What is inspiration for stories or books in general? People seem to be interested in the inspiration behind their favorite books. So, I will try to address this question again. If you are curious about what I had to say when I touched on this subject before, visit ‘I Have a Tale to Tell’.
How do I start? Obviously, at the beginning. For the purposes of this discussion, I will consider the beginning to be when I started seriously considering getting my book/s published. (No, the original book is still not published. I was too ambitious, too soon.) Both the one that is still waiting for my knowledge and ability to catch up and the one that I have published began to smolder in my mind from one main inspiration; I wanted to make a difference.
For ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, I realized that there were stereotypes that caused people to be bullied if they didn’t fit. It also hurt to realized how rarely people stand up for each other against bullies. I wanted to let children know that just because bullies say mean things doesn’t mean they are true. I wanted to let children know that sometimes, being a friend to the victims of bullying can make a huge difference for the victims.
I also have a new children’s book I am working on. The idea for the rhyming book came to me; I suppose it actually happened a few years ago. It was a little spark. I just thought of a flowing two-line rhyme that addressed a problem I had noticed. I can’t recall if the thought occurred to me to make a book of these rhymes. This is what I do know; as I thought about things I wanted to address in children’s books, but didn’t know how to handle the subject in story form, the list of subjects grew. As the list grew, so did the idea of writing a book of poetry that would cover the subjects. The difficulty was, I couldn’t write poetry. I still can’t. As a result, I put the process off.
Finally, I realized that I don’t have to write like Robert Frost. What I can do is rhyme. That simple spark of little ideas and a roadblock started a fire that created many two-line rhymes. Now, I just need to edit and get the illustrations. The title I am considering was also derived from that spark. One of the rhymes mentions flowers. Hence, the title “A Basket Full of Flowers.” Now, will that be my final title? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t sound too bad to me.
There are a few ideas for children’s books I have had over the years, as well as some ideas for novels. Not all ideas make it all the way into a story. Some sparks ignite right away, others are slow burning. This is just the way things are. So, don’t feel that a story is hopeless just because nothing seems to be happening. Case in point: I have a novel that I had a spark for, over four years ago. The story went nowhere; not even a chapter. Suddenly, after those years, something caught hold. The initial spark of an idea was now the basic premise of a story, complete with one or two secondary main character sparks besides my protagonist, a rough draft for a book description, and a plot concept. The funny thing is this: the plot changed slightly from my original idea. I had one little point of interest, and I had not thought enough on how that one little trigger could instigate action. It just needed the right conditions to shift focus and flare into life.
I didn’t want to lose the spark, so I made sure I jotted down that book description, basic plot, and a few other notes, on some index cards. (I encourage those looking to write a book of any kind to consider investing in index cards to help keep track of different aspects of the story.) This got things warmed up and created movement, not just in the story, but in me, also. I knew some of what I was looking for in my story and, if I lose my way, I can look back at those cards to adjust what needs adjustment either toward my notes or away from them. In the latter case, I will probably want to write out a new index card/s while keeping the original for future reference.
Will I be able to get the story to move along all the way to a conclusion? Maybe. Maybe not. I feel a story should flow and not be forced. That is how I write. The story might disappoint me by stopping with no way to get it started again, or I might need to change something again to get the story to finish. What I do know is that, by waiting for that spark to ignite, I now have a few chapters where I only had a page or two.
So, what is the inspiration for my books? Things I encounter in life, is the very basic answer. I can word it in a different manner. I find inspiration from life experiences, what I hear are problems for other people; problems that, if handled, could create a world that is better for all. I also find inspiration from my favorite authors, music, and nature. (A walk in the woods or along a lake or river is a great way to free my mind and imagination.)
What inspires others? Any of the above and more. What will inspire you? No one can tell you that. It is for you to find out. Try different things. Explore. Open your mind to experiences. Listen to the problems or joys of others with a mind that takes in not only their words, but their emotions. Attempt to feel what others feel. If something moves you emotionally, you can be fairly certain you have found possible inspiration. Just remember, it might not be your best inspiration, and you don’t need only one inspiration. This is not one size fits all. Go out and enjoy the wonder.
P.S.
Sometimes listening to music while writing can clear the mind. Just remember, the music should have no lyrics or only vocalizing, as a general rule. I will be providing some YouTube links in a resources page in the future.
If you are interested in getting new blog posts to your email, subscribe. I hope to create a mailing list soon. Keep an eye out for that, so you can sign up to be notified when a book is ready to go live.
Also, go to my Contact Page and drop me a line to let me know if there is an aspect of writing you are curious about.
If you enjoyed this post, please, share this site with others, and like this page. If you want to receive further posts directly to your email before they are posted on my site, subscribe. Feel free to leave a comment or make use of the Contact page.