. Tackling this project will be especially useful if I pick up the jewelry habit again.

In my experience, the key to setting goals is to also set a timeline for achieving those goals. If I try to start too many new projects at once, I don’t get very far on anything before I get overwhelmed and quit. But if I set goals that are staggered throughout the year, I’m more likely to achieve at least some of them. The most important thing to remember about goal-setting is: don’t try to tackle everything at once.

One useful strategy to prevent burnout is Scheduling Your Creative Interests. For instance, I plan to redesign Here to Create before I start classes again in a few weeks. I also plan to re-read and make notes on Heartwood in that same time period. But I probably won’t begin any of my other goals for the year until those two things are done. Making goals with an eye for the year ahead keeps me from losing sight of the things that are important to me without risking burnout.

So have you considered your creative goals for 2008?

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Posted: December 26th, 2007 under Creativity.
Comments: 6

I apologize for not posting recently, but I just haven’t been up to it.

December is a deep, dark well that I will only begin to climb out of after the season turns on Saturday and the daylight hours begin to slowly increase. And I won’t really feel like myself again until spring. December is always a triple whammy for me: the stress of the semester ending, the stress of Christmas preparations, and the gloom of the season’s creep toward the winter solstice. So what’s the result of all this holiday cheer? I no more feel like writing than I feel like rolling naked in the snow.

When I do force myself to write, it’s self-pitying journaling for the most part, but some of what I write is more introspective. Maybe I’m absorbing the reflectiveness that seems to be the topic of every blog I read lately, but I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what I’m doing and what I want to be doing.

One of the things I’ve been musing on is what to do with Here to Create. When I began, I was modeling the blog off what I was reading at the time, blogs like Zen Habits and Scott H. Young. Most of the self-improvement and productivity blogs have an authoritative tone that inspires the trust of the reader. During the first few months of Here to Create I attempted to imitate that tone. Then in November, as I chronicled my experiences with National Novel Writing Month, I adopted a much more personal tone that felt more comfortable and genuine to me. But now that November is over and my novel is resting, I’ve been floundering on the blog, trying to decide what to write and how to write it.

As I figure out the direction I want to take with Here to Create, there may be some changes coming in how frequently I post and on what topics, but I’m not planning on giving up writing here. I’ve enjoyed myself too much to stop now.

Also, I want your input. What kinds of posts do you most enjoy? Are there any topics you’d like to see me explore? Let me know in the comments.

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Posted: December 18th, 2007 under Inspiration.
Comments: 6