WHERE DOES WRITING INSPIRATION COME FROM?
The memory and the heart are two enigmatic
sources of inspiration. Both are incredibly fertile. However, the five senses
(plus the amazing and magical sixth) can be superb wellsprings for your next
plotline.
·
Watching people at a sports game, county fair, dog park, ...
·
Hearing a delicious bit of gossip, someone whispering into their phone, ...
·
Smelling
the heavy scent of night blooming jasmine, the fur of a wet dog, ...
·
Tasting
creamy hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day, ice-cold lemonade on a hot July afternoon, ...
·
Feeling
a baby’s fingers wrapped around your own, a cashmere sweater sliding up your arms, ...
·
AND the icy Awareness you are not
alone as you walk down a dark, empty street
* * *
I think because I am a
visual person, photos and newspaper articles are my favorite places to find
inspiration.
A beautiful sunset might be the
beginning of
a romance novel
A full moon could create a setting
for
a horror novel
An insignificant newspaper article/ad might be the source of a comedy (1924 newspaper ad).
* * *
A FAVORITE INSPIRATION using the sense of sight:
What I spied on a ferryboat trip inspired one of my favorite short stories, Twins on a Ferry. On a ferry headed to Avalon, Catalina, I noticed two grey-haired ladies (appeared to be twins) sitting prim and proper in their seats. One was knitting a scarf and the other reading Rollingstone. And this is how my wild & crazy brain has a tendency to react: Okay, they look innocent enough, but ten to one they're either embedded Russian spies or hit women...and fast approaching retirement. The next day a short story fairly flew out of my fingers.
Anyone interested in reading a free copy of Twins On A Ferry (425 words), contact me at my email listed below. I'll be happy to email Twins back to you.
What I spied on a ferryboat trip inspired one of my favorite short stories, Twins on a Ferry. On a ferry headed to Avalon, Catalina, I noticed two grey-haired ladies (appeared to be twins) sitting prim and proper in their seats. One was knitting a scarf and the other reading Rollingstone. And this is how my wild & crazy brain has a tendency to react: Okay, they look innocent enough, but ten to one they're either embedded Russian spies or hit women...and fast approaching retirement. The next day a short story fairly flew out of my fingers.
Anyone interested in reading a free copy of Twins On A Ferry (425 words), contact me at my email listed below. I'll be happy to email Twins back to you.
* * *
So where does your inspiration
come from? Leave a comment. Would love to hear about a special piece of
inspiration and how you used it.
* * *
Have a place for everything and keep the things
somewhere else.
That is not advice, it is merely custom.
…Mark Twain (1835-1910)
* * *
BOOK
REVIEW –
☆☆☆☆☆ “Lie Catchers” by Paul Bishop – Police
procedural with a twist. Calamity Jane Randall and Ray Pagan use their sixth-sense aptitudes to search for two
missing children. Author, Paul Bishop, as a 35-year veteran of the LAPD, gives
authenticity to this fun read. I really appreciated the outstanding characters…
original and fascinating.
* * *
See
you next month with another blog.
Other places to find me:
My Book "Deserter, Rebel, Renegade" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645
