INSPIRATION

Inspiration is infinite – the possibilities endless!

The seed for story ideas, descriptions of characters and scenery can sprout from many sources. Here are a few suggestions:-

OBSERVATIONS: The quiet observer can discover a treasure trove of inspiration. By venturing out for a walk, a ride on a bus, standing in a queue and even doing some shopping presents a vast array of potential material for your writing.

Characters - Pay attention to the people around you; what they wear, how they speak, how they react to certain situations and their body language in general. The description of one or a combination of several of these people has the potential to become a character in one of your stories.

Story Ideas - Hearing a snippet of conversation can be the inspiration for your next story, or at the very least something to work with. Get in the habit of asking yourself questions which will open the doors of your creative mind. For example, you overhear the elderly lady at the bus stop saying when she came inside from getting the washing off the line, half the biscuits she had cooling on the tray were gone. She still didn’t know to this day who took those biscuits. But here is where you, the writer, sees the potential for a story and ask yourself questions. Who took those biscuits? What if the person that took those biscuits was hiding somewhere in the house, or he comes back later that night? Who is he? Perhaps he is someone from the elderly lady’s past! What does he want and why is he hiding from her?

Scenery – Absorb the world around you. Use all your senses. Be aware and notice what you see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Whether you’re writing a scene that involves nature or one indoors; take it all in. Make the reader feel as though they are there; seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling everything you are describing. Allow your words to come alive by writing your own experiences.

READING: This is a great inspiration jogger. It could be a headline or an advertisement in a newspaper that stands out, a story where you ask yourself; ‘But what if this happened instead?’ Two of my short stories were inspired by a personal ad and a for sale notice in a newspaper, and both stories have been published. Allow your creative process to entertain you, so that you may entertain your reader.

DREAMS: Many stories from sci-fi, fantasy to romance have been created from dreams. Whether it is a scene, an emotion or a concept, focus your creativity on it and see where it takes you.

Those creative influences are in your memories, your dreams, your thoughts and in the world around you. Live your life and be inspired.

Happy Writing ….