Okay, so we’ve talked about having that little spark of
something other to put into your book, and about knowing when to stop.
Today, we’re going to talk about getting started. Primarily by way of “inspiration”.
To be honest, if you haven’t got inspiration, you’re not
really going to get anywhere. If you
weren’t inspired by something, you wouldn’t be wanting to write a book. So if you have no inspiration, go and get
some.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. I know people who are inspired by songs,
weird animals, pictures, films, books, you name it. Among my own inspirations, I include
conversations, unusual names and a large red sarcophagus sitting in the Vatican
Museum that contained the remains of Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helen. I know.
I’m weird.
There are several important things to do with the
inspiration you get.
1)
Make sure that you don’t write a carbon copy of
whatever “inspired” you. That’s not
inspiration. That’s plagiarism.
2)
Make sure you can actually go somewhere with
it. As in, sit and have a think, and ask
yourself whether you can really turn Aunt Hilda’s hilarious reaction to an
unwanted birthday present into a forty-two-book-long epic saga.
3)
Sit on it and wait.
4)
Go and get some more inspiration. From anywhere.
5)
See if you can combine this inspiration in
different ways or merge them or something.
Last time I did 5), I ended up with an epic fantasy
five-book series with eight main characters and the most complicated plot I’ve
ever thought out. I was fourteen back
then. And I don’t do simple plots.
Oh, and 6) If you think it’s worth it, don’t let the
inspiration fade away. But know the
difference between a good idea to write and something that sounds cool but
isn’t.
If you’re stuck for inspiration, just look at the world
around you. What might be an interesting
story behind the whorl in that tree? Was
it really that girl’s boyfriend dumping her that made her sing a sad song, or
is it something else? Uncle Gerard
insists he has a birthmark, but what if it was a mark for something else?
Whatever you see, as the question WHAT IF. You might be surprised at the response.
Oh, this was a short one!
Aren’t we lucky?
Until next time….
TBG <3
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