Over The Rainbow

   There's something beautiful and indescribable about the effect of color in writing. It's like painting a picture with words. To me, there are few things more incredible than the ability of a writer to create detailed images and scenes in a person's mind, just by putting letters on paper. It's something kind of like magic.
   The cause of my sudden artistic revelation? Well, my life is sort of made up of phases. Right now, I'm in a serious art phase. I'm not talking just Van Gogh, Monet art stuff- I'm talking about all art stuff. Specifically this art stuff:
   http://b1nd1.deviantart.com/gallery/
Emmy Cicierega is pretty much an internet celebrity artist known for her incredibly inspiring art. The art she creates revolve around the moods and atmospheres that she brings to life using color schemes. My favorite works:
 http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj5t9oGZHy1qgbzseo1_500.jpg
 http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwxkfmVswY1qgbzseo1_500.jpg
I'm also inspired by other visual artists as well- my three best friends are all awesome artists. (As the only writer, I'm kind of like the black sheep of the tight little art family we have going on. I'm totally fine with that!) Being surrounded by such wonderfully creative people does affect my writing, and in the best way possible. I'm so inspired.
    Lately, I've been experimenting with my writing and trying to find my own unique voice. Although I think I have a long way to go before I achieve that, I feel that recently my writing has taken a turn for the better. And I think it's because of my new awareness of color. Just like in visual art, colors and vivid descriptions in literary art can create an atmosphere that inspires others. And there's nothing a writer loves more than inspiring others! :)

http://fyeahwriterleopard.tumblr.com/

Plotting. Scares. The crap. Outta me.

Honestly. It does.
Yes, I'm aware of how important plot is. I know that it pretty much makes or breaks the story you're writing, and that plot is what fiction is all about- besides the characters, of course. But it really does frighten me, and I'm not the kind of person who deals with her fears head on. I'm a procrastinator, a "slitherer-outer," whose way of dealing with stressful and unpleasant things is avoiding them altogether.
Which means that in the end, all the scenes I write are left hanging in the air.
I don't know why I'm so intimidated by plot. I really do love it, and it's one of my favorite parts of the writing process. I just feel like I don't understand it yet.

I start my writing with the characters and setting. When I get to plotting, I do a general outline, but I don't go deep enough into sub-plotting and twists and all that junk. I kinda let all the plotbunnies multiply in my head and torture me throughout the day until I get them on a piece of paper/napkin/my hand... And even then, I don't know what to do with 'em.
They stare at me with big, cute, googly bunny eyes, begging me to plop them somewhere where they'll fit. That's when the procrastination comes in.
SO YES. I am scared of plotting. Terrified of it. But I'm really thinking that by now I should suck it up and stop being a 'fraidy-cat, because plotbunnies don't like 'fraidy-cats.