Sometimes it’s worth it to take the time to find inspiration in things around us. People, places, things, art, music; all of it is food for the soul and a stimulant for your own creativity. Indulging in those things can also offer your brain the relaxing reprieve it needs to get back into the creative groove.
Lately I’ve found that certain songs in my playlist really make me think of certain characters and what they’re going through. Though few will know about Jake yet (Marked), he happens to be one of my favorite peeps, and possibly the most tortured emotionally.
When I heard Jeff Buckley’s 'Hallelujah' recently, I was struck by the poignancy of it and how much it resonates to Jake. This prompted a rather thorough run through of my favorite playlist and the spawning of playlists for almost every major character in Marked. All of which can be found on YouTube. But it’s these seemingly little things that can play big motivations for scenes or chapters.
'Hallelujah' inspired some heartbreaking, feel crushing scenes between Jake and Miguel and forever more I don’t think I’ll be able to hear it without thinking of them.
I'm sure things like this aren't new ideas to anyone, but sometimes it helps to remind others. There are days when we'll feel like we need to force it, to push through or just type until we bash at the keyboard and think about introducing it to the wall at high speed. And sure, some people can push through and write when they're not feeling it, fill the word gap and come back to it later. But some can't. It doesn't matter if you're in bracket one or two, eventually we all need a little inspiration.
So remember to find the things that make you happy, that make you think of this character or that character, or inspire the kind of pages that make your heart bleed. That love we feel for characters and what they experience is what we want to convey to readers, so that they in turn fall in love, and grieve or celebrate on the journey. Finding the triggers for that isn't always easy, but it's worth it.
Today my inspirations include 'Raise The Dead' by Rachel Rabin and this image, Magic Pond, owned and created by BaxiaArt - Barbara Florczyk on DeviantArt.com. Enjoy. x
