Let’s talk about inspirations…
Really there are two kinds of inspiration for me. I’ll call it macro and micro inspiration.
Macro comes into play when I need a whole new idea inspired, or I need to come up with major plot element, characters, or world building. For me there are a few sources I turn to when I need this kind of help. Truth be told my own twisted mind supplies far more inspiration than I need most days. I have a backlog of books I want to write that extends out about five years right now. That being said when I do need it these are tried and true for me.
- Muses: There are a few people in my life that light the creative spark in me and quickly send me down the road to a new adventure. These are the people I will often schedule a meal with, send a text to, or call with a half formed idea I’m chewing on and talk it through with them. Don’t underestimate the value of those people who support your creativity, and encourage you to freely express your weird ideas. They are a rare gift to a writer, and should be cherished.
- Great Works: I left this general because I think ‘great work’ is very much in the eye of the beholder. I hold books like Dune in the highest regard for personal reasons. I think Frank Herbert’s ability to build a world is inspiring, and his use of technology, religion, and spirituality are unparalleled. Okay, maybe Ron Moore can go toe-to-toe, but still. I think it depends on what you’re working on, but don’t be afraid to pick up one of the greats in your field and read. It’s not cheating to draw inspiration from others’ work. If anything it is a high compliment to have your style, or attributes of your writing admired by other authors.
- Jung’s Shared Unconsciousness: Hear me out as I mix psychology into this. There are basic things about the human experience that regardless of where you come from we share. We all have inherent fears, snakes, fire, the darkness, etc. There are other things like a concept of family, anxiety about fitting into your social group, an underlying question about our purpose in life. These can all provide you a backbone for your story to relate. When I need a character to feel more relatable or real and I’m struggling to find that missing something. This is a great place to go. We all have shared struggles, and they bring us closer in life and in literature.
Micro is the inspiration needed to write at the moment. This is the inspiration that gets me to my daily word goals, and finishes paragraphs. For me this is the background noise/environment I need to let my creativity flow.
- Video: I watch to catch the flow… If you think about it every show on television or movie out there has a writer behind the scenes. Someone sat down and wrote how that scene would go, what they would say, and they had some idea of how it would all come together. Watching something in your field can help you to feel how to push the story along. NOT saying all writing should be like Movies/TV. But there is a flow there, and if you’re needing some creative fuel it can help. For me I like stuff I have seen before, and that I know won’t distract me. I like when I can look up and know the scene and what the characters will say next. I can enjoy moments of it, and yet step back and be in my own story while it’s happening. Friends, The Simpsons, Futurama, Star Trek… are a few of my go to shows for background video.
- Audio: listen to what makes you feel what your character needs to feel. If you’re writing a tense scene Enya might not be the choice, maybe throw on some Nine Inch Nails and get edgy with your writing. I personally like to start with some indie rock/folk rock to get the offbeat witty style going. Then its all about the mood of the story… there are plenty of days where I just want silence and me and the blinking cursor.
- Environment: So I have written books in a lot of different places… in cars, planes, trains, and ships. I have written at all times of the in countries around the world, but there is still one thing that has to be right. I have to be comfortable where I am. You should put yourself in an environment where you are not worried about being judged, interrupted or overly distracted. For instance it is very, very difficult for me to write an action scene if I’m sharing the space I’m in with someone else. I don’t know why, but it seems to really get in the way of the fight, heist, car chase. I’m willing to admit this may be due to the fact that I often feel the need to make the action noises of the scene as I’m writing it. Don’t mock too hard Ewan McGregor made lightsaber noises for three movies in every fight scene. #Obiwanistheman
Likely more than you ever wanted to know about my process, but there it is.
…Boldly go!
-kurt
