Writers often get asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" This is sort of a pet peeve question for many people, because it's basically unanswerable, at least in that form. We don't know where we get our ideas! They come over most authors/writers in a burst, in that "light bulb moment" that's so stereotypical.
A better question to ask if you're chatting with a writer and want to delve into his or her creative psyche?
"What inspires you?"
That inspiration is the fodder for the creativity, even if the writer doesn't know quite why or how the process works.
I've recently been ruminating on what inspires me, and I thought I'd devote this week to the topic!
The first thing that inspires me?
1. Music
Hearing a beautiful song lights a fire in my soul. There's something magic about music, and for me, it's all deeply linked with stories. I try to listen to lots of music when I'm writing, because it fuels my creative process. But even more so, I've found that listening to music while brainstorming helps open up creative pathways and unlock secrets in my head. It's like the ideas are already there, just waiting for the music to pull them out into the open.
And sometimes, a song "imprints" on a story of mine, if you will. :) I'll be listening to the radio or Pandora or watching a show, and a song will come on that just pairs perfectly with what I'm writing at the moment. That song becomes the book's unofficial theme song, and often hearing and identifying it can help me understand the emotional core of the story itself.
So for me, music serves all kinds of functions in the creative process.
Are you inspired by music? What songs or artists have been getting your creative juices flowing lately?
A better question to ask if you're chatting with a writer and want to delve into his or her creative psyche?"What inspires you?"
That inspiration is the fodder for the creativity, even if the writer doesn't know quite why or how the process works.
I've recently been ruminating on what inspires me, and I thought I'd devote this week to the topic!
The first thing that inspires me?
1. Music
Hearing a beautiful song lights a fire in my soul. There's something magic about music, and for me, it's all deeply linked with stories. I try to listen to lots of music when I'm writing, because it fuels my creative process. But even more so, I've found that listening to music while brainstorming helps open up creative pathways and unlock secrets in my head. It's like the ideas are already there, just waiting for the music to pull them out into the open.
And sometimes, a song "imprints" on a story of mine, if you will. :) I'll be listening to the radio or Pandora or watching a show, and a song will come on that just pairs perfectly with what I'm writing at the moment. That song becomes the book's unofficial theme song, and often hearing and identifying it can help me understand the emotional core of the story itself.
So for me, music serves all kinds of functions in the creative process.
Are you inspired by music? What songs or artists have been getting your creative juices flowing lately?
Absolutely, music gives that "Ahhhh idea!!" moment more flesh, for me. Without music the image is somehow less...colorful, so to speak. You know what I mean. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do!
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