kristaphillips First, I have a few new followers I’d like to welcome!
Stephanie
Candee
Terri Tiffany
Susan Mills (aka Lazy Writer)
Kelly H-Y
Roxane Salonen
Jill Kemerer
Eileen Astels
Beth
WOW! I didn’t realize it’d been so long since I welcomed followers! THANKS everyone for the follow!
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Sometimes we have to color outside the lines a little.
Case in Point:
Last night, I decided I’d do a little Wii Fit, so at 6:30, went to the TV to begin. I do the Freestep where I can step while I watch Wheel of Fortune. Makes the time go by faster.
Anyway. I plugged it in. I heard some static, but no picture on the screen. So, I did what every warmblooded human would do.
I wiggled the cord.
This has worked in the past, but no. I heard the little “do do do” music but NO picture. I proceeded to wiggle the cord, plug it in then take it out, turn the Wii off and back on, kick the TV, follow each cord to make sure they are still plugged in correctly, to no avail.
It was almost 7 by now, I was beYOND frustrated to have to go to so much trouble just to EXERCISE, something I didn’t really want to do in the first place.
But it was more than that now. It was woman vs. machine. KRISTA MUST CONQUER STUPID WII!
Now, I’ll explain a little about our setup. Our wii was hooked to the VCR’s front jacks, and the DVD player to its back ones, and the VCR was then hooked into the TV. (confused yet?)
So I had the BRILLIANT idea that I’d just unplug the WII audio/video cables from the VCR and plug them directly into the TV.
But my TV is 36 inches, heavy, and butts up to the wall behind our entertainment center. Meaning, I can’t see, and can barely reach the cables. 
This is where the creativity comes in. I call this the Krista version of MacGyver.
“Karalynn?” I yelled.
She tromped down the steps. “Yes Mom?”
“I need a flashlight, stat.”
Her nose scrunched up. “Stat?”
“Um, yeah. It means right now.”
She couldn’t find one, so I got off my lazy butt and searched, then found a weather radio with a hand crank flashlight. It’ll do.
“Karalynn, now I need a mirror.”
She jumped up and down. “OH! I know where one is!” She proceeded to run outside. Now, I’m thinking, WHY is there a mirror outside??
She returned and handed me a hairbrush that folds up and has a mirror on one side. “It was in the van.”
Makes a little more sense.
So, you might be thinking right now: How am I going to fix the Wii with a hairbrush mirror and a weather radio flashlight?
I prop the flashlight behind the entertainment center and rest it on the cords so it shines directly on the input jacks (or at least where I THINK they are.) I then reach a hand in there with the mirror, so I can see the illuminated back of the TV through the mirror. GENIUS, I say, GENIUS.
I note where the video cable is currently plugged in at, then reach around and unplug it. I then check my mirror to make sure I got the right one. CHECK. Then I feel around again with the WII cords and insert the YELLOW one into the same jack. I recheck with my mirror, WOOHOO! Repeat with the audio cables.
I then turn on my TV, and STILL NO PICTURE.
Then I turn the channel and the WII picture comes on. Most likely this was the problem all along.
*sigh* But at least I got my 30 min of exercise in, and even though I missed Wheel of Fortune, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE was on, so all was well. (I’m a sucker for game shows, if you didn’t know.)
****bringing this back to writing****
There would have been no story to tell you here if not for my creative MacGyver moves. It would have been boring (subjective… it probably might still be!).
My point is… we need to get creative with our writing. Same ole, same ole is boring and won’t sell. Find a fun plot twist, sprinkle your story with conflict and unique flare. Couple this with killer writing and you have a winner of a story.
Discussion: What gets your creative juices flowing? How do you take your manuscript from being cliche to being, “WOW”? Or… if you don’t like that discussion point, you can just make fun of my creative *fix-it* moves. I don’t mind:-)
Great questions – because I'm sort of in a rut right now with my WIP. I'm plodding through it, but I feel like it is definitely same ol' same ol. Like I keep using the same settings for all my scenes and I'm not quite sure how to change it up. I need some creative juices going. And thank goodness for revisions and rewriting – because I'll have to do a lot of it with this one!
Um yeah…so I misplaced the Creative Juice about a month ago and I think the mice stole it. It's been missing ever since. So I was hoping someone could tell ME where I could find a new bottle. And does that come in strawberry…cuz I so did not like the banana flavor!
I'm hoping that my creative juices will start flowing again when the kids get back into their school routine starting tomorrow. I'll have less time (because I go back to work as well), but maybe I'll make the time more quality.
I also work better when I've done some sort of workout.
You don't ever have a dull moment, do you?! 🙂 Or at least you have the gift for looking at life and seeing the story potentials!
A healthy dose of real life gets our creative juices stirring! And letting our imagination run wild! I also find that when I research I land across tidbits of stories and info. that send my imagination into overdrive.
So you're going to rewire them back the way they were so that the vcr and dvd player still work right?!
Looks like I need to post tomorrow on some ideas for getting the creative juices flowing in our manuscripts!!
And honey, I did plug the VCR back in… but not the WII. I figured my husband, my strong, handsome, smart man, could rewire them for me. I MIGHT even reward you with a kiss… we'll see:-)
I usually shoot someone in the story, either physically or emotionally. 🙂
Nothing like ramping up the tension to get the creative juices flowing.
Glad you diagnosed the problem with the Wii, and I admire your determination!
So funny Krista! It's just God's way of telling you to take the day off from exercise ;P I agree with Jody, real life gets my creative juices flowing – getting out to people watch, seeing a movie, etc. Although, sometimes I have to peel myself away from the creative juicing process to get back to work! Thanks for the welcome too! 🙂
I've been looking for my creative juices for a couple of weeks. I can't seem to find them. Can I borrow your flashlight? Anyway, thanks for the big welcome!
Your so funny! It is important to look at writing through a different lens than the one were used to sometime. It helps me to read different genres.
I love it … waht a fun post! And, so kind of you to welcome all your new followers … what a great idea!
Ooops … that would be 'what a fun post' … not 'waht'! Sheesh!
Thanks for such a warm welcome!!
I have had no creative juices flowing lately…I've been in edit only mode!!!!!!!!!!!! And not even creative edits…all grammar and replacing no no words like was and had. I'm doing one last self edit before I hand my ms to my editor for her assistance with perfecting my story!
Um, creative juices? That would require being rested and having a little peace and quiet so my brain can think without interruptions.
I'm with Heather on this and looking forward to school starting. That and getting the rewrites done on this book so I can resume dreaming about the next one.
Actually, I'm hoping the early bird session with Donald Maass and everything/everyone else at the ACFW Conference will jumpstart this process.
Thanks everyone for your ideas! I'm posting tomorrow to include them and give a few more of my own.
And Candee, I'm looking forward to the early bird class as well! I haven't had the privilege of reading anything of his stuff yet (But NEED to!) So I'm really really excited!!!