For writers, inspiration can come from just about anywhere.
When I lived in Miami, my writing teacher, Dennis Ross, had plenty of ideas for
his students. At the end of each class, he’d give us a selection of prompts to
use in creating our stories for the following week. But as class ended one
evening he asked each of us to bring three objects to our next session. Why? He
smiled and said we’d just have to wait and see.
In my case, I picked a dried-up tube of lipstick, a key, and a cardboard coaster from The Hog’s Breath Saloon. The guy who brought the key
said he thought it belonged to a Harley he once had.
The next day I went online and looked up The Hog’s Breath
Saloon. The bar is one of many in Key West, Florida. I had my setting! Lipstick
and a Harley key? My brain went in four different directions, inspired by all
the possibilities. The short story I wrote started with this line:
She's wearing bright red lipstick, and her boyfriend roars into the parking lot on a Harley.
Maybe all of us should excavate our junk drawers. Just close
our eyes and grab something. Who knows what inspiration might lie within our
grasp?
(FYI: This is a recycled post from my participation
with other authors on the now-defunct Boomers & Books blog, originally published in
September, 2013. My first novel, I.O.U. SEX, was inspired by my high school diary.)
What a fun inspiration for a story! As a reader, it is always interesting to me to find out what inspired a story!
ReplyDeleteFun post, Sandy! Thanks for the reminder that inspiration can literally come from anywhere.
ReplyDeleteGreat exercise, Sandy. My father used to tell me that a writer can create a story about anything. He used as an example a fly on the wall and a grain of sand as two stories. He was an excellent storyteller.
ReplyDeleteGreat story! And I agree with you, inspiration is everywhere. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open.
ReplyDelete