Inspiration and Author's Page
Sources
Most of us know of Edison's 'Inspiration v Perspiration' quote. It applies to almost every field but when it comes to fiction writing for me the '10%' bit carries far more weight. What inspires me to write is a desire to connect with people, to project what I want to say into written words for the entertainment of others. All my life I have loved the company of people: from team mates during my sporting days, to work colleagues, to the daily rail commute - when on occasion it felt easier to say things to 'strangers' than those closer to me - and family gatherings. Communication has always been very high up my 'to do' list and it is this along with always enjoying a good yarn which drives my fiction writing.
Inspiration can come from a wide range of sources and I think it's the same whether you are a world famous author or someone who self-publishes eBooks! For example, it might come from something you've read, a place you've visited, an event, a specific time in your life, someone you've met, a movie you've seen, an experience you've 'survived', the gifted sports person who remains resolutely humble about their achievements, the person overcoming amazing odds to achieve their goals, or just a simple emotion...to name a few. Inspiration regularly 'triggers' me to write and I am very grateful!
Examples of the inspiration for some of my eBooks
For these stories it came from several sources:- reading an article about how a famous double act who produced fantastic work actually loathed each other, some people who were in my life for several years but drifted away, acute personal experiences, and observations of acquaintances. I was also intrigued by the idea of bringing together a set of completely unrelated characters and interacting some of them.
For this tale, it was my lifelong view that dying is not the end, that somehow a person's spirit lives on. Another 'push' were all the old black and white films about mysteries and ghosts, they're rarely matched for atmosphere.
The inspiration for this children's novella goes back to my own childhood when our mother would read us stories and then a few years later when I started reading books for older children e.g. Treasure Island. Making up stories to tell my daughter (and occasionally my wife!) provided any further encouragement I needed.
The sources for this collection of tales came from both personal experience (e.g. I was involved in a train crash - see 17.22) and that time travel has fascinated me ever since I first read 'The Time Machine'.
Author's Page (Amazon)
Please find the link to my author's page on Amazon. From there you can click to each eBook, have a free read of some of the text and hopefully make a purchase or two.