Writers often complain about a lack of inspiration, and many ask their fellow writers what inspires their stories. That brought about this post. :)
Dear Uninspired Writer,
Don’t wait for your muse to lay shining inspiration at your feet, or for inspiration to strike. If you do, you may be waiting a long time while your unwritten stories spoil. Go out and seek that inspiration instead.
Throughout my writing journey I’ve been inspired for stories in many ways. Reading good books similar to the one I’m writing often puts a fire under me. Watching movies with scenes like ones I need to conquer greatly aids me with the details. Music also helps me to get in the mood for certain events. Actually, I listen to music every time I write at my desk.
Dreams are a huge source of inspiration as well. I have developed countless story ideas thanks to my odd, often suspenseful, and definitely romantic nightly dreams. 30 Seconds, my e-novella, came to me from a dream. Art and people are also great inspirational tools.
But writers don’t have to only rely on these common sources. Inanimate objects are everywhere and they offer endless realms of inspiration. To prove it, I will share with you three instances when inanimate objects inspired me:
1. Hurricanes
Hurricane Crimes was inspired by the hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan that wrecked havoc on Florida, one right after the other, in the span of four weeks in 2004. If I had never experienced these hurricanes, I wouldn’t have been able to write about Hurricane Sabrina—the fictional hurricane in my book—as intimately as I did.
2. A Screw
A screw? Yes, really. A screw gave birth to the idea for my unpublished series.
One day, when I was twelve years old, I sat down on a small grassy hill next to my house after a lone game of basketball. I was playing with the sharp blades of grass when my fingers brushed something stuck deep in the roots. I thought it could’ve been a lucky penny or a key to a secret place.
Curious, I dug it out and looked at my find. Unfortunately, it was not a penny or a key but a screw. The tip was crooked and it was crusted with orange rust. For the strangest reason, while holding that pathetic screw, a story came to me about an extraordinary girl in an alternate world.
I rushed inside my house, grabbed an old notebook and a black pen, and then ran back to that little mound of grass to write the beginning of that story.
I wrote fiercely, trying to catch all the words stumbling around in my head, and I've written every day since.
3. A Safety Pin
Don’t ask me why tools inspire me, but they do. One night, when I was going to bed, my gaze landed on a lone safety pin sitting on my nightstand. My mind instantly thought of how the protagonist in one on my WIPs could use a safety pin. And let’s just say it’s not what a normal person would do with one. ;)
So if you’re feeling uninspired, dear writer, read a book, watch a movie, listen to music, people watch, look at art, and even examine the inanimate objects around you. There’s inspiration all around just waiting for you to take notice.
QUESTIONS: What inspires you? Has something strange ever inspired your writing?
I’d love to hear your stories!
Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.
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Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.
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