"What inspires you and how do you keep that inspiration going?" - Julie, Berkshire, UK.
I just received a lovely email from Julie via my website and in it she asked me this question. I thought I'd share with you what inspires me to keep writing.
Firstly, I must admit I'm not much of a planner. Occasionally I have a beginning, middle and an end but it's rare. Also, sometimes I write the ending before I've even written the beginning!
Because my books are fairly far removed from reality (fantasy and sci-fi authors, I take my hat off to you), I can't say that I take any inspiration from real life. Usually they start from a single word or idea. Perhaps a concept that I want to explore. 'The Crimson Castle' for example started from my desire to write an anti-hero. 'A Summer Siege' stemmed from wanting to write a strong, brave woman but I knew I had to craft a reason for her bravery and strength so it also hooked onto the idea of lost hope and how she could regain that hope through fighting for it.
But what really keeps me going is music. Music and lyrics inspire me every moment and I NEVER write without music. My music choices might surprise you. I'm a lover of rock and heavy metal in spite of my romantic sensibilities.
One song that has inspired my recently was 'Overburdened' by Disturbed. Anyone familiar with Disturbed will know that they fairly heavy but the lyrics related perfectly to how a character in my latest novel 'The Angel's Assassin' felt. (The Angel's Assassin' release date will be announced very soon!)
My 'One Knight' series, in which couples meet and come together in the space of one night was more obviously inspired by The Goo Goo dolls and their song 'One Night.' It's a beautiful song and never fails to inspire me.
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