Wednesday, February 5, 2020

February IWSG 2020


It's February, which means a Super Bowl, Valentine's, our odd week off from school (which I desperately need to catch up on my sleep) and another IWSG bloghop. Time must be moving faster these days because I somehow managed to miss the January IWSG entirely. Too much going on. So hats off to those who can keep up with their blogging schedules on top of everything else, including our leader, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and his merry band of co-hosts: Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson!

This month's optional question: Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

Hmmm. I don't think so. Although I've toyed with the idea of a story with a setting inspired from one of my favorite poems, Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Here's a sample to give you an idea of what that might look like, and of course, I couldn't pick just one. 


In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:


coleridgesque (mandalay hill)
Image: pwbaker



Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man



Xanadu

Image: John Fowler


Down to a sunless sea.



Waterfall Cavern, Smoo Cave

Image: Nick Bramhall


And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.



Mossy Grill

Image: Timo Newton-Syms


Alas, such a project will have to wait. I'm meandering through the second draft of my current story and it's slow going. In my earlier works, cutting and cutting to get under 100K left only dialogue and action. This time around, I've left myself space to explore the character's thoughts, feelings, motivation, and memories, which is great, but challenging.

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What setting are you currently working with or would like to work with in the future?


19 comments:

  1. I've always liked that poem. Those images fit it well.

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  2. Great pics! Good luck with that second draft!

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  3. Love the pictures. Good luck with your writing.

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  4. That would be a great story- get writing. :)

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  5. You should write that story.
    I think I left too much wiggle room in my latest project...

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  6. Great inspirational pictures!!! And good luck with your story.

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  7. Any of those images have the capacity to inspire some great stories!

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  8. Sounds like it will be a great story!

    Ronel visiting on IWSG day Project Evergreen

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  9. Beautiful images!

    What's the genre? Some can be over 100K.

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  10. Ooh I love the poem and the images. Now I'm inspired too LOL.
    I hope you are able to find your way back to that spark and write this story one of these days. For now best of luck with the second draft of the current work.

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  11. That last image is really cool. I'd love to be there!

    My first drafts are always just dialogue and action. My second draft is where I have to go back and add in some emotion. Happy writing/drafting!

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  12. Kudos on working on your second draft! I've just started my second draft and talk about sloooooow progress.

    Those images are gorgeous. My brain was all, "oh look - we can write more stories!"

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  13. Love the images. Visual prompts often inspire me.

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  14. Lovely picture. Hang in there. You can do it. Take your time.

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  15. Good luck with your draft! I like your pictures. They really do invoke a sense of inspiration.

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  16. I love the images you chose to go with the poem! Good luck with your work in progress.

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  17. Good luck with your second draft, Tamara. I hear ya--this year is going super fast already.

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