I Need Inspiration!

My writing fiction class is requiring me to write a 2 to 6 page story due next Wednesday, and as the title of this post conveys, I need inspiration! I knew before taking this class that it was going to push my comfort level. The story that I need to create has to be distributed to all twenty classmates and the professor, and then it will be workshopped the following Monday. I am currently taking deep breaths in order to prevent a panic attack. I have written many stories in the past, but most of them are not what I would consider “high literature,” and some are not very good. Now, I actually have to get critiqued…publicly!

I am well aware that in order to become a published writer, you are required to submit work to a publisher and will most likely get rejected. Writing professionally is all about rejection. With that said, they often do not tell you to your face your plot sucks, your characters suck, and your writing style sucks. It is usually done in a nice sugar coated letter that you are able to burn afterwards. I have never been put on the spot to write before, and now I am definitely thinking too hard. My professor informed us the other day that well-received stories usually include unhappy characters. Death, betrayal, and loneliness are staples in any well-written piece of work. My problem is that I’m the author that wants all of her characters to live happily ever after. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I, myself, hope to live happily ever after, or as close to it as one can get. I believe in karma. If I give my characters hopeful story lines, God will give me one. That’s how it works, isn’t it?

So the girl who analyzes everything and who believes in rainbows and butterflies now has to write a story about pain and unbearable sorrow. The wonderful thing about writing is that it makes you dig deep inside yourself until you can find that source that is aching. Even the happiest person in the world has a dark side. Through my writing, I am able to discover mine. I went through a number of scenarios that could occur in this extremely short story. I thought about having a woman, who is betrothed to a man she does not want to marry, throw herself off a cliff, but that seemed too cynical. B wanted me to write about nudists. Actually, she wanted me to write about her at first, but then she brought up the idea of a nudist. It may seem odd, but we discussed how our country places a taboo on nakedness and a stigma on those who choose to wear no clothing. I enjoy stories that include political statements. E informed me that I could create a story based on crime at the zoo – and the animals could talk! I may save that idea for a later story. Vampires also came to mind, but I think that has been a tad overdone lately.

There really are a million things to write about. My professor explained that in order to create a plot worth reading, an author has to make it clear what their characters want, and then take it away from them. The rest of the story is then used deciding whether the characters overcome obstacles to obtain what they want or whether they crash and burn. Being an author is like playing God – I am the one in control.

If any of you have ideas for my stories let me know! I will credit you when I'm famous. When my story is complete I will publish it on my blog. I figure if I’m allowing my judgmental class to view my work, I can allow my faithful readers to read it as well. Have a wonderful Thursday all! <3