{ write what you see }

Pinterest - Inspiration Boards

2010-12-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a little obsessed. But it's so FUN. Rachel of Lovely Clusters has an Inspiration Board Pinboard up at Pinterest. Check it out for some inspiration board, well, inspiration!

Pinterest!

2010-12-13T19:54:00.001-08:00

I'm now pinning images and items for WRITE WHAT YOU SEE over at Pinterest, my new obsession. Check out my WWYS pinboard!

The Photography of David Schalliol

2010-06-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

I found David Schalliol's site through Gaper's Block. I'm in thrall of his Isolated Buildings photographs. The photographs are of buildings in Chicago, and they are incredibly evocative. I can't wait to troll through the images for potential location-scouting.

He's also done photo studies of Detroit, basketball and early Hyde Park architecture. Fabulous stuff, and great for reference material!

Take a walk...then get specific

2010-04-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

In preparation for travel tomorrow, my house is clean and unusually quiet, and I don't have any current emergencies to deal with. That meant I had time to go on a nice walk around the neighborhood. I had forgotten how nice it was just to be outside, much less to have a few minutes just to let my brain roll around a little.

I had my iPod and a favorite set of songs (including a couple by Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins), so as they played, I let my mind wander to Chicago and the events in Chicagoland Vampires 4, which I'm currently brainstorming. As the bassline thumped, I got a fabulous idea for fleshing out a scene.

It was a great reminder that sometimes the best way to write is to get away from the writing, and give your mind a little room to roam.

* * *

Once that walk is done, give yourself 10 or 15 minutes for a brainstorming exercise:

1. Pick one of your characters--any character.

2. Imagine their "key" surrounding. Is it an office?* A car?** A kitchen?***

3. Once you've made your selection, make a list of the kind of things in that special space, then do a little Googling. If it's a kitchen, decide which stove they'd use, which type of plates and mixing bowls, the kinds of things in the refrigerator. Be specific, and find pictures.

4. Put together a collage or Photoshop an image of the pics you've found.

5. Congratulations! You've now given yourself a visual model for your next writing session. Use that collage/image to

* - Ethan, Chicagoland Vampires Novels, Chloe Neill

** - Joanna, Weather Wardens, Rachel Caine

*** - Rachel Morgan, The Hollows, Kim Harrison

A Week in the Life

2010-04-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

(Cross-posted on my blog)

For those of you who are journalers or scrapbookers or note-keepers, designstress Ali Edwards will be documented her annual A Week in the Life feature. The idea is to journal, take photos, and save ephemera from a week in your life, to be saved in its own scrapbook. It's a great way to track you and your interests . . . especially if you follow through from one way to the next.

And it doesn't just have to be about you. You could AWITL your characters, your manuscript, or devote a week to world-building. Thus, you might do something like this:

1. Monday - Geography & Architecture
2. Tuesday - Food
3. Wednesday - Arts and Culture
4. Thursday - Clothing
5. Friday - Language and vocabulary

Her "page protector" method (see photo below) of saving and documenting stuff (which I also do) would be a great way to save those photos, magazine pages, and other stuff you've been saving up for your novel.

Ali has posted on the Basics of Documenting AWITL and getting organized to put your AWITL together, and posts will continue through next week (when she documents her process).

If any of you decide to do this--especially for your world or characters--please share! I'd love to see and share your work!

xoxo

Office Envy

2010-03-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have total office envy. Haven and Home, one of my daily design reads, has posted a fabulous collection of home offices. How much more productive would you be if your writing space looked like this:

Extra-productive, I say!

More Fashion Boards

2010-02-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

In celebration of New York Fashion Week, Habitually Chic has posted a bunch of fashion mood boards. Check them out here.

Harvey Faircloth Inspiration Board

2010-02-17T06:45:00.001-08:00

I love the clean lines of this inspiration board for fashion designer Harvey Faircloth. (Via Black Eiffel).

It's also a great reminder that inspiration for your manuscript's mood, setting and decor don't have to come from artsy photographs or fashion magazines. They can include the simplest details - from the face of a playing card to a swath of fabric.

Writer's Resource - Library of Congress photographs

2010-02-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'd forgotten about the vast catalogs of Library of Congress materials available online until I was searching tonight for antique photographs of Chicago. The first search result? Photographs from the Chicago Daily News, 1902-1933.

So if you're looking for specific American historical images, or you'd like to browse the archives to get a better sense of place and time, don't forget the LOC's American Memory project.

What's Her Story? - Writing Exercise No. 2

2010-02-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

You're walking down a strip of deserted Atlantic coast beach, when you spy this young lady. Who is she? What's she thinking? Who's she looking for?

Photo by Isabel Lucas for Harper's Bazaar Australia March 2010. Via {a glamorous little side project}.

Back from hiatus!

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

It was an accidental one, but a hiatus nonetheless. Let's get back to it, shall we?

I'll start with a quote from Anna Quindlen, offered up by graphic designer Ali Edwards. Consider it in the context of you, as a writer, or your character, as part of their own world. Who have they been? Who are they going to be?

And from the visual side of things, consider the photography of Jeltje (via Decor8) as a writing exercise. Look over the bulletin board and the office pics. Whose might they be?

WRITING EXERCISE #1 - The fabulous photographs of Cori Kindred

2009-08-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Scan through Cori Kindred's online photography portfolio. Pick an image. In one, double-spaced, typewritten page, write the image's story . . .

A writer tries her hand at prop styling

2009-08-06T13:34:00.001-07:00

Ethan Sullivan's desk . . .

Stylistic Inspiration

2009-08-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

A handful of images from fabulous stylist Meghan Guthrie. (Via Creature Comforts). What stories do they tell you?

Are you looking for . . . ?

2009-07-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Are you plotting a novel? Trying to figure out a character? How he looks? How she dresses? Imagining a room? Here are some key linkables for building your world from the ground up.

1. Clothing: The Sartorialist. Photographs of fabulously-dressed people from around the world. From suits to grunge, from all-black to summer whites. Every day is an inspiration.

2. Interiors: Design Sponge.

3. All things chic and fabulous: This is Glamorous & Dress, Design & Decor.

4. Maps: It's not new, but I don't think you can beat Google Street View to get a sense of place.

5. Architecture: A Daily Dose of Architecture. (Enough said there, I think.)

6. Food: Serious Eats.

7. Character motivations? Postsecret.

8. Hobbies: Make & Craft

9. Art: Eye Level

Good luck!

Guest blogger - Author Devon Monk & Affirmation Boards

2009-07-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to offer the floor today to Devon Monk, author of Magic in the Blood, Magic to the Bone, and the forthcoming Magic in the Shadows, who has some lovely thoughts to share regarding creating an Affirmation Board for your writing (or your health goals...or other career goals...or any other creative endeavor!)

Take it away, Devon!

* * *

My friend was tired of New Years resolutions. She wanted to start the year on a better foot. Make a better plan than just listing things she would ultimately fail at.

So she told me about the affirmation board. The affirmation board is easy. You sit down, flip through magazines while thinking about what you want to do, and better yet, what you want to happen to you in the year ahead. Then you hang that board someplace where you will see it every day–on your closet, by your TV, some place where the images and words can sink into your subconscious and remind you of your hopes and wishes and affirmations.

It sounded to me like the perfect way to make a year’s worth of writing goals.

The first time I sat down to make an affirmation board was on New Year’s eve. I bought some poster board, glue and scissors, and asked friends and family to bring their old magazines to the party.

In a house full of people, at a party I was hosting, I began flipping through magazines. I knew some of my goals: I wanted to write more and sell more. I wanted balance between all aspects of my life. I wanted health for myself, friends and family. But how would I make that into a visual inspiration?

An amazing thing happened. Halfway into the first magazine, the sounds of the party faded away. I forgot I was sitting in a room full of people. My conscious mind took the backseat, while my subconscious sorted through photos and words–and wondered, do I want that next year? Is that my hope and dream? Is that a writing goal? Is that the career I’m reaching for?

Certain words and pictures jumped out. Other concepts were difficult to find. No surprise there. Dreams are hard to spot in a recycled magazine. But trust me, dreams are in there. I cut out everything that spoke to me. More words and pictures than I could fit on a board. When it came time to assemble the board, I slid photos and words around, feeling like an artistic criminal, making a ransom note for my future.

The board turned out pretty nice. It was pleasant to look at–very important since it was going to be on my wall. I posted it above my writing desk so when I was at the computer, my eyes would wander to the board, and my subconscious would be reminded of my goals and dreams.

What was on that board? A quote: “Step of the cliff expecting to fly, not to fall.” An image: a woman in silhouette standing at the top of a mountain, the sun rising to greet her with “success” at her feet. A goal: “Editor’s pick.” A hope: “healthy children.”

But there was danger lurking in those words, too. I foolishly clipped out this quote: “See how much one woman can do” thinking it would be inspirational. It would help me see how much writing I could get done in a year, right? Wrong. Instead, I had one of the craziest, busiest years of my life! There wasn’t a last minute emergency that didn’t fall into my lap, there wasn’t a disaster that didn’t need me to handle it, there wasn’t a moment’s rest. It was crazy! Finding out just what one woman could do nearly killed me.

And it reminded me that words, even just clipped words on cardboard, or electronic pixels on a screen, or ink on a page, have power.

I’m a little more choosy about what I put on my board now. I still strive for things that will encourage me to reach my writing goals. If you look in the left hand corner of my board from last year, you’ll see a goal of mine that I haven’t reached yet. But I’m working on it.

This year, for the first time in ten years, I didn’t make a board. I miss it. I miss that beginning-of-the-year, fresh-start-hopefulness that helps me keep my chin up during the tough times, the rejections, the failures. The affirmation board is more than a concrete reminder of what I want to accomplish. It’s a visual encouragement to keep hoping and keep dreaming. And of course, to keep working toward the career I want.

And thanks to Chloe’s invitation to blog here, I think I’m going to make a middle of the year affirmation board. Because even half a year without a my writing dreams and goals is far too long.

* * * *

Alright, I have an appointment with some scissors and a glue stick. Thanks for joining us (and inspiring us), Devon!

Chapter notebooks

2009-07-14T17:19:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous "Chapter" notebooks from Girl of All Work. Can't you just imagine adding a chapter from your new manuscript to one of these?

My project for the evening.

2009-06-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have, of course, tons of travel guides and maps for Chicago. I peruse them before my research trips in the hopes that I won't look like a (total) tourist while I'm there. But I also use them to keep track of locations. Merit (and, soon, Lily) hop around Chitown quite a bit, so it's handy to keep a running list of their travels.

But, my giant city map is looking a little worse for wear thanks to (1) too much bleed-through highlighting) and (2) the chewed-up bits on corners that have been attacked by Dog.

Solution! Jordan Ferney is about to head to Brazil, and she's provided a great post on mounting a map to foam core so that you can cover it with sweet little tags and tacks and flags. What a great idea for science fiction/fantasy writers who "map" out their universes! Don't feel constrained to keep this limited to preexisting maps. Draw or sketch your own, or use a giant map of the U.S. to plot your heroines' travels!

So sleek and shiny. I am sooooo buying foam core tonight.

Creative Spaces

2009-06-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Dazed Digital has an online feature about creative spaces with photos.

Photography sourcebooks

2009-06-24T06:24:00.001-07:00

I was browsing our local bookstore last night, thinking about art and architecture and looking for some source material to help inspire the first round of edits for FIRESPELL, when I came across this doozy:

It's chock full of random photography goodness (and, although not particularly relevant for me, photography tips). I can imagine flipping through it as I'm writing a scene in a city...a park...a house for interesting details.

I've always been a fan of the tiny books in the Design Index series. They're a great design resource, offering tips on layout and fonts. If you're interested in design (for your web site? your business cards?), check them out the next time you're surrounded by books.

Cloth-spine journals & such

2009-06-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ali Edwards has a great guest post today with creative chica Jamaica (whose web site I regularly check for sweet crafts and projects). If you're interested in creating a field journal for your writing notes or a booklet for your source material, this would be a great technique.

This would also be a fun project if you're worldbuilding. Consider it your handmade guide to your world/city/village state!

Anna Beckman Bulletin Boards

2009-06-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

These bulletin boards / inspiration boards created by calligrapher Anna Beckman are so fabulous they make my teeth ache. Gorgeous, and inspiring. What story do they tell you?

(Via the fabulous Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day).

Pattern

2009-06-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Brooke Reynolds recently participated in a series of guest blogs at Black Eiffel, one of my favorite design sites. As she guest blogged, she posted images of some of her (seemingly random) collections. I love the way she's photographed them, and I love the idea of idea of these small collections of random bits of stuff. Scout, one of my heroines in the forthcoming Dark Elite series, is a collector, so these are are just the kinds of collections she'd love.

Your turn! Writers--What do you collect? Do you have a hero or heroine who collects? Could any of these objects, found on a street corner, inspire a hero or heroine to act?

The Clipboard Method?

2009-06-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

I scanned some lovely recycled three-ring binders at Target today, thinking it might be interesting to put a Novel Notebook together, but I couldn't make the plunge. I just don't think I have enough material per book to justify binders, and I'm not sure I'd ever *open* them. But, I did see something else that sparked my interest:

I do tend to collect a few random images and notes, so I bought three gorgeous (and inexpensive, and recycled!) greenroom*eco clipboards.

I'm using one clipboard for each book (or potential series). The clipboard for Chicagoland Vampires #3 is on top, although I have no clue what those notes say. I think they're chapter titles? Suppose I should check those. They are on a clipboard, after all. :)

Novel notebooks + office spaces

2009-06-08T06:25:00.001-07:00

While I was prepping a guest blog today for Sidhe Vicious reviews, I ran across a post by author Lynn Viehl regarding putting together novel notebooks. ~~Unfortunately, the link to her PDF file doesn't work anymore~~ Lynn has even put together a set of PDFs for the notebooks. I don't have much in the way of material for Chicagoland Vampires #3 (other than the synopsis), but I'm thinking about creating one for a couple of new series on which I've been ruminating...

Also, a new link: Abundance shares brilliant--and often odd--photography. Do they inspire?

(Photo by Vee Speers)

Seasonal Inspiration Files

2009-06-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

As the weather begins to warm here in the northern hemisphere, writers, photographers, designers and crafters are posting about food, fashion, and design that's suited for warm climes. From a peek into Ali Edwards' market basket, to a glimpse of Anne Sage's sweet summer prints and resort luxe interiors, changes in season can make for excellent inspiration.

And what better way to save--to savor--the refreshment of a change in the weather than by creating a seasonal style file? Here are some ideas to keep you visually inspired, even in the dead of winter:

1. Take photographs of the flora and fauna as the landscape around your home changes.

2. Save reminders and brochures from local farmer's markets.

3. Take a drive through the countryside. What do you see? Smell? Hear?

4. Clip magazines with seasonal ensembles. You might need an idea for resort wear when you're writing in winter.

5. Order up vacation brochures from the state of your choice. Start a state-by-state "scouting" file for potential scene locations.

And don't forget--these same ideas work in winter. Save memories of the frosty landscape around you to inspire your writing in the heat of the summer.

Picture + Text = Design Profile

2009-06-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Looking for another way to create a design profile for your manuscript or series, but don't have the room for a full inspiration board? Think about a creating a design profile--images and text collected in a favorite notebook, sketchbook, scrapbook, presentation folder or flat box. There's a sample below to get you started.

Do you have a design profile you'd like to share? Drop me a note at chloe [at] chloeneill [dot] com.

The Fashion=Inspired collages of Boubou Tea Time

(Via Creature Comforts)

Paper, paper and more paper.

2009-05-28T10:06:00.001-07:00

I don't typically handwrite manuscripts; I'm a pretty speedy typist, so it's considerably faster and more efficient for me to type into my trusty Apple. But there are times, particularly when I'm trying to figure out how to end a novel, that notebooks come in handy. Switching up the mechanism of writing--from clicking keys to having a pen in hand--sometimes helps to joggle my brain and get out the words.

I've got a handful of favorite notebooks, including anything by Mnemosyne, and the paper in classic Black'n'Red notebooks are great. (Ed: I've ordered from JetPens before, but had no idea their selection of Mnemosyne was so huge...Maybe I should start writing long hand.) I love Bienfang Notesketches, which are half lines-half empty space, which leave room for outlining or sketches as things progress. (Sketches of the floor plans of Cadogan House are included in one of my first Bienfang notebooks.) I'm looking for a sturdy front and back, and thickish, slick paper that takes ink well. I don't like normal notebook paper--too thin, with too much bleed-through that I find visually distracting when I'm trying to write. And the fewer distractions, the better. Even beyond their usefulness (or not), I love notebooks and paper and binderies. I recently visited the paper boutique PULP, where I picked up a tin of lovely Mateo Ilasco filing clips. Here are some other favorite paper-esque sites:

1. Photos of Paperislovely's paper collection. (Via simplesong). I love how simply they're organized in vellum wrap. I save almost everything that's potentially nostaligic--movie tickets, theatre programs, etc.--so this might be a good way to store.

2. I recently ordered some Cadogan House coasters and would-be bookplates from My Own Labels. Instead of going the traditional bookplate route, I'm trying some interesting beer and wine labels with custom script. They've just shipped today, so we'll see how they turn out.

3. Present + Correct has the most luscious notebooks. Sure, they're all the way across the ocean, but still...

4. A sweet Duly Noted notebook from Jamaica, who has a lovely notebook collection of her own.

5. And speaking of Jamaica (yes, we were, see No. 4 above), the Effer Dares do lovely things to paper...and on paper...and with paper.

Writers' Sheds

2009-05-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Apartment Therapy-Chicago has a great post today on "Writers' Sheds: From Chaotic to Clean," including this beauty, which was in the writing shed of George Bernard Shaw:

Images of Cadogan House

2009-05-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Some recent Cadogan House visual inspiration...

1. I hadn't really given much thought to what the consort suite might look like, but I think these answer that question:

(Via Dress, Design, Decor)

2. There's something very Merit about this one, and it reminds me of a scene I've imagined for book 4.

(Via Design Lovely)

3. Tons more fabulous photos from Dress, Design, Decor, which I just discovered today ...

a. I'd always imagined that Navarre House was tres modern, but this bathroom is so. Very. Celina (mirrors abound).

b. This office is very Lacey Sheridan (prim, proper, modern, just-so), who you'll meet in Chicagoland Vampires: FRIDAY NIGHT BITES (10/09, Berkley Penguin).

c. Mallory, sans blue hair?

Guest blog - Karen Mahoney!

2009-05-22T06:08:00.001-07:00

I'm very pleased to welcome today's guest blogger and soon-to-be-published author, Karen Mahoney. Take it away, Karen!

* * * *

Bring in the Man with the Sword

by Karen Mahoney

So, when Chloe asked if I had anything to say about visual inspiration in my work as a writer I could actually say: Yes! :)

Normally I don't think of myself as a particularly visual person when it comes to writing fiction. I like playing with the words - that's the best part for me - and I especially enjoy writing dialogue, so it came as a big surprise to me when the second novel I completed (currently with my agent), a YA urban fantasy called DAUGHTER OF LIES, was largely inspired by a visually creative undertaking.

I made a collage:

I'd never done this before, but I was at my Day Job flipping through a magazine (at the time I worked in a library and was sorting out old issues to be recycled or donated) and came across a photograph of a guy wearing a smart suit, standing on a rooftop overlooking a city backdrop... and he was holding a sword. It was just an advert for something - I don't remember what - but I was drawn to the picture. I thought it was great that an image used to sell a watch or aftershave was so reminiscent of urban fantasy. You can see the picture in the bottom left of the collage, though the sword isn't very clear in my photo.

At the time I was working on some notes and research for a new idea - it was going to be a dark and gritty adventure, involving demons hiding in the shadows of a place that may or may not exist called Fortune City (it's not too far away from Boston). I liked to think of the project as: 'The Bourne Identity with demons and teenagers'. As soon as I saw that photograph, I knew I had my sort-of hero. I already had lots of ideas for the main character, Maxine Sullivan, and knew she was going to lock horns with an older guy who was supposed to be protecting her from the nasty things that came out to play at night. Okay, so his hair was all wrong, but the combination of suit and sword inspired me.

I decided to cut out the picture and see if there were others in the huge pile of magazines, and began cutting out all sorts of images. I didn't know quite where they'd fit - and a couple of them never did end up in the book - but it was fun and felt creative. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a huge piece of (bright pink) cardboard and stuck them on in some kind of pattern. Eventually I hit upon the idea of taking a photograph of the finished article and uploading it onto my laptop as the desktop background. Every time I switched it on and prepared to write, I saw that image and it really helped me focus.

Now I'm experimenting with inspiration boards, thanks to Anne Sage's great guest blog on Chloe's site and am trying to create one for my latest project, BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS. I didn't think that visual inspiration was such a big part of my writing process, and it wasn't until I came across that random photo of the man-with-sword. Whatever product it was advertising, I'm very grateful. :)

Thanks for having me, Chloe!

Karen's first professional publication will appear in THE ETERNAL KISS: 13 Tales of Blood and Desire, a YA vampire anthology edited by Trisha Telep (published July 2009). You can visit her at: www.karenmahoney.net.

The City Series - Chicago

2009-05-20T14:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the first installment of WWUC's new series on city-based Internet resources for writers! The City Series is intended to provide a set of research links in art, photography, architecture, urban planning, etc., to writers who are sourcing particular cities for their stories, poems or manuscripts.

[ Are you a writer with a favorite city/setting? Would you like to contribute your sources to WWUC? If so, send an e-mail to chloe at chloeneill dot com. - Ed.]

Author Intro: Chloe Neill is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author. Her two series, Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite, are both set in Chicago. Chloe is a big fan of the Windy City, and has done a lot of Web perusing for Chicagocentric research sites.

Basic Information:

Media:

Transportation:

Architecture, Interiors and Landmarks:

Museums:

History & Culture:

Encyclopedia of Chicago
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Historical Society's History Files (great vignettes on lots of topics!)
Chicago Public Library History Resources
Chicago History & Facts (City of Chicago)

Food, Drink, Entertainment & Shopping

Do you have a link you'd like to suggest? Leave a comment!

Another way to organize & brainstorm--Colorboards

2009-05-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

> The folks at the gorgeous 100 Layer Cake, a wedding inspiration site, have put together a series of fabulous colorboards. Although intended for nuptials, not outlining, they're another great way to think about building a scheme of color or images for your WIP, manuscript, or ongoing series.

> Are you an easily-distracted writer? How about a streamlined office? (Via Apartment Therapy-Chicago).

The Office Redo - Part Two

2009-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

After sampling three colors, I finally picked a paint color (the one on the bottom of this picture), and we got the room painted this weekend. I'm amassing details for the decor--a glass jar with a lid for a small terrarium, wicker baskets for storage, a new crimson shade so that I can upcycle an old lamp--so the office is well on its way!

Below: The Rug, The Paint Color (you can barely see it behind the rug), The Dog, and His Toy

How'd you like to write in this room?

2009-05-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Rain falling, lightening crashing, and you're home in your nook with a fountain pen and manuscript . . . from Morten Holtum (via Desire to Inspire):

And could you write that manuscript in one of these bad boys from May Day Studios? (Via Scoutie Girl)

And imagine your new noir mystery using this inspiration board. (Via Simple + Pretty)

More online inspiration

2009-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Perfect Bound Studio does amazing things with office supplies, creating intriguing vignettes like these:

If the image above doesn't give you plot ideas, I don't know what does.

Check their Flickr site for more. (Via Craft Lovely)

Ali Edwards has *another* fabulous blog up today--The ABCs of Color Inspiration. From "Art" to "Zoo," she tracks ideas--online and otherwise--that can help you find the perfect pallette for your next project. But the list works just as well for writers, and each of Ali's "letters" can inspire your next manuscript.

Guest Blog - Anna Claire Vollers

2009-05-07T20:17:00.001-07:00

I'm very pleased to present a guest blog by writer Anna Claire Vollers, who tells her story about how an image of a mysterious, southern plantation inspired her own Jane Eyre tale.

* * * **

It all started with a house.

If I had to give my current work-in-progress a tag, I’d say that on its most basic level, it’s “Jane Eyre set in the deep South.” The first spark of an idea came to me when I was posting photos on my blog of a cool Flickr stream I’d found of pictures taken in abandoned buildings.

Something about dilapidated, abandoned buildings – particularly houses – is so appealing. The neglect lends an air of infinite sadness, and the mysteries are endless. Who lived there? What were they like? Where have they gone, and why is no one around to care about this house any more? And always, always this one: was somebody murdered there?

(That last question I can chalk up to all the Nancy Drew and Mary Higgins Clark I read growing up. It’s truly sad the number of times I’ve just been walking around and thought, ‘that would make a great hiding spot for a body.’)

When you think about it, those are the same kinds of questions we ask when we’re creating our characters and our story.

I was raised in Alabama, so as I looked through the Flickr stream of abandoned houses, I wondered what it would be like to stay in a dilapidated old plantation house in the deep South. But I didn’t want to set the story in modern times, or during the actual plantation era. I eventually settled on 1919 because it was a time of change, ushering in the modern age, yet still cautiously attached (especially in the South) to a bygone era.

My sister is in Charleston getting her master’s degree in historical preservation. She loves old buildings, natch, and we e-mailed back and forth about my book idea. (She loves historical mysteries, too.) She sent me a link to this house and I fell in love:

It inspired what became my novel’s central setting: a once-great Plantation house, still home to the last members of the family line but so neglected that the damage is almost irreparable. It’s as sinister as Manderley and as tragic as Thornfield Hall.

But the funny thing about architecture is that it can inform your writing in more ways than one. I was still musing over details of the mystery surrounding my creepy plantation house when my sister sent me an e-mail with her own thoughts about the house, and why it might have sunk into disrepair in the first place:

“The comparison between the almost aristocratic way of life that the planter class carried off vs. the ‘New South’ industrialization [after the Civil War] is very interesting. Whereas in Charleston, the planters were extremely hesitant to move forward into the twentieth century, places like Alabama did not have as strong of roots (colonial) and were more willing to change. That would explain the dilapidated/forgotten plantation house in your story. If you placed it somewhere south of Birmingham, [the family] might have moved away and gotten into the iron and steel industry, while keeping the house since it was the family seat.”

And as I thought about what exactly the house and the land around it might look like, she e-mailed me again, and as I read the e-mail, I suddenly had a light-shining-down-from-above-with-angels-singing experience…OK not exactly, but this paragraph solved one particularly prickly plot point in a way I hadn’t considered:

“If there are any slave quarters/outbuildings left over [on my fictional property], and there should be some, maybe have the house servants living there, or other black people whose families used to be slaves of the old plantation. A lot of times if they didn't go north, black people would stick around and continue working for the same masters because it's all the work they'd ever known. Depending on whether the property is still being cultivated, you might not have that many black people still living around there. Maybe [character] lets certain families live there, like the family of [mystery plot point omitted here!], out of guilt or obligation or because he feels a kinship with them.”

I’d rather not reveal more about the plot, but the above paragraph really put things in perspective for me. I’d forgotten that traditional plantation architecture dictates that slave outbuildings would almost certainly still be on the property. And there it was: I had another twist to add to my mystery and the house that sits at the heart of it.

If you’re interested in plantation architecture, here’s a good overview. This page has links to great photos of other plantation houses in Alabama.

But hands-down the most inspirational writer’s resource I’ve found is actually Flickr. You could browse there for hours – days – finding photos on anything you could ever possibly need.

In the last story I wrote, I didn’t seriously consider what exactly the buildings looked like. But as I outline this novel, I’m finding that just considering the architecture and its cultural and historical relevance fuels my imagination and helps me weave a deliciously twisty plot.

* * * * *

Thanks so much for joining us, Anna Claire! I look forward to reading about your deliciously twisty plot! :)

Working through Creative Fear (Ali Edwards)

2009-05-07T10:03:00.001-07:00

Another excellent post from Ali Edwards on Working Through Creative Fear. Here's a tidbit:

What are we afraid of in our creative lives?

1. Messing up.
2. Thinking this is the one and only chance to tell this story so it simply must be perfect.
3. People not appreciating what we create.
4. Being seen as selfish or extravagant for indulging yourself in your creative endeavor.
5. Not getting anything done.

Any of those sound or feel familiar? Let's look a bit at the realities . . .

[Read More]

As I approach the final stages of drafing my third novel, FIRESPELL, I'm kneedeep in #1. The only solution I'm aware of? Keep writing.

The office redo - Part one

2009-05-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, I'm in the process of moving from a downtown loft to a suburban house. And, for the first time in years, I'll have a room to call my own, to make into my own office.

The room is currently a block of white, 10 feet by 11 feet, with a closet, two wee windows, and the most beautiful rug I've ever seen. (Seriously--the pic doesn't do it justice. The detail is painterly.)

I'm currently working on making the walls a little less white. I was going for a soft, cool taupe, but the sample choices were a bit limited at our local hardware store. I'm leaning heavily toward the bottom option.

Hopefully, I'll have a painted room by next Monday!

Writers' Space - Sewing Nooks

2009-05-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Desire to Inspire has selected dozens of shots from a collection of Flickr images of sewing nooks, which aren't exactly writing offices, still offer great ideas for organizing a writing workspace.

Stop motion photography

2009-04-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

How's this for a little thinking outside the box...and off the desk...and down the stairs?

Great blogs on visual inspiration

2009-04-29T06:53:00.001-07:00

A couple of fabulous blog entries on visual inspiration...

From Ali Edwards:

So much of creativity is about how you see things; and more often than not how you allow yourself to be open to seeing things in new ways.

It's been my experience that many of us tend to pass by things in our surroundings with a nonchalant "this doesn't apply to me" thought as we rush on to the next thing on our list. We move too quickly to whatever is next: the next image, the next page, the next person, the next job, the next thought, without really looking or giving something the chance to inspire us.

Today I challenge you to take a closer look at something you initially pass by. Slow down. Do a double-take. Take a deep breath. Let yourself be inspired by something you would normally skip. This could be an image online or a conversation or a new person or something you read in the newspaper.

There are so many gems hidden in our world if we just slow down enough to experience them.

And from aspiring author Anna Claire Vollers:

Today's the birthday of my home state's most famous author, Harper Lee, born in 1926 in Monroeville. Nearly everyone here who loves literature thinks she's a goddess, maybe even more so because she's published just one book and avoids national attention like the plague.

So it's fitting I post pictures today of my muse house. See, I'm deep into plotting my next novel, a post-WWI Southern Gothic tale. My genius sister has been the best sounding board I could have asked for, offering advice as I work through characters and plot kinks. And, as a bonus, she's getting her master's degree in historic preservation in one of the most quintessentially Southern cities in the country, so she's a wealth of knowledge on Southern architecture and the way it influences culture.

This is a bonus because of the house.

It's me writing this book, so you knew there'd be a big, creepy, dilapidated house, right?

She sent me a link to an antebellum mansion in west Alabama called Rosemount Plantation. I looked at the photos and fell in love:

[Click to read more.]

Ork Posters - Chicago

2009-04-26T17:06:00.001-07:00

I can't get over how fabulous these posters are, especially the Chicago screen print...

Anne Sage on Creating Inspiration Boards

2009-04-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

From my personal blog . . .

* * * *

Inspiration boards are an incredibly effective tool for communicating the look and feel of a project. I create inspiration boards every chance I get, whether I'm planning a party, redecorating a room in my house, or just fantasizing about my favourite color combination du jour. This is the first board I've every composed based on work of literature, and it proved to be every bit as fun as I thought it would be! The process for making inspiration boards can be as flexible as you like, but here are some tips I've learned the hard way!

1. Create an Image Library. It's much easier to construct a board by picking and choosing from amongst images that you already have on your computer, rather than by searching the internet one image at a time. I organize images on my hard drive using a program called Yojimbo; it allows me to drag and drop straight from my web browser window, and it saves the source URL of the image. Photographers' and artists' management websites are a terrific place to find a wealth of images; I likeCameralink and Art Department for fashion imagery, and Re:Fresh Agency or Sarah Kaye Represents for interiors and still life. As well, when I happen across an image that I love in a magazine, I not only scan it but I also take note of the photographer's name and check to see if he has an online portfolio. Feel free to explore the list of my favourite photographers in the sidebar of my blog.

2. Choose a starting point and set your guidelines. Putting together a board is quite an adventure; you never know exactly how it will end! But I always select one image as my foundation and refer back to it as I bring in other photos. This foundational image should capture all or most of the qualities that you'd like the finished board to have. In this instance, Chloe felt that the photo of three lounging women (second row, far left) perfectly summed up her vision of the novel's aesthetic. I let that image dictate the color palette (blacks and greys with blue undertones, punctuated by warm splashes of coral and red), its textural notes (lots of glossy finishes and fluid draperies), as well as its overall mood (a louche yet pensive opulence). As the board came together, I always referred back to that original photo and used that criteria of palette, texture and mood as my filter for selecting additional images.

3. Keep an open mind. As with any narrative, surprises often pop up as a board evolves. For example, no chandelier appears in the image I used as my starting point, but several others of the photos I loved happened to have striking baroque chandeliers. I pushed farther with that recurring device and brought in not only more chandeliers but also shimmering glassware to mirror a chandelier's reflective glow. The result? An unexpected complementary motif that enhances the luxurious tone of the board.

4. A Few Technical Details: I design my inspiration boards using InDesign, a publishing software in the Adobe Creative Suite. It takes a bit of getting used to but allows for great precision when cropping and aligning images. Another popular (free!) platform for making inspiration boards is Polyvore. It's fairly straightforward to use, and people are creating some amazing collages with it. Of course you can't go wrong with good old paper, scissors and glue! No matter how you create your board, be sure to take note of your sources--that way if you ever share your board in a public forum, you can give proper credit where credit is due.

This is the inspiration board created by Anne for SOME GIRLS BITE:

Workspaces . . .

2009-04-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Where do you write? Play? Craft? Style? These images of very clever offices have popped up various design blogs lately...

Source: Coveiter

Source: Cynthia Warren's Studio (Oh Happy Day)

Source: Jac De Villiers (Oh Happy Day)

Source: Caroline Gomez (Design*Sponge)

I can't find the source, for this one, so feel free to comment if you know where it's from. I love the southern traditional feel. Very feminine. Maybe a bit too much for a long summer of writing?

Organized by color

2009-04-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I find things organized by color to be so incredibly appealing, but there's something so soothing about it. I have too many books in series to organize them by color, but the icons on my 'puter dock are arranged by color, as are the icons on my iPhone.

Source: Shanon Gass screensaver from Kindred.

Source: History of the Color Wheel

All About the Visual

2009-04-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

From my Knight Agency blog . . .

* * * *

You've probably heard the classic adage: "Write what you know."

Problem is, writers aren't just writers. Writers who do any kind of world building are also architects, interior designers, fashion designers, psychologists, aestheticians, stylists, set designers, city planners, etc., etc. We have to know where the hero/heroine lives, works, plays. What they wear. What they drive. And most importantly, we have to figure out a way to translate all these things into words in order to create a seamless map of our world for readers. A map they can imagine. A map they can *see.*

One of the best ways for me to do that is to see the map on my own, to have my own visual understanding of the world I'm attempting to create. Thus, I'm thinking about an adjustment to the adage. Maybe something along the lines of "Write what you see."

For me, what I "see" comes in a couple of forms of visual inspiration: (1) images that serve as literal source material, or (2) images that serve as inspiration.

The first category includes those pictures that I know you've stuffed into a folder or binder (or saved on your computer desktop)--pictures of houses, cars, monsters, outfits, hairstyles and/or pretty boys with pretty blue eyes who would make an outstanding hero down the road. Maybe you took a photograph, maybe you printed them off the web, maybe you tore them out of magazines. Either way, these are the images a writer uses to facilitate description later on.

I consider myself to be a "visual" person, so I do a lot of visual sourcing. For example, when it came to creating the architecture of the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES, I researched Chicago real estate, neighborhoods, architectural styles and historically important homes to figure out (1) where the vampires should live and (2) what kind of building they'd live in. There are some amazing resources out there. For the neighborhoods, you can't beat Wikipedia, which provides summaries and basic data about the the Windy City's 'hoods. In bigger cities, Google Maps offers "street view," which can give you a sense of, for example, what a character might see if they were standing on a particular corner.

For the architecture, the city of Chicago provides an entire catalog ofarchitectural landmarks online, and places like the Wheeler Mansion and Cheney Mansion have web sites with photo galleries. The web site of Chicago magazine has an outstanding "Deal Estate" section where they review luxury home sales and postings in the metro area. It was in searches like these that I found the model for Cadogan House, Kimball Mansion, which currently houses the U.S. Soccer Federation.

But what about stuff in the second category, which is a little squishier to define? These aren't just images you've stuffed into a folder, but images that serve as triggers for your writing. Images that send you to a different place, a different time, a different mindset. I'd propose that these kinds of images are JUST as important as source images. The can help you in world-building, especially when it comes to esoteric concerns (the "feel" of your world, the philosophy of your characters, the emotion of a particular scene), and they can serve as inspiration when the words are only trickling out, especially if you're a "visual" person like me.

Here are some ways to think about (and look for) both kinds of inspiration.

> Where you live

Thus far, I've lived in six cities. Nothing that I've written so far is set in those six cities, but that's not to say that parts of the cities don't make their way into the books. Even if you live in Podunkville, but want to set your manuscript in Excitotropolis, there may be discrete parts of P that could serve as appropriate visual sourcing for E. Think about (and take pictures of!):

- Architecturally interesting buildings, bridges, towers. Architecture from the WPA era, which often has tons of interesting detailing, might serve you particularly well here. And don't just think about the pretty buildings--think about the decaying ones, the peeling ones, the well-used ones.

- City parks, arboretums or trails

- Museums, mansions, birthplaces and historical sites: If you can tour it, there's probably a good chance the architecture is at least interesting.

- Public utilities. How about an old train station? A railroad depot?

- The thing that put your Podunkville on the map. Was it trains? Agriculture? Car production? Somebody famous was born there? If your Podunkville ever had a "thing," there's a good chance that there's some remnant of that "thing" around town. Trainyards. Stockyards. Manufacturing plants. Houses. Restaurants that were reviewed on a Food Network show. Check them out ( and, if the management approves) with camera in hand.

> Where you travel

Sure, it would be great if I could spend every weekend in Chicago. But that's just not feasible (which, in January and February, is probably a good thing). That also doesn't mean that "travel" has to include a road trip or plane flight to be inspirational. Pull out a map: What's within a couple hours' worth of driving? Any of the items listed above? Even if you can't spend a week solid in your "source" city, is there a building a couple of hours away that might be interesting to look at, and which might serve as inspiration for a bit of world-building down the road? How about a country road that might make for an interesting drive, and a setting for a Regency romance or countryside chase scene?

> Where you write

I'll admit it--I'm currently pre-move, so my "office" is the couch, laptop in hand. But once I'm settled in, I'm hoping I can fashion a space that's organized, clutter-free, and contains some nice bits of visual inspiration to keep the word count moving.

Or, maybe, where everything is organized by color. 'Cause that's just kinda fabulous.

Think about it this way: if artists and designers can have lovely, well-organized studios, why can't writers?

If you're looking for a bit of inspiration, Ali Edwards is a favorite of mine in terms of office organization. As a scrapbooker, she has lots of little supplies and bits here and there. But she's managed to create astreamlined office dotted with beautiful bits of design. Her typography print and inspiration bulletin board are particularly nice.

> The Internet

Now that the Interwebs put millions of facts at your fingertips, it's easier than ever to research, to browse, to become familiar with new people, new places, new things, new trends. In terms of the visual, you can peruse stock photographs check out headshots for heroes and heroines and shop for handmade prints and other design elements.

I've got a lengthy list of style mavens and designers whose work--whether in calligraphy or photography--I find particularly inspiring. But in case you need a design fix--a little visual inspiration to get you hooked into the best of Interweb style scouts--here are some lovelies: The City Sage, Design*Sponge, Abbey Goes Design Scouting,Bloomalicious,The Sartorialist, The Style Files

> Putting it all together

- Inspiration Boards and the CONTEST!!!

Alright. So you've clipped, printed, downloaded or photographed a pile (or folder) of images. Now what?

Well, you have LOTS of options. Electronic source material can be organized in computer folders or by using photo software like iPhoto, and paper material can be arranged in gorgeous binders, accordion files, folios or presentation binders.

The problem is, if you're anything like me, you end up with LOTS of images stuffed in a folder that you completely forget about, however helpful they might be. If that's the way you work, I propose it's time to think about a different way of seeing. A different way of visualizing. And that's where we come to inspiration boards.

I was very fortunate to come across The City Sage one day during my Interweb travels. Anne blogs about gorgeous style and design, but she also creates electronic inspiration boards. Utilizing Adobe InDesign, Anne creates mosaic images intended to inspire--inspiration for color, style, emotion and theme.