Inspire Me

The idea for a book is such an elusive thing.  I mean honestly.  We can't all be J.K. Rowling and have a character, complete with back story just waltz into our brain pan.  I've been chasing down my mc's (sometimes with Tasers) for quite some time now.  Maybe I'm going about this a bit backwards...but I don't think so.  It feels right to me.  I don't think writing is all that linear. Well, no.  I take that back, because now that I'm actually, physically writing my book.  Yes.  I'm writing it "Chapter One. Page One".  But to GET to this step wasn't a very Set in Stone process.  I didn't wake up and go, "I think I shall write a book.  Let me sign up for a writing class..."  It was more, I want to write.  I need to write.  Don't really care what I write about.  However.  A good plot for a book, this does not make.

So.  How to find a book plot when one MUST write?  Quick!  To The Internets Batman!

First I did a lot of staring morosely at blank pages in a moleskine journal.  Getting frustrated at my lack of ability to travel as they did back in 'the day', to find inspiration to write.  All I need is a good trip to Italy!  Or France!  Or Ireland!  Or Vegas!  That's all...just a little one...

When I didn't win the lottery...I found some random websites that all seemed to have "A Writing Prompt a Day!"  Which now I can no longer find the links to.  No matter.  They were pretty funny.  One of them told me to draw a grid with three separate columns on it.  Next, in the first column put three things that I am Passionate about.  In the second, three Hobbies. In the third, three book genres I enjoy reading.  The theory was that I was creating a chart that I could then pull things from to write a book about.

My book from that chart:  A murdering Chef that lives on a winery, quilts and battles a horde of dragons intent on taking over the world.  I'll let you divide them into the proper categories...

Then I stumbled upon the new-ish fad of doing 6 word bios. Fascinating. Challenging. A lot harder then it sounds. But not really a writing prompt. Unless you're writing your memoirs. I'm not That famous. Yet.

My Bio:   Culinary: Indescribably painful yet beautifully fulfilling.

Finally, the most random of all.  I actually found a random story generator. Which, turns out is really just a daily writing prompt in poor disguise. But. But! This...this was my muse. My Venus de Milo!  My Marilyn Monroe. My Nic Cage. My ...well.  You get the idea.  I hit the button probably 5 times.  It came out with crap like,

"The Rookie Movie Star struck the match in an abandoned store to delay the vote."

The prompt I got that I stuck with was...

"She picked up the key and ran down the dark alley to an abandoned store before the gun went off."

I'm not entirely sure where all these abandoned stores are...but there sure is a lot of action around them! A character popped into my head. A plot. Granted, I'm not sure the 20's are going to like having Steampunk forced on them...but we'll see.

Inspiration is an interesting thing.  Rather slippery.  But when we find it, there's no denying it.

I do still think I could write best selling blockbusters from a winery in Italy...