I have been asked at various times where my inspiration comes from for the stories I write. Inspiration is a funny thing. It strikes when you least expect it. I’ve drawn inspiration by everything from the weather to current events. The key for me is to make sure I capture enough to return to that excitement that comes from the potential of a new story.
Sometimes the inspiration develops in to something, and sometimes it doesn’t. But the thing I find most important is to give your inspiration a chance. You never know what is going to resonate, and what won’t, especially when you are a ’pantser’. Many times, I have no clue where a story will go until I am well into it. I depend on my characters to to tell me their story. There are times I envy outliners, though. People who can layout their entire novel, or most of it, ahead of time. I can’t pre-structure more than a chapter or two, and that’s only when a particular sub-plot pops into my head.
But the real key I have found is knowing that inspiration can come at anytime. You have to be ready when inspiration strikes. I can’t tell you the number of times that I was drifting off to sleep, sure that I would remember the inspiration come mornIng. Yea, not so much. Out of thirty potential inspirations, I have had in the middle of the night, I have only remembered two. Knowing what triggers inspiration is something that each writer must understand, so we are prepared to write it down when it strikes.
