Monday, September 12, 2011

What Inspires Your Writing?

This week I'll be answering some of the questions you posted for me last week after THIS POST. If you didn't get a chance to ask a question, feel free to head over and leave me a comment. As I answer the question, I'm going to highlight the reader who asked it just a bit. This will give you an opportunity to meet new bloggers, and who knows, maybe find new besties.

Kiru Taye writes passionate romance novels about sexy heroes and sassy heroines in hot exotic Africa. Her (first?) book titled His Treasure, comes out December 2, 2011.

She asked, "What inspires your writing?"

There are so many things that spark ideas for me. A lot of my story ideas come from crazy dreams that I have. In fact, the Draguman from Sendek hunted me down in a dream when I was nineteen. They were a bit more like the Egyptian god Anubis, but I wrote the dream down, sketched the creatures and filed it away. Years later I pulled it out and started building a story around them. It took on a life of its own, but you know how that goes.

I also love people watching. Sitting at the playground, in the mall, in restaurants, you name it. People do so many lovely, brilliant, and stupid things. For instance, I don't drink but last week I watched people get totally sloshed on the cruise. It was the funniest thing I've ever watched. Now I can write about something I haven't personally experienced with a little more realism.

Anytime I feel strong emotions I write down how it affects my body. Trying to find the words is hard, and I don't think I've gotten it quite right, but it is a good exercise.

Music inspires me. I often wonder about the story behind the lyrics. What situation pulled that string of words from the writer? Sometimes entire stories grow from my wonderings.

Pictures, landscapes, etc. Here is a website that I like to visit and look at art. Cool Vibe

I like sci fi/ fantasy, but I'm sure you can find other places for pictures to match your preferred genre.

Now it's your turn, what inspires your writing?

9 comments:

  1. I'm super inspired by music, people an just life. That said, I am in need of a little inspiration now that my current project is nearing completion. Hmmm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Music, pictures and nature inspire my writing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Movies and music, and usually in that order!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the cool vibe pics. I think everything around me inspires me to write. Paying attention and wondering what it would be like...and take it from there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have an overactive imagination. I bet a wet bag of cement could inspire you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Music is probably my biggest source of inspiration but I can really find it anywhere at any time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah, I'm with you -- people inspire me the most. My best advice to any writer is to sit on public transportation at the peek hours of the day between 7 and 8 AM and then 4 and 6 PM (if you have the time of course). There are TONS of inspiring people that ride the bus.

    For me, sometimes I will just have an event happen to me that just really strikes a chord at being a GOOD story. Those don't happen often, but they stay with me the longest!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Music inspires me. The first time I heard 'Bad Company' by Five Finger Death Punch I knew I had the character trait for my MC.

    I love your powers of observation! The hubby smashed a finger (really wacked it too) and my initial reaction was, hm, maybe I can put that in a story...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love reading all of your answers! Music seems to be a big hit with all of us. Now I wish I had put up the links to Pandora and Grooveshark, but I bet you guys all know about those already.

    Nicole, I love the sitting on public transit idea!

    Huntress, I knew we thought a lot alike. ;)

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.