What Inspires Me? Friday

My first What Inspires Me? Friday installment is almost a given. As mentioned previously, I've been poring over sooooo many other blogs for 4 years, my first inspiration of note is

WRITERS' BLOGS

Yes, this is silly, but reading about the journeys of other writers stokes the fire in me to get my words out on the page. I want to be there with them talking about my characters, exchanging pages to crit, discussing plot, etc.

I've had the same story kicking around in my head this whole time. I have written down different portions of different incarnations, including most of one whole run-through. My first practice novel will be this same concept almost entirely rewritten, and I through this whole thing, I think one thing that is slowing me down is a lack of feedback on whether I'm on the right track.

True story: I've asked two people in my normal life if they'd be willing to read over my chapters or review my character's motivations and the plot line. They both agreed that they would be happy to do these things. Both were very thoughtful, well-meaning people, and I was very eager to get their feedback. I emailed off chapters in one case, or what I thought were questionable character motivations in the other. Then I waited with excitement for their responses. And never got any. Never even got emails saying, "I got this, give me a while to look over it." Granted, in one case the person in question was my boss at the time, so she verbally confirmed receipt and that she'd send a critique. Then nothing. It is clear that I reached out to the wrong people, who really were great people and indeed well-meaning. But who just didn't find this to be a priority in their life.

What inspires me about the writer's blogs I look at is that I can go back through the annals and start from the beginning with their dreams and goals, then see them post after post building a support group, and with that the confidence to go on. It makes me excited about the possibility of meeting someone else out there who I could brainstorm with about little nuggets of ideas or big plot points; character motivations and flaws and personalities. Someone who will not only write me back, but tell me whether it is garbage or if it is garbage that can be cleaned up a bit, or what. And for whom I can return the favor.