Guest Post

 Hello, how are you all. Here's a post from Lindsay Paige about the writing process and inspiration.

Thank you Carla for having me here today. I'm excited to share my writing process and inspiration with you and your readers. Let's get to it, shall we?

Writing Process

My writing process varies with each story. Sometimes I need to outline and write down important information, while other times I need to wing it, so to speak. Sweetness started out as a daydream when I was experiencing extreme panic attacks. The daydream was an escape and distraction that I very much needed. Soon, it was almost like an obsession. This daydream constantly played in my head and I had to get it out.

That's how I started writing. I'm Yours started playing in my mind about halfway through the writing process of Sweetness. I already had Sweetness finished in my head. It was just a matter of getting it from my mind to my laptop. Then I decided I was going to go ahead and start the second book as well. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to write the first and second at the same time. Sometimes, I would work on the first and sometimes on the second.

On recent work-in-processes, I've had to do quite a bit of outlining because of varying factors, which I'm not allowed to disclose. These WIP's are also TSP's aka Top Secret Projects. I dislike outlining thanks to having to do so for papers in English classes. For me, if I know what I want to write, then I want to write it. I don't want to have to lay everything out. It's all in my head. It seems redundant. To me, anyway. However, if there is a lot of information, then I don't mind outlining. Usually.

Inspirations

Aside from my mind creating different realities when I need a distraction from my panic attacks, I draw inspiration from many sources.

Life.

A lot of what happens in my life or in those of people I know inspire my writing. Bits and pieces of all of those lives combine to form one character's life.

Music.

Songs are a great source of inspiration for me. I connect with music on so many levels, it is hard for it to not be inspiring.

Imagination/What If's.

I may not be creative when it comes to school, but I certainly can think of some good ideas when it comes to writing. I once read that you don't write what you think others would want to read, but you write something that you, yourself, would want to read. It makes a lot of sense. If I don't want to read about my idea, why would anyone else?

Sorry. I got sidetracked somehow. Anyway, my mind is always in overdrive looking for new stories to write. I use the "what if" technique a lot. Sometimes I get good ideas and sometimes, I get really, really bad ideas.

Daydreaming really helps here. I need my imagination to distract myself while experiencing panic attacks. These are my top three sources of inspiration.