inspiration

Identity is Essential

/ J.R. Roper / Leave a comment

There is something strange about creating. And the writer identity is wrought with imposter syndrome. No matter if one sets aside a specific time daily or is “too busy” to create, producing on a consistent basis is challenging. Is it writer’s block? Lack of motivation? Depression? Kids who destroy quality sleep? I’m not sure. I’ve had two painfully slow years as a writer, so I started 2020 with something different. I stopped trying to force a project and rekindled the excitement of creating something. Anything! I went back to writing what I was excited about, finishing work, and submitting for publication. I now have five pieces of work on submission with plans for more for the first quarter of the year. Despite the guarantee of rejection, the opportunity of acceptance for publication has me more motivated than ever. I feel like a writer again. And to some degree, I feel like me again. 

If you are struggling to write, try going back to the beginning. Forget about what you should be doing and focus on something you are excited to create. It might inspire you. It might help you establish daily self-discipline again. Most importantly, it might help you feel like your writerly self. You become exactly who you decide you are and taking action proves it to the most important person. You.

Feed Your Writing Soul

/ J.R. Roper / Leave a comment

Today was supposed to be the last workshop for my group of middle school writers, but they insisted on a final meeting next week during the last week of school. Of course I said YES! They are doing a phenomenal job of writing and roundtable critiquing. Not that I expected anything less from them, but they are simply awesome.

This winter I taught them six workshops on the craft of fiction. Now we are sharing pages, reading them aloud, and providing constructive feedback. And the amazing part is the honesty and care they have been critiquing with. At ages 12-14 they are now speaking and writing with the vocabulary and insight few high school students possess. I used the acronym POV when critiquing a student’s work and by the next meeting many of them got the concept!

Why am I sharing this?

Treating people kindly (especially young people) and helping them with skills they want to improve upon will bring one more joy than one can hope to provide for others. Do something kind for someone else, it doesn’t matter whether it was planned or random. It will come back to you.

And writers, use the experience as food for your writing soul. You can bet that I’m building relationships with these young people and that the interaction will strengthen the characters in my middle grade and YA novels.

How have you combined acts of kindness with your stories? Try it! The experience will revive or maybe reawaken the sluggish muse on your shoulder.