Your influences and inspirations

[Holman]

Inspiration can come from anywhere for me, there are the obvious literary influences from my childhood - Tolkein, Asimov, Heinlein, Feist, to the more modern Aaronovitch, Brett, Sanderson, Weeks, Erickson etc. Films - Tarantino, Coppola, Huston, Ridley Scott, James Cameron etc. To music - Hawkwind, Bauhaus, New Model Army, The Cure, Creedance, Led Zep, Pink Ployd,

All of it influences me at different times for different reasons. What mood do I want, what character? What twists? Currently my work in progress is loosely a fantasy heist - so I am looking for inspiration by watching some classic heist movies - The Asphalt Jungle, The Hot Rock, Thief, Oceans 11 have all been watched recently, with The Bottle Rocket, Rififfi and Bob Le Flambeur on my watch list.

Don't get stuck in a rut, research and explore what is out there, though I have yet to be inspired by modern pop music, perhaps there is a classic story that could be based on the works of Kylie Minogue...

 

[Yora]

Right now I am working on a Sword & Sorcery that is a fusion of Conan, Star Wars, and the Stalker games. The structure and society from Conan, the environments and mysticism from Star Wars, and the warped laws of physics and treasure hunting from Stalker.

At least to me, it feels like a magical combination.

 

[Ewolf20]

i get my inspiration from things such as biology, history, and mythology. I'm mostly influenced by people such as erin hunter and tolkien.

 

[D.G. Laderoute]

First post other than introduction! Yay!

Since I tend to write urban fantasy, a lot of my inspiration comes from that type of source. Foremost are the works of fellow Canadian Charles de Lint--especially his works set in his fictional city of Newford. Gaiman's "Neverwhere" was another big inspiration when I started out (I also think it's one of his best works...much better than the much-overhyped "American Gods"). One of my earliest sparks came from Emma Bull's "War of the Oaks". I also have to offer a BIG nod to Terri Windling's "Bordertown" stuff.

My other big inspiration is from folklore and mythologies that are NOT the usual "western-European-medieval-fantasy-setting", per "The Lord of the Rings" and similar works, and so popular in contemporary role playing games. Personally, I think that setting has flogged almost to death; there are many fascinating, richly-detailed and deeply-textured folklores out there. Two of my favorites are Aboriginal Canadian--particularly that of the Ojibway peoples, around the Great Lakes--and the folklore of Japan (this one largely because of my extensive work in the "Legend of the Five Rings" game setting). My two published novels, "Out of Time" and "The Great Sky", combine urban fantasy and Ojibway folklore in young-adult stories; "The Great Sky" is much more UF, while "Out of Time" includes elements of it.

My third novel, published only on Wattpad but having got a LOT of reads and votes, "The Children's Crusade", is strictly urban fantasy, based on Judaeo-Christian beliefs (angels and demons). If you'd like to check that one out, go ahead and look up dgladeroute on Wattpad--it's a entire novel, free to read!