Journal Inspiration
I have been thinking a lot about my new book and finally – after many long drives in the country, time at the beach, muddy runs through a forest, and with excellent input from my agent and editor – I have an outline.
To celebrate, and to get to know my characters better, and because it is pouring down rain here in Oregon and windy, I cut out photos from various magazines and glued them into my journal.
Thought you might like to see a few…
The next book is about a little lingerie, chandeliers and maybe a comfy bed out on a porch, we'll see. I like artsy stuff. I like creativity. I like color. I like the apron, too. Don't know how it will fit in, but it will.
I'm getting to know my main gal...what does she wear? What are her shoes like? Feminine? Cowgirl? Tough? How does she talk? How does she walk? What are her problems and worries? What makes her want to dance? Who does she dance with? Does she dance at all? Does she like lace? Leather?
Love the sayings..."A Woman's Intuition...Therapy helped me ask myself, "Who in my life is going to encourage survivorhood, not victimhood? Suddenly, a light went on." A couple of paragraphs by Annie Lamott, brilliant writer. And yarn. A butterfly. Fresh baked bread like my mother used to bake even though she was a full time English teacher and had four naughty teenagers. All images that are now rolling through my mind.
Land mines...People's courage. Tragedy. Disaster. Grief. Resilience. What does this have to do with my book? Something. I just haven't quite figured it out yet. Sometimes images stay in my head a long time until I can figure out what I'm supposed to learn from them, or from the people in them.
Colored pencils for the designing she does, flowers, a sort of hippie style of clothing, a house I'm thinking of putting in the book...and is that wheat?
More words of wisdom and inspiration for writing and life...What is a Savory Sisterhood? I'll have to figure that one out as my main gal in my story has a sister. What about "going away to find your way?" How does that fit in? Still rainy and blustery here in Oregon. I'll have to stare off into space now and look for that elusive first line of my book.
I have a journal like that, too….actually several of them. I don’t use them to think about writing books, though. I just fill them with things that I love, that inspire me, that I think are lovely and which touch me inside somewhere. It always helps me reconnect with myself when I look through them. Thanks for sharing yours. 🙂
1I loooove journals. And I love when I’m starting out with a new book and can scribble and write until the ideas come….
2This is outstanding! I love it. I’m so anxious to know that first line you come up with and all the lines until the end! ‘Savory Sisterhood’~~now that’s something I can sink my teeth in to. Well done.
3Thank you!
I think I MIGHT have the first line of the first chapter.
The second chapter…lost. I’m still trying to find it.
4When I read this new book, I will go back and read this particular blog and smile.
5Lisa,
6I’ll probably do the same thing. We’ll see if the art work now is reflective of the story then…it could all change…