What powers up your muse?, Sources of inspiration are... Options

[mithwriter]

...as varied as the people who write. I was thinking about this recently becuase I've started a new project, and my brain has latched onto the new Coldplay cd "X&Y" and won't let go. It has made such a strong connection to my story, in fact, that I stopped working on another one because I've got images running through my head prompted by this CD. Anyone else ever have this sort of thing happen?

So...this thread is about discussing where your sources of creativity lead you and where they come from, be it visual, musical, or otherwise.

[X303kicksass]

Music is usually my inspiration for writing on my series. It's a great emotion stirring tool, also can help you get ideas, cause your focusing on a certain emotion during some songs.

This post has been edited by X303kicksass: Jun 24th 2005, 9:18 PM

[Magnavox]

Oh yes, music is a definite source of inspiration. I've found myself coming up with ideas for slash from listening to some pretty sappy music...it's weird...

*Pops Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' into cd player...*

[xayeidemon]

This might sound strange, but Coldplay also has that effect on me. They're my favorite band (Guy's my favorite band member ), and something about their music is just incredibly inspirational. I wrote a character sketch just last night after listening to 'Fix You' and 'Swallowed in the Sea,' and I'll be damned if it's not the best character sketch I've ever written. And here I was thinking it was just the full moon.

Other times I'll just lock myself in my room with my trumpet and diddle around until something occurs to me. I've written tons of songs (none of which will ever see the light of day) and a few of my English class essays like this.

Another thing that gets my creative juices flowing is life itself. I'll observe people and things around me and make up stories about them. I've been doing that ever since I was a little kid.

[wonderland]

I guess where I get my inspiration are the little oddities in life, which always fascinate me. I wrote an entire fic from words after I overheard a friend's niece relate a nightmare she had, and I just loved the flow of the words.
Like Xay, being an observer is truly fascinating. I can sit at the mall and just people watch for hours, and I'm always trying to figure out everyone's story. Or I'l just weave a story about an unusual grouping of people I'll see, or from a bit of overheard conversation.
Sometimes, after I read someones else's fic, I'll think, "Damn, I wish I'd thought of that!"

[mithwriter]

This might sound strange, but Coldplay also has that effect on me. They're my favorite band (Guy's my favorite band member ), and something about their music is just incredibly inspirational. I wrote a character sketch just last night after listening to 'Fix You' and 'Swallowed in the Sea,' and I'll be damned if it's not the best character sketch I've ever written. And here I was thinking it was just the full moon.

"Square One", "White Shadows", "Twisted Logic" and "What if" are running 'round my brain as we speak....and creating one heck of a movie in the process. Its like my brain is creating its own movie trailers....

cool

[Pitry]

Bunch of music lovers us... I go with music as well. Sitting doin' nothing, listening to good music (er, sorry, don't share the Coldplay passion here for me Brit-pop ended in '97. Mostly 70s prog, me). Thinking.

It also depends my inspiration for what. Since this is in fanfiction I guess fanfiction! (gasp). But writing as a whole... I guess a lot of what I read or do at thed time. Whatever fits in. If I'm in the right mood. Sense I make not.

[MajikthizeII]

Music absolutely definitely positively influences my writing in every way. You just have to go check out my journal and see the number of entries that either contain song lyrics, are based around and idea from a song lyric or have the title of a song lyric (or usually all three).

The other thing that fires up my creative streak is angst. Yep, I know how daft that sounds, because you'd think being unhappy about stuff would make you less inclined to want to do anything, least of all write, but I find I write an awful lot more and a great deal better when I'm in emotional pain. Again, most of my more painful journal memories are also some of my best ones.

Other less influencing factors are the environment I'm in. I always write better late at night or in the early hours of the morning. I write better if I'm in a still darkened room, with just candlelight for company, preferably a scented candle.

If we're talking about fanfiction then a good open ended episode will leave me thinking "what if..." and coming up with what happens next. Likewise good characterisation will leave me wanting to explore those characters more.
Like Xay, I'm also a fan of taking in what goes on in life around me and transposing the more interesting bits into what I write. They say you should write what you know so that makes sense in a way.

edited to add:
One line from a book (Jane Eyre) that has constantly reverberated around my head since I read it is "Reader, I married him." (for those that haven't read it, this book is written in the first person of the title, and at the end of the book, after much angst and separation Jane married her love Mr Rochester.)
I keep coming back to that line over and over and have always wanted to write something around it, but I'm no good at first person stuff.

This post has been edited by MajikthizeII: Jun 26th 2005, 1:18 PM

[ted_simple]

Obviously depression would be a real turn-off. I have to be content with my present life situation, be highly opinionated (not lazy and self-complacent, I hate that), playfully evolving ideas in my mind for weeks.

I don't invest time in finding music that suits me... so I don't have a distinguished music selection or anything... without it, random music generally disturbs me quite a bit. I don't drink alcohol either because it's even more disturbing. I know, I'm pathetic. So no music for me.

[wonderland]

I read all the comments about music and I have to admit, I do find inspiration in music. A fic I wrote, "Being Daniel Jackson" was inspired by "Home" by Michael Buble, I could so relate some of the lines to Daniel.
"I'm just so far from where you are" and "I feel just like I'm living someone else's life" are just a couple of passages from the song that got me thinking.

[Horus.]

My inspiration comes from stargate itself.

I just think about it and I wonder a lot of things and I make fanfics to answer these questions.
For the fic I am writing I found the idea by watching ER and Ally McBeal.

[Pitry]

I read all the comments about music and I have to admit, I do find inspiration in music. A fic I wrote, "Being Daniel Jackson" was inspired by "Home" by Michael Buble, I could so relate some of the lines to Daniel.
"I'm just so far from where you are" and "I feel just like I'm living someone else's life" are just a couple of passages from the song that got me thinking.

Hmm... while I get inspired from music in general, the only time I was actually inspired by specific lines were writing a suicide scene in a writing-game-forum I'm on. There it fit so nicely.. I guess as a whole, music just puts me in the mood!

[danielfan]

My dreams have greatly influenced the direction of the fan fic I am writing. I also get inspiration from other shows I watch. many times that actually comes about in my dreams. I have a SG1-Alias cross over and a SG1- Navy NCIS cross over planned. This site helped fuel the NCIS cross over. My subconcious latched onto the look alike thread and ran with it in my dreams.

This post has been edited by danielfan: Jul 1st 2005, 10:57 AM

[Felger]

I?d have to agree about the music inspiration, melodies have created entire timelines for stories with crescendos and conclusions that are incredibly violent or even terribly tragic according to the music.

I also find certain lyrics very stimulating. For example, I only got inspiration for an SG-1 missing scene when I heard the line ?You count the centuries, I blink my eye? in a Bjork song, it gave me a brilliant perspective to work from (as an Ascended Ancient).

I think philosophical or magical lines have been incredibly vital components in the fantasy images I?ve created over the years.

Another major inspiration for me is moral investigation. I like to read about/observe humanity?s reserve, explore its depths, and watch its resolution under maximum strain so in order to further it I create scenarios in which characters with a pivotal value are put in terribly testing scenarios.

Generally though my inspiration comes from time, namely when I?ve got enough to think about writing anything!

This post has been edited by Felger: Jul 1st 2005, 3:10 PM

[Amisi]

I think music definately but only music you can relate to so you can write about that situation. Either that or idea's from something you like to watch/read.

I find ideas for Stargate fanfiction from other episodes or from situations that have happened in my life an twist it so it's like 'how would so-and-so react to that?' Sometimes it has comic outcomes!!!

[StevenHorth]

I've written the first 42,000 words of an SG-1 novel I hope to have MGM's blessing to publish someday. (A guy can dream, right?)

My most creative times are when I start with a scene with two or three characters (never just one). Next, picture yourself there with them, out-of-body, invisible. Now, just watch and listen to what they do, and write furiously.

We're starting with highly developed characters here, and they aren't just one-dimensional cardboard placeholders - they have real lives, real emotions, and highly developed senses of humor (and vocabulary, since most are PhDs). Half of the work is already done!!!

btw, good luck !!!