When a group of us sat in a circle and addressed the question, ‘What event or situation has inspired your writing?’ the answers were as varied as a Benjamin-Moore color palette. One writer of Armenian heritage said she felt driven by an almost religious fervor to write the tragic-triumphant saga of her ancestors. Another who lived for many years in Alaska wanted to tell a tale set in the wilds of its dramatic outback where caribou and wolves outnumber humans. A poet among us sighed dreamily that inspiration came to her sometimes from out of the blue, sometimes from deep within, and nearly always when least expected. Another writer has admirably trained herself to sit at her computer and remain there until she produces 2,500 words of prose, no matter how she feels.
A trio of wild turkeys strutting around my neighborhood proved to be the spark for my second novel. For months these long-necked, stiff-legged creatures waylaid cars like bandits of old, slowing traffic better than any pothole or speed bump. Little did they know, they would play a pivotal role in a story of descension and redemption.
Of course, as the old saying goes, great work comes from 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Yet that 1% inspiration gives us the fuel (along with caffeine) to expend the other 99%.
What’s your inspiration? I’d like to know. Really. And if you want to share it, drop me an email and I’ll add it to a future blog post.