nut free nerd

Happy Sunday! I have something very exciting to share: a guest post written by the lovely Nadette Rae Rodgers. This eighteen-year-old author recently self-published her debut novel Illusion, the first installment in a trilogy, which I reviewed earlier this week (and loved!). Today she will discuss writing and inspiration, two topics that brilliantly go hand in hand. Take it away, Nadette!

What inspires me to write:

Situations in my life can inspire me to put the pen to the paper, as well as, reading someone else’s creative work can be very motivating. But the two major things that inspire me are nature and music.

Nature is something that never ceases to amaze me! I find that just standing next to the ocean and listening to the waves roll in can spark an idea for a story in me. The sea is just so big and the home to so much life that I always find myself in awe of something so beautiful and complex in nature. I could talk for hours about the many ways I find inspiration in the ocean. So if you are a writer and you’ve currently got some writer’s block going on, go stand by the ocean and just listen for a bit (if you don’t have access to an ocean, look at pictures of the sea online or listen to those white noise YouTube videos with waves crashing). Then try writing your scene again. Or, if oceans aren’t your thing, grab a notebook and a pen and go sit outside under a shady tree in the grass or under the stars and just listen to the sounds around you and drink it all in.

Music is something that is universal. All areas, languages, religions, etc. have music as a way of expression. Music from a foreign country may sound strange to us, but the basis is the same. So if I need ideas for writing, I typically listen to music to find inspiration. I sometimes pick music that fits the mood of the scene I’m trying to write, and other times I just see what song comes up and really think about the meaning of it and how I could use that. I close my eyes and take in the lyrics or the overall sound of the song. Then I replay that same song while I write the part that was inspired by it.

What I hope my writing inspires others to do:

My book is about dreams (the kind you have while you’re sleeping), but I hope that my book will inspire people to follow their dreams (the goals/futuristic life achievements type of dreams).

I’ve been writing stories pretty much since I could read them. I have had different goals in life as I grew up, but one aspiration that always stuck was being a writer. I was always writing something: stories, poems, letters to friends, school assignments. I also was always reading and admiring the authors who wrote the books that made me want to be a writer too.

But I never imagined I would ever actually finish a whole book, let alone publish it. I worked really hard on it, and it took me a long time to get to the point I am at today. But it was so worthwhile!

My hope is that people will see this book as an example that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it and believe in your abilities.

Dream big! Do something each day that scares you but will make you a better person. Listen to your gut. Make goals for yourself and strive to complete them.

Writers, if you have a story to tell, then tell it. Keep writing until it is finished and you can share it with others if that’s what you want to do. Your words can have such a great impact on people, so why not use your gift of words to inspire others?

I followed my dreams of being an author, and each day I set more and more goals for myself in day­to­day life and in my life as an author. I hope that hearing about what inspires me might inspire you to do what you love or try something new.

Always follow your dreams!

~ Nadette Rae Rodgers

Thank you again to Nadette for writing this wonderful post! If you’re interested in learning more about Illusion or its author, feel free to visit the book’s website and Nadette Rae Rodgers’ blog.

What are your thoughts on inspiration and writing? What inspires you to write? What inspires you in general? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY