Inspiration

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I had a brief fascination with the letter M when I was 3 or 4 years old and spent at least one whole afternoon(filling pages of construction paper with the letter. Of course, today's parent might see such behavior and think there was something seriously wrong with me. My mom probably just asked me what I was doing and gave me a bowl of strawberries.

It's been more or less the same ever since. I get fixated on a topic or idea, it sprouts in my mind and then I can write about it. I can write a lot about it. That's when I can go on one of those classic "writing binges" you hear so much about. I know some writers are very methodical about their craft. Some, like Danielle Steel, even have a formula. And good for them.

My approach has always been more organic. While I see The Evenarian more as a project than an artistic endeavor, I write most effectively when something has sparked me. And that spark could be anything. Recently a remembered scene from a not-very-good-movie (if you must know, it was Kingdom of Heaven) induced me to introduce a character into the story much earlier than first planned. But I never know what stimuli is going to send me flying to my computer. Actively seeking out inspiration usually backfires, believe it or not, so I simply have to be watchful. I let lots of potentially inspirational sources into my life - music, art, books, a few movies and TV shows.

When I'm truly at a creative dead-end, I remember a quote from George R.R. Martin, whose A Song of Ice and Fire series was an enormous inspiration for my novel. An interviewer asked him if he enjoyed the writing process and he replied that he enjoyed the feeling of having written. Remembering that spurs me into action, and I know the satisfaction I'll feel once I hit my page count for the day is stronger than writer's block, and sometimes it's all the inspiration I need.