In the last blog, I talked about character development. This blog is taking a step back really from what I talked about last time. Before you can sit down and come up with a setting, a plot, characters, anything of that nature you have to be able to actually sit down and do it? How do you sweet talk your muse? Let’s face it, The Muse will not be completely compliant every time you sit down at your computer, your favorite chair, a writing desk, or even on the back patio. Sometimes she’s rather arrogant and blocks the process and all you can do is stare at the computer screen and admire the blinking cursor. But as you look at that cursor you scowl a bit and think to yourself The only one getting any work done here is the cursor itself blinking and making sure you know where you’re at during the time you have your processor open. Other times it takes a little bit of coaxing to talk to her. Keep in mind, that like cars not all muses are created equal and some are male? Some are female. I often describe my muse as a female, and often times as a very strict boss. It takes a lot of negotiation sometimes to sit down and try get around the wall she puts up. What do you use to get your Muse to let down those walls to allow you to step into your character’s world? Or for this instance, the ability to maybe build one? For me there are several different resources that I use to channel that inner creativity.
Most often times, I will reflect on the scene to see what is exactly going on in it. Is the scene extreme? Is it character dialogue?, Is there something complex going on? Then I will set to work at looking for either movies, music, art, or even cruise the internet letting the Muse have her way momentarily. Typically for me being in certain settings is what allows me to find the best relaxation to write. As described earlier this week in one of my Twitter’s I talk about the Snow. It seems that the muse becomes most active during snow days, snow storms, or just even a general snow shower. But again, going back and talking about negotiations with the muse. Sometimes, the snow is nice and all but other times it requires a little bit more to be settled. It maybe other adverse weather reactions, Holidays, or Sometimes it’s a certain recliner, sometimes it’s animals present in the room. Other times it’s music turned down low. Often other times I can find inspiration in other ways. For me another huge source of Inspiration can be found through that of music. I tend to listen to the harder music of today some of the band’s including: Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Metallica, Breaking Benjamin, Skillet, and the list goes on. The music can help inspire scenes? Or it can help get me through scenes depending on what is going on with them. Now, on the counter balance of that I have listened to older music to get me through as well. Some of those bands include: Foreigner, Styx, Patsy Cline, The Highway Men, Boston, and again the list goes on from there.
Just because you listen to one particular genre doesn't mean that you will be able to write to it. Please, I encourage you to listen to any and all kinds of music.
What about fellow writers? Let’s venture away for a moment from scene creation. When you first picked up that pen, and you touched it to that paper and you let your imagination began to wander. Is there any particular author that stands out alone that you first started reading? That, once you started reading, grasping at the concepts of there stories, and realized the flow pattern of characters, ideas, and overall concepts that you snapped your fingers and went “A Ha! That is who I want to be like there?” Just like the music any particular concepts of other art? What about the respect of other Author’s? George Romero for his inception and creation of the Zombie and walking dead, Bram Stoker and his creation of the Vampire. Stephen King and all of the movies, tv shows, and even comics, Michael Crichton perhaps? All of those are excellent authors, Is it Shameful for anyone to admit if anyone particular writer, singer, dancer, etc. inspired someone to carry on with there dream or find a new one? I’d have to say no. Reading any of the above authors could influence you. For example, if one where to start a paranormal book about Vampires, but you really didn’t know much about them. Where could you go? Bram Stoker would be an excellent reference, What about Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake Series again. It’s all dependant on what you want to write. But I would recommend experts of the genre and maybe reference to those who created and opened the worlds for everyone else. Doing research on different genres of Vampires, Zombies, Were animals, and all of the likes.
Who knows, maybe you will create something that will spark an interest with a fellow writer, or maybe even start them down the path of something great. Maybe your story will be like that of Bram Stoker’s and it’ll carry through generations of which everyone will know them. It just takes a little inspiration is all. I encourage everyone who reads this to leave a comment down below. What inspires you? Don’t be bashful!
No comments:
Post a Comment