Inspiration

A list of things that inspire me creatively, because I think outside influences of inspiration are important. Equally important is realizing what inspires you.

• God. He's given so much to inspire me with, from the beauty of the world around me, to the amazingly complex manner humans function, to awe inspiring grace and movement in my life that I could do nothing BUT write an entire series from it.

• Friends. Yeah, ya'll. People around me have always inspired me to push myself and do better, especially when they are driven and purposed in their own lives. I'm very blessed now in my life because I am surrounded by nothing BUT creative friends left and right, and I cannot get enough of it. It's amazing to see their projects and characters and art take life, and it gives me determination to do the same with my own stories.

• Bad writing as well as fantastic writing. To explain this, I read an article over at YA Highway that suggested that just as you get just as inspired from bad writing as good writing. Good writing, great writing, causes you to want to be at that level, to inspire and provoke the same feelings that you respond with in your own craft. You want t craft the same emotion, the same depth of characters and cleverness. Horrible writing on the other hand makes you take a step back and say "I can do better than this, and I will." Seeing other's mistakes and (sadly) failures in bringing to life what you are trying to allows you to strive to overcome those same problems. Reading flawless writing 24/7 can be inspiring, but pick up a lame novel every now and then to see how things can go wrong (and what makes them wrong in the first place). It helps with evaluating your own progress and gives you a list of things to not do in your own story. (For this I recommend Nevermore by Noel and Twilight.)

• Music. Obvious, but its totally true. Music inspires moods, lyrics and swells of music flash scenes at me at every which way, and it always gives me something to think about in relation to characters and their emotions.

• Animals. From my horse to the screech and barn owls that nest and hunt on our lawn every winter, fall and spring, animals inspire me. They are front forward, always honest in their emotions, and never fail to let me know what they are thinking (or trying to think). Their crazy antics and willingness to spend long nights with me at my desk (this is clearly my cat, haha) makes them the best companions a writing recluse could ask for! And they are great therapy during NaNo.

• Movies and writing books. Because come now! How many times have you seen a movie and the characters cause you to wish to create something just like them? Movies are a favorite source of inspiration for me. When I'm stuck, I often put on LOTR just so that I have something to listen to while I plot. It helps that the characters in LOTR talk like mine in terms of time period. Also, writing books because I've recently been collecting them like a mad woman, and am currently at 4. They include (all of these are fantastic) Your First Novel: A published author and a top agent share the keys to achieving your dream By Rittenberg and Whitcomb, The Little Red Writing Book by Royal, Revision and Self-Editing by Bell, and The Art of War for Writers.

Of course there are many other things that inspire me, but these are the first ones that sprang to mind.

What inspires you?