Inspiration by Rebecca Seaton

 

Inspiration by Rebecca Seaton

Waiting for my lightbulb moment...

‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ It’s a common question. I thought I’d explore it  as it is one most writers get asked and it’s good to have a response ready when you find yourself speaking about your book or as a helpful reminder for when the ideas seem to have dried up.

My reactions to things are often what spark the germ of an idea. Think about what makes you passionate, whether it’s an injustice that makes you angry or something that fills you with joy. Once you have an idea as to why it makes you feel that way, you’ve got the beginnings of purpose for a character.

Key events obviously have an impact. Have you ever tried drawing your life so far as a journey? Where have been the important events, good or bad, which sent you in a particular direction? Looking at where God has led you can be a good basis for the inciting incident when you plan your main character’s story.

Launch Day

People! It isn’t a good idea to directly put real people in your story, tempting though it sometimes is. But you might want to think about why certain people provoke certain reactions. Why do you like hanging around with someone, despite not having much in common? Conversely, why does somebody else rub you up the wrong way? Looking at different Bible characters, such as David and Jonathan or Ananias and Sapphira, might help inspire interesting relationships for your own writing.

Nature. Many writers benefit from time away from distractions. Away from home, a retreat can offer the opportunity to go for walks, to take in unfamiliar scenery. This is a good way to use multiple senses and hone observational skills. I was fortunate enough to spend time with friends in Australia a few years ago. As I generally had the mornings to myself, I started each day with a walk in the local nature reserve. This became a place for inspiration from new surroundings as well as a way to let my mind wander as I walked, filling in gaps in my novel and thinking through my characters’ actions.

Enjoying a tree cathedral.

As you may have noticed, I’m not advocating one source of inspiration. I like to connect things: for me, thinking about people and the events they might be provoked by, or looking at nature and thinking how it would seem to different people, will be where the different things which inspire me combine to make enough of an idea to write about.

What should we do with our inspiration? It might not be enough to spark a story to start with but you don’t want to lose that great thought. Some writers collect photos and cuttings, creating a folder of pictures they can then pull out when there’s enough to build a setting. Other people write single ideas or sentences down, not yet knowing when they’re going to use them.

Why not experiment? Try some of the above ideas until you find what works for you. I’d love to hear where your inspiration takes you! 

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #ACW     

Rebecca Seaton came second place in the 2017-18 Pen to Print book challenge. This enabled her to publish her first novel, A Silent Song, a YA fantasy story of good versus evil, community and redemption. You can follow her on Twitter: @Bectacular40 or on Facebook: Rebecca Lucy Seaton Author.