Poetry, Inspiration, and Bringing Things to Life
Inspiration surrounds us no matter where we are. It can hit us in any setting and at any moment in time. That is why, as writers, we have to be ready for its arrival. It is important to always carry a notepad and a pen (or any other writing instruments) or a recorder with us so that we can capture all that inspires us and then later turn that inspiration into amazing written creations.
In the past, I found myself being inspired and having great writing ideas that vanished into thin air because I had nothing to write them down on. As an alternative I tried to repeat those ideas over and over in my head but to no avail. By the time I got a hold of some pen and paper, most of those ideas, if not all, ended up vanishing from my memory, leaving me disappointed. Sometimes I was able to find some shopping receipts in my wallet and use the back side of those receipts to write things down but I found that was never enough. Besides, receipts can easily get misplaced or accidentally thrown out. So that is not the best option, but better than nothing.
Then one day, I decided to buy a mini-notebook and carry it in my handbag wherever I went, along with a pen. That was a great idea on my part and a welcome relief as I got to capture all my writing ideas and inspirations to later develop into complete written works. I cannot believe that I did not think of doing this sooner. I could have brought to life plenty of great writing that only ended up vanishing from me. Now, for the most part, I never leave home without my mini-notebook and pen, so I am always prepared to write.
Sometimes when I am out and about, a title for a piece comes to my mind; sometimes it is a phrase or a line or two; and sometimes it's an entire piece, and that usually is a poem or a song (lyric) as that is what I focus on writing most.
I am not inspired by any particular thing, as anything can inspire me. I just have to make sure that I pay attention to whatever comes into my head, to anything that comes into my mind. I have written pieces while taking the ferry, the train, and the bus; I have written things on the plane, on the beach, and in the park; I have written things while working, written things when I was home or visiting someone. And there are probably other places or settings that led me to write something that I cannot recall at the moment. Either way, I brought to life some great written works, and I am very proud of that.
If you are a writer like me, especially a poet, be sure to always have some pen and paper (preferably a notepad of sorts) with you wherever you go. Also pay attention to everything and anything that comes through your head and enters your mind. Do not prevent possible works of art from being brought to life. You never know what that will lead to in the end.
What to Do With Your Written Creations
When you have written some poetry, or lyrics, or any other style of writing, be sure to share it with others so that you can get some valuable feedback. You do not have to share your work with other writers to get valuable feedback. Non-writers can help as well. Sharing your work with others is a great and beneficial way to find out what you nailed in the piece, and what needs to be worked on. You, as a writer, can always improve your craft, even if you think there is no more room for improvement.
When sharing your work with others, do not limit yourself to just people you know. Go out into the Internet world and share your works there as well. You can reach a much bigger audience and get more valuable feedback.
Here are some sites that I recommend for sharing your writing with others:
1 - Writing.com
2 - Authorsden.com
Do not get discouraged if you get negative feedback. Every reader has his/her own tastes and points of view. Just because someone gives you negative feedback does not mean that your piece is bad. Do not take it personally. Take that negative feedback and try to see if there is anything of value that you can draw from that can be of use to you later on, whether you are editing that particular piece or writing a new one.
Putting Your Work Together in a Book
When you have compiled a big enough quantity of written work you may want to consider putting it all together in book form, whether just for yourself or to share with family and friends, or perhaps to try to earn some money from your craft. You do not have to lash out big bucks to do this, especially if you choose to self-publish your book. I recommend going with Lulu (lulu.com) for self-publishing. They are a POD (Print-on-Demand) publisher. There are no set-up fees or publishing fees. In fact, publishing your book is absolutely free! The only time you will have to spend money is when you buy a proof copy of your book or if you decide to order more books for others. I've published all my books with them and would not go with anyone else for my future books.
Is Self-Publishing a Book a Bad Thing?
There are people who will tell you that if you self-publish a book that means no one wants to publish your book and it is therefore a failure. But that is not true. Remember, there is nothing wrong with self-publishing a book. In fact, if you are a poet who is thinking of publishing a poetry book, self-publishing is your best option, as traditional publishers generally don't publish poetry books, unless you happen to be a well-known celebrity or a very popular author.
I would say your chances of having your poetry book published by a traditional publisher are slim to none, so why not self-publish? With self-publishing you have total control over how your book looks like from the inside out (book cover included), and you decide on what content goes in there, which is the way it should be as you are the author of the writing you wish to publish.
When you self-publish you can either pay big bucks to have others publish your book for you, or you can do it all on your own for FREE as lulu.com allows you to do. The choice is yours.
Of course, it can be very frustrating to publish a book on your own. And there is a lot of hard work involved. If you don't want to deal with all that, or if you simply don't have the time for it, you can always hire someone to do it all for you. If you are planning to hire someone I can be that person as I now publish books for others through Lulu. Poetry books, short story books, novels I do them all.
So, all you talented writers out there, do not let your writing talent go to waste. Go bring a book to life and if you've already done that let me publish it for you. Maybe it will become a best-seller someday.
Would you consider self-publishing a book?
© 2010 Lena Kovadlo