I was recently asked "what inspires you as an author?" and I honestly didn't know what to say. I think I was speechless because I had too many things to say and didn't know where to start.
My response was 'anything and everything,' such a non-specific response. A seemingly easy out to a very deep question.
I thought long and hard over this and here are my top 6!
1. Images
Whether from photos I've dug out of storage, while browsing books or online resources, or through images I create in my imagination I love to use still photography as a springboard for my setting. I also find inspiration from unique things I encounter that are likely overlooked. For example, one image that I'm working on right now is a snapshot I took in my memory walking along the tracks of my hometown in Kelligrews, Newfoundland. Two intertwined daisies sprouted up through a rocky path and seemed to be dependent on each other to endure the harsh surroundings. They held each other up as the wind tried to blow them down. I stared at those flowers for so long that day that I swore I took a picture, but there isn't one on my camera. I'll capture the image in words.
2. Music
Not only the lyrics of a song, but also how a song makes me feel. A word alone can trigger an entire scene when connected to a strong emotion. Sometimes I'll play a song on repeat or I'll turn on a youtube video and listen to a playlist with music I've never heard before. Sometimes the music is on just to quiet the incessent mundane chatter in my brain. 'what's am I going to make for supper?' 'did I pay the phone bill?' 'don't forget to make the kid's appointment.' Yadda, yadda, yadda. I like to contradict myself sometimes though as some days any music drives me batty, so absolute silence is better. I guess it just depends on the kind of day I'm having.
3. Mulitple storyline possibilites
Broadening my thinking with 'what if' or 'I wonder' and I'll look at the opposite outcomes of each scene to figure out which one interests me more. It really takes me out of my comfort zone to explore something I've never considered. I compare this inspiration to those 'choose your own adventure' books I used to read as a child. I follow the storyline in my mind and bypass and change the plot, character action and motives until I absolutely love it, and even then I can change it in a heartbeat. I'm not attatched to anything I write - a secret to writing.
4. Unfinished stories
I'm a weaver of unrelated things I've read, heard and imagined. My scenes are sometimes bits and pieces of experiences I've had or heard, that I've mosiaced together to make a new story. I remember taking my Nan for a walk along the beach in Salvage and by the end of our beach adventure, her pockets were buldging with mussels. I even took a picture and was one I pulled out to refresh my memory. I used that experience in my novel when my main character, John, is hungry. Things that hit me hard in the feelers, whether it's a hearty laugh, anger, love or sadness really stick with me. I love the stories people share and I love putting my own spin on them. I even jot the stories that I experience in dreams. I've written lyrics down from a song so beautiful in a dream that when I woke up, I googled what I remembered immediately and found no such song. Those lyrics I've used in my novel, 'Saltwater Joys.'
5. Random things I hear or read
I have literally hundreds, if not thousands of random things written on looseleaf paper, receipts, bills, envelopes, and even important documents. When I say random, I mean random. Thoughts slip away so fast that I forget them in an instant, so I jot constantly. These scribbles would be absolutely meaningless to any other set of eyes, but to mine the words are gold. The beauty of random notes is that they eventually make connections with something I'm writing and trigger an idea, image or conflict. Although I get inspiration from things I hear, it doesn't necessarity mean I eavesdrop on intense conversations in public places, but let's just say I am always aware of what takes place around me. I don't listen to what is being said exactly, but I notice physical movements, facial expressions, or awkward silences. You can learn a lot from random strangers.
6. My shadows
I read a lot of self help books. I am constantly looking for strategies to drag my mind out of the worry it likes to construct or relive. I like to explore the deep, dark depths of psyche. I think that's why I love reading the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Speaking of which, there's another inspiration......my other main character, Annabel Lee, is derived from Poe's poem, named after his wife, who he lost... Are there any other allusions to other works you might ask? Absolutely.
