Sometimes Inspiration

A few years ago I read a book about writing. In fact, quite enough years have passed (and it was at a time where I was practically inhaling different books on methods of writing) that I have no memory of the name or author of the book, but something I recalled today from that book, was something the author said about how sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere, an idea strikes a writer. He (or she?) called it inspiration, something that just happens to writers (the author then followed up by saying that this is not necessarily a common occurrence in writers and therefore, the best way to produce a flux of ideas was to make a pattern for yourself: writing at the same time daily so your brain knows: now is the time to come up with ideas).

Inspiration does not happen to me often. And even though I semi-regularly sit down to write each night, I often sit there, writing because I know I must, but grimacing at the page, thinking 'Idiot, that line sounded so stupid, you're going to have to go back later and completely revise that entire section.' (Another thing that book--or possibly a different book I read that summer--told me was that you must silence your inner critic to just get everything down on the page, I have as of yet, to learn to silence the critic in my head).

Now, when faced with less than two weeks to write 3 essays (2 of 1,700 words and 1 of 3,000 words) the pressure is on to write, but (in my opinion) the most stressful/difficult form of writing: essay writing.

'But you're an English major!' all my friends protest whenever I groan about it, 'All you people DO is write essays!'

True, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it.

I have a method for essay writing. It comes in stages.

Stage 1: Procrastinate. Television, Doritos, rereading books you know you love,
youtube.com, iwastesomuchtime.com, collegehumor.com. Put off the writing
as long as possible.

Stage 2: Open the word document, adjust the settings to 12 size font (which for some
reason never stays that way. Write name in top right corner. Write a title
if you can come up with one or if professor has provided one. Add page
# to bottom of screen.

Stage 3: Stare blankly at screen. 15-18 min (Itunes playing optional)

Stage 4: More youtube! You deserve a break! 5 min

Stage 5: Begin writing, not your essay, but an angry letter to your professor/TA
about all the reasons you cannot
write this essay and how stressed out you are and all the reasons you are
currently stressed (profanity and emotion encouraged).

Stage 6: As you are writing your angry letter, use specific details about the book
you're supposed to write the essay on about how stupid it is. This will
somehow (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the page down) begin to turn into an idea (ex:
and I don't know how the HELL to write about the oppression of women
expressed through Jane Eyre! The
entrapment of Mrs. Rochester in the attic perfectly exemplifies a physical
entrapment of the female in the nineteenth century, while Jane portrays the
emotional and psychological aspect) This can also lead to a thesis
statement.

Stage 7: Delete the angry letter portion and continue writing off of your idea.
Open your essay like your ENGL 200 professor taught you: with a specific
line showing that you did close reading. Then use an overabundance of
textual support to make it look like you know what the hell you're talking
about.

Stage 8: Finish and proof read. Despair over how horrible it is and the terrible
grade you will receive.

Stage 9: Get A- to A+ on the paper.


Yes, it's a long process, but like I said, it normally works out for me.

Except now, I am in England, and my whole system is out of whack.
Things are different here. For the first time, I am in an upper level course (here it's actually considered to be senior year courses!). They have a completely different citation method (called MHRA which is completely stupid and confusing in regards to footnotes vs bibliography vs in text citations) and I actually have absolutely no expectation of getting a good grade. I have worked hard the past 3 semesters to get straight A's, while I'm here, however, I'm here for the experience. If I leave with C's, I'll be satisfied. Because I've already gotten out of this adventure more than I could have hoped for.

Like yesterday, for example.

Yesterday I went with Don't Be a Tourist to Warwick and Stratford Upon Avon.

We spent around 3 hours in Warwick Castle and it was (I think I can safely say) one of the most beautiful place I have yet been to in my life.
To anybody else, it might seem cool, ok, but nothing fantastic. The reason I enjoyed myself so much was that it inspired me. I mean HELLO it was a literal castle that people once lived in! I was walking through living quarters that Duchesses had stayed in and walking up ramparts and towers and there were peacocks in the gardens and I got to see a catapult shoot a flaming boulder across a field! I saw a vulture, an eagle, a knight, wax figures, and went on the ghost tour.

The trip gave me so many ideas for creative writing and I took so many pictures, my tiny memory card couldn't hold them all, and I had to delete some so that there was space left for Shakespeare's grave.















And here's some of Shakespeare

His grave:


His grammar school:


His Bust by his grave (the only true likeness ever recorded of him, approved by his wife)




I may also add now, that this entire blog post was my attempt at procrastination on writing my essays. However, I do already have one page done of one essay and have a pretty strong thesis (I hope?) for another. So...yeah.