Inspiration from places you've visited

[Alex97]

I just got back from a fun (and slightly tiring) two day walk in the Chiltern Hills and it got me thinking a bit. Just walking through the hills/woodland/fields gave me some inspiration for writing about the countryside in the world in my story. Just wondred if anyone else has got some ideas from places they've been?

[Ireth]

I'm not particularly inspired by places I've been; it's the places I want to be that give me the most inspiration. Scotland is one of the places that inspires me most; I'm 1/4 Scottish on my mom's side, so I guess it's in the blood. I've wanted to go there since about as long as I can remember.

[Lawfire]

All the time. There is something about being close to nature that gets the mind working (for me). I also enjoy spending time going through scenic pictures. Museums are another great source of inspiration. One of the most interesting/inspirational experiences for me was a mine tour. It is something to experience given the chance. There is dark, then there is deep underground dark...

[Alex97]

I know the feeling.. I'm 1/2 Greek and had to wait years before I could go to. The ruins at Knossos for example have given me a lot of ideas. Rome to a lesser extent has also given me inspiration.

[topazfire]

Always. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to a dozen or so countries and I find that each experience has had an effect on my writing. Sometimes it is a meal, a phrase, a particular person, or the amazing scenery. The valley where I have set the beginning of my WIP is based on a particular valley in Switzerland that I have spent some time visiting. Of course the castles all over Europe have provided inspiration, especially since the oldest buildings are little more than 200-400 years old in Canada. I am heading to Barbados tomorrow for a few days and hope to find some inspiration there for sure... I'll let you know when I get back

[Sheilawisz]

I always find inspiration when I go, with my sister or with friends, to the beautiful forests up in the mountains to the North of my city =)

The trees, the wind, the smell of forests, the high altitude thin and cold air... rowing in a boat at the lake, hiking and camping somehow manage to replenish my creativity and my writing energy reserves, I really love that forest!!

I have always included forests and mountains in my Fantasy world.

[Caged Maiden]

In a word? YES!

I'm inspired by places, and I can tell you exactly how:

Driving through the Cascade Range in Washington: I've never felt such loneliness. Just rocks and more rocks. No life for a stretch, just a sheer cliff going up and another going down on the other side of the highway guard rail.

Albuquerque, where I live now: A unique micro-climate. On the west side of town, we get clear skies while fifteen miles away it's pouring down rain because the clouds have to rise above the mountains. we get winds that gust around 80mph and smoke from local wild fires turn the sky magnificent colors on summer evenings.

Southeast Wisconsin, where I grew up right on the lake: A massive wetland with swarms of mosquitoes. I mean, there are so many bugs, you have to spit them out if you're talking with a friend on a walk near a swamp. When camping there, you just pick moths and mayflies off your hotdog and keep eating, hoping to not accidentally eat a bug.

Leicester, England, where my husband grew up: We went for a visit, and I was awed by the architecture, the city center, and the cathedral. The history is so tangible, when you touch those old stones you can almost imagine you are back in history. I find myself putting a lot of that into my towns.

And there are loads more. It isn't just places, but people, things, conversations, etc. I'm inspired by everything around me, and while not every thing I see is inspirational, some things just strike a chord and I keep them in the back of my mind until I need them for a story.

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm....

My corner of the woods really is woods. Mile upon mile of birch, cottonwood, and especially spruce trees, with lots of alder and a wide range of brush tossed in for good measure. Lot of hills - all completely tree covered - and a lot of lakes and swamps.
Get just a wee bit out past the towns and rural subdivisions...well...lets just say you can get really, really lost. No people, no roads, trails going nowhere...Makes it a bit difficult to get a good overview because the trees keep getting in the way. Stilll...used to be, I'd drive to the nearby mountains, and take a footpath which climbed all the way to the top of one of them. Not much of a mountain (2500 feet), but the view was truly incredible.

Growing up and living in this type of place has inspired a number of my stories.

[TWErvin2]

Places I've visited around Ohio provide ideas and inspiration. I blogged about a specific example not too long ago: Novel Inspiration from Hocking Hills State Park.

Vacationing in Florida gave background for a setting for one of my short stories, "Vegetable Matters." Ideas come from museums, zoos, rivers and lakes, even buildings and towns. Just keep an open eye, and maybe a note pad (I keep an index card or two) in your pocket to jot ideas that strike so that they're not forgotten after the moment. Usually I remember, but there have been a few times where I knew I forgot something.

[icewindel]

I've been in Scotland for almost a week now and I'll be staying there for another month and a half. As most of my writing is in medieval settings, my surroundings with all the history, castles, and green is absolutely perfect. I draw inspiration from most of the places I go, so I always carry a note pad or a journal with me where ever I go. England and Scotland have indeed struck a chord through, the countryside is an ideal setting for my writing ^^,