What Inspires You?

[Dante Sawyer]

Whenever I’m suffering from writer’s block (be it mild or severe), I look towards new inspiration to get myself going again. Without inspiration, I find writing to be impossible. For instance, I found that I couldn’t continue writing my book, so I gave up for the time being and instead picked up the Mistborn Series by Sanderson. And as I read I found myself inspired by the novel. As I read I didn’t just see a tale of epic proportions, no, I saw the passion of a man who is doing what he loves. I saw the same passion that I feel went I’m on a hot streak for writing. And so my inspiration came from seeing the product of another person’s dream. I saw what I could achieve, and that is what inspires me.

In my humble opinion, I believe inspiration is the most important tool in a writer’s arsenal. So I ask to any and all who read this forum, what inspires you?

Thank you and chamos.

 

[Ravana]

Everything.

 

[Kaellpae]

Angels and Airwaves and music like that inspires me. That type of music just gets me in the mood to imagine a journey of epic proportions.

 

[drkpyn]

Whenever I'm lacking inspiration I usually try to watch a fantasy or sci-fi movie that I haven't seen before. Sometimes flipping through some Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks, or just playing a game of D&D, helps get me inspired.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

For it's about constant reading of anything I can get my hands on. thrillers, sc-fi, fantasy, political science books. For me it's all about reading!

 

[myrddin173]

I have to agree with Ravana here, everything can inspire me. Maybe its an unusual name. Or the interaction between two people, or any human interactions for that matter - people watching is sooo much fun, but I would suggest bringing a notebook and pencil with you otherwise people think why is that creepy person watching us?

 

[Dante Sawyer]

Thanks to you all who replied. You have given me things to think about.
I look forward to anything else anyone has to contribute.

 

[Map the Dragon]

My inspirations are typically two-fold:

First - I draw most of my literary inspiration from texts in the field. I fell in love with the fantasy genre for a reason; reading pieces withing the genre that I fall in love with...those are those most important inspirations. Some of these include the Dragonlance Series, anything by Sanderson, etc. A lot of movies also inspire me.

Second - Our real world. I've been lucky enough to travel to some great places. I've stood on top of many of the 14000-foot peaks in the Rockies as well as one of the tallest in the Swiss Alps. I've hiked into and out of Machu Pichu, visited castles in Austria, concentration camps in Germany, and more. I've seen some great cities like Paris, London, New York, Cuzco, Peurto Maldonado, Prague, Berlin, Munich, Florence, Williamsburg, Rome, Pisa, Dresden, and so many more. Having seen so much and done so much in these places has been sooooo inspirational.

 

[Digital_Fey]

Reading, definitely. Really good books that make me think, hey, I want to write like that! and really bad ones, that challenge me to write better. It doesn't have to be in the fantasy genre, either - I like to read widely and find inspiration and influence in unlikely places. I'm also inspired by small things that I see from day to day - a street at dusk, a lunar eclipse, a reflection...sometimes you just find yourself in a zone where inconsequential things become meaningful, and they grow into something bigger. I also enjoy following Wikipedia links to obscure texts and strange creatures from folklore, as well as researching things that led to the old beliefs in supernatural beings; it gives me ideas on how to adapt such figures to modern day settings.

 

[CicadaGrrl]

Inspiration is for wusses (you can tell I went MFA, huh?). You sit down everyday and you write. Sometimes every single word of it will suck. Sometimes one line of it won't. Sometimes better. You can get inspiration from pretty much anywhere, but for me, been drilled into me, you just write. Even when you hate it. Even when you have no idea why you are doing it. It is a job.

 

[JustSpiffy]

My inspiration can come from the most unexpected sources. Sometimes a single line in a song or a movie, sometimes even looking up into the trees on a windy day, sometimes a person I meet, or a dream I had. It comes from everywhere.

Also, I really love Cicada's comment. Although I think it's important to be actively looking for inspiration in everything you do, it's also important to just write!

 

[Joseph I]

This Song

It's very old, and very beautiful.

 

[Dante Sawyer]

Joseph,
That is a great song... If you like that, then I suggest you check out Secret Garden. Similar style of music.

 

[Trayvian James]

I kind of agree with both of the major viewpoints. I am inspired by movies, but most of all by reading great authors, both in the fantasy genre and outside of it. But I kind of agree with CicadaGrrl (in a slightly more optimistic sense, perhaps). Sometimes its as easy as reading and you know you won't have to very much work on the back end. Other times, I write something I know is not very good, but I always keep one thing in mind:

Anything is better than a blank page.

I could make the worst author's story sound at least passable given the material to work with. And I like to think I'm not the worst author, so my work should be easier and my story better than passable. So far, I think its working.

 

[Trayvian James]

I don't think I made my point at all. Maybe I was nervous for my first post But I meant to say, write everyday. Some days are inspired. Some are not. But every day should add at least a paragraph. I find if I write a paragraph, I'll usually write more.