So…I want to know.
What inspires your writing?
I know, I know…LIFE, right? But what specifically drives your muse the most?
For me, it’s all about the music.
One of my co-residents recently introduced me to Spotify which is THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER AND YOU SHOULD ALL GO AND GET IT NOW (/plug). But seriously, SPOTIFY. I’ve created a playlist for every one of my novels or soon to be novels (and even for PUBLIC ENEMIES, my short story featured in Horrors of History). When I’m gearing up to get into the writing groove, I hit play on one of those babies and my muse goes NUTS.
But, you know what? I write in silence. I have so many voices in my head that music becomes distracting to my trance-like state. But when I’m away from the computer, my brain absorbs all of those notes and lyrics, and DAMN, a scene blasts through my mind like a hurricane and I write it down (or at least make notes about it) once it’s quiet again.
Art comes in at a close second for muse fuel and I’m a lurker at DeviantArt. I used to be a member (shhhh) when I did crappy art (SHHHH), but I keep my account active so I can continue to follow all the amazing artists I’ve discovered there.
Also, Tumblr–you are a giant inspirational timesuck. I don’t even want to sign up for Pinterest or I’ll never get shit done.
Of course, day-to-day experiences inject themselves into my writing, but I think they often do with many writers. For instance, in my current WIP, the heroine is based off a woman I met in the emergency room who’d been through a horror of all horrors. It left me feeling sick for quite some time and I had to somehow purge this experience from myself–what better way to do it than write about it?
So tell me, fellow reader, what inspires you? Drop a video, image, line of poetry, whatever your creative heart desires. I’d love to see it!
P.S. I’m going to leave you with this because we all need a little RDJ sometimes. And, you know, muse fuel. 😉
L.D. Rose 
I’m with you on the music/silence deal. There are songs I have on my iPod, usually character driven or sometimes theme driven. The muse surfaces at the gym, on the elliptical, when I leave the computer and listen (while I huff and puff). But when I write, I sit in absolute silence, however, there’s a ton of noise going on inside my head! So that’s my muse. Oh, and life, too 🙂
Sounds like you and I are quite similar, Sharon! 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
Baha! I had a similar blog brewing in my head…what inspires me…forever and always – music! ;). Most of my writing stems from dreams that continue to haunt me while I’m awake. Music helps crystalize their visions and emotions – I’m big on the emotions and unspoken actions and subtleties. Music is great for that. I can’t work in silence. …And a nice body with tatoos and deep eyes can inspire as well 😉
Oh man, my dreams are usually a nightmarish mess (when I have them) and they don’t really make much sense. I can’t trust my subconscious mind with such things. 😛 Glad it works out for you and I’m sure you get tons of fiction fodder with them.
Also tats and nice bods are always a plus!
Thanks for stopping by, Jess. 😀
Welcome back to the world of blogging 😉 Music, music, music – when on the computer and off (driving, exercising) When I write I want my music loud, although I think I block it out and don’t always hear it, I know it’s there. I’ll have to check our Spotify – although I have my favs on Pandora. Spooky Symphonies is awesome 🙂
I also get inspired by my walks in the woods. I do so even more now that we have our Lab pup, and I do walk in silence so I can take in all the noises the woods, the critters and Luna make, but it also clears my head and helps me think. Then I go back to the computer and blast my tunes, LOL.
Can’t wait to read the new WIP 🙂
Ha, thanks Deb! I was going to do an elaborate, “look, I’m blogging!” post but nah…figured I’d just slide right back into it. 😛
I wish I could blast music when I write, but it makes me crazy. You should definitely check out Spotify and let me know if/when you get on so I can follow you. 😀
And yes, walks in the woods! I don’t do that nearly as often but I can see how they would be inspiring. I guess I feel that way about the ocean too. Sometimes just decompressing can rev up the creative brain.
I can’t wait for you to read my WIP! I think you’re going to love it (or hope so, anyway). Definitely darker and edgier than RTD. 😉 Now I just have to freaking finish it…
Thanks for stopping by!
Hello, L.D. We miss you! But nice to catch up here. I don’t use music as a muse, but Don and I read two daily newspapers, and there’s always a lot of story ideas that pop up. Not always sure how to use them, but I save the most interesting in a Story Ideas file. Going there now.
I miss you too, Renee! All of you.
Soon I will come visit!
Ha, I can totally see how the newspaper can be inspiring! There are definitely some crazy enough real live events to get the gears turning. What are you working on now?
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I can’t have music on when I write. Like you, I find it too distracting. I love music, though, and really should explore it more as a muse. Guess I’ll have to check out Spotify. 🙂 As for what inspires me now, it’s mostly interesting writing prompts. It can be word prompts or picture prompts, doesn’t really matter, just something that sparks my interest and gets me asking “what if?” Or “what next?”
You should definitely check out Spotify, Maura! Let me know if you decide to *cough*surrendertothecult*cough* so I can be your follower. 😉
Writing prompts are awesome for sure. I don’t use them much, but I probably should if I need something new and different to work on.
Thanks for stopping by! 😀
The shower, the sea, the river, cricketsong, peepers, sunrise, sunset, moonrise. Stuff like that just fills me up. I think life in general inspires me. Something will just hit me in that certain way. Key is to notice when it hits and have something to write it down with. I write in silence though, with little exception.
I hate it when things hit me in the shower or the car…then I have to try to remember it so I can get it down before it slips away!
Thanks for stopping by Terri. 🙂