Blog Chain: Finding the Muse

Today’s blog chain is brought to you buy Shaun “THE DEATHDAY LETTER” Hutchinson. Yep, that’s really his middle name. Pretty freaky that it’s also the title of his debut novel.

He asks, “From where do you get your inspiration for stories?  Give me the oddest, coolest, things that have inspired you.”

I wish I had a spunky little fairy who perched herself on my shoulder and whispered ideas in my ear. Maybe it would be better if she shouted because it sometimes requires a few takes before I notice an idea that’s been there all along. She could also fly and fetch me little cups of espresso (she’d be too tiny to carry mugs) and use her magical sparkly dust to create pages while I slept. The possibilities….

What was the question? Right, a muse. Don’t really have one. In fact, I don’t have a specific method wherein I get ideas either. I wish I did because it would save me gobs of time working on stories that have no promise.

Ideas are everywhere. INCONVENIENT came to me after finishing a 360 page adult novel. It wasn’t working and my readers and I had trouble figuring out why. The pacing was off but the characters were there. The writing was good but something about the story didn’t click. Ok, LOTS of things didn’t click. Then, I saw that the section that was my favorite and my readers’ favorite was the one with a teenage MC. I didn’t think of writing YA before that (had nothing against it, just not an idea I had at the time). So, I thought of revamping the novel and making all characters teens. Then I thought of doing the story from just the teenage girl’s POV. Yep, this is where a fairy would have REALLY helped. She would have just told me to bury the manuscript, be thankful I found a salvation point, and start anew with a YA. I got there eventually, but it took a while.

The MG I just finished came from watching my husband and son play. I was thinking about what a good dad he was and all the things he and Little Guy would do one day. And things took off from there. There’s more to it but being that my agent hasn’t even read it yet, I don’t want to give anything away. 🙂

Other ideas come to me from just everyday happenings. I think it’s that way for most if not all writers. One novel plot came from bird watching with my son. The YA WIP I’m working on stemmed from the summers I spent at bungalow colonies with my grandparents. Another idea that’s currently in my head–about a girl who is manic depressive–came from issues I’ve had with depression.

Reading this over, I guess I do have a pattern. My stories start in truth–even if from a small element. They come from the world around me, the things I observe, the encounters I have–and then they take on a life of their own. I suppose the world is my muse. What’s yours?

For more muse talk, check out Christine’s post from yesterday and, tomorrow, mosey on to Sarah’s blog.