Internal and External Inspirations
By Therese Walsh | September 6, 2011 |
What inspires you as a writer?
If you write, and especially if you’re an author who visits book groups, you’ve likely been asked that question more than once. I think the question has more than one level, as does the answer. Like me, you may not even recognize all of your inspirations until after you’ve finished a draft, but taking the time to consider them may help you produce a deeper and more clarified work.
What am I talking about? Bear with me.
Skimming the Surface
Writers can be inspired by any number of things as they begin and continue to work on a manuscript: music heard or imagined, art found in a museum or seen on a billboard, a snippet of dialogue overheard in an elevator, a piece of perfect fruit (sure, why not?). Take a vacation and spend a good deal of time watching people? Read a good book and find yourself enchanted with an author’s turn or phrase or their voice? That sort of inspiration fits here, too.
Inspirations like these are simple and abundant, and while they don’t exactly find their way into your work they can help to keep you engaged with life and excited to write about life in general.
Under the Skin
Sometimes a writer latches to a simple Skimming-the-Surface type of inspiration and promotes it to something more, allowing it to take on a recurring role in fueling the act of writing. For example, while I was working on the rewrite of The Last Will of Moira Leahy, I stumbled on a song that I felt perfectly complemented the tale I was trying to tell; it was Roberto Cacciapaglia’s Atlantico. Whenever I felt blocked or otherwise needed a dose of inspiration, I listened to that song and it reminded me why I had to write my protagonist’s story.
Down to the Bone
Some inspirations nourish more than the writer; they feed a work-in-progress by becoming a part of the story in some way, helping it to grow from germ-of-an-idea to scene, from scene to chapter, from chapter to finished manuscript. They lend a book texture and authenticity. For The Last Will of Moira Leahy, research into Javanese culture, twin phenomena, and post-traumatic-stress disorder provided me with this inspiration. Just as inspiring was a trip to Castine, Maine, where conversations with locals and a trip in a lobster boat on the Penobscot Bay influenced the direction of–and inspired me to change critical elements within–my manuscript.
It’s been my experience that down-to-the-bone inspirations sometimes take a while to affect a story. They sit inside of you as possibilities, and when and if the time comes to weave them into the fabric of a tale, they rise to the surface and remind you they exist. This may or may not even be conscious. Would a twin have ever appeared in my book in the first place if I hadn’t read about familial hauntings through my research into Javanese culture? Possibly not; I don’t recall the chicken-and-egg of that choice, though I definitely didn’t start writing with a twin sister on the canvas.
By the way, this phenomenon is why I’m a fan of casting a big net during the first draft. Research works hand in hand with imagination to build a story, if you let it seep into the bone.
Coursing through the Marrow
This is less easy and obvious than the others, but possibly the most important form of inspiration. It’s worth the work to try to understand it.
After I finished the first draft of Last Will, I took a class on rejuvenation led by our own Barbara O’Neal. At one point she posed a question to us that had something to do with who we were really writing about, or what was truly behind it all. I remember thinking at the time that this was a little strange. My story was clearly fiction. I was not a twin or raised in Maine, and I’d learned what I had about Javanese culture through research. I made it all up. (Insert mental shrug.)
“Think about it and let me know,” Barbara said.
I did, for days. And then it hit me. The protagonist in my book was sixteen when she lost her twin. My sister was sixteen when our father died. The sixteen year old in my book closed down, changed dramatically, became isolated. Like my sister. They both craved resolution from beyond the grave. Last Will was the story of one sister trying to help another–the way I’d tried to help my sister. I’d never seen these similarities because they were buried in the marrow of the story–and in my subconscious. But there it was: Family issues that had been weighing on me had found their way into my novel and heavily inspired its emotional angles.
Huh. Enlightenment. And realizing what thrummed under the surface of my work helped me to clarify the story’s most important messages during revisions.
This is why Barbara O’Neal is so wise. This is also why I think writing like a pantser can be a lot like undergoing personal therapy! But that’s another blog post…
What inspires the many levels of your work?
Write on!
Photo used with permission courtesy Flickr’s ana.gr
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
I love this post on so many levels. Love the structural metaphor. I love understanding how you assembled and layered and reassembled your beautiful novel. And, I love the epiphany of what the story was actually about. Gave me chills! Brrrrr!
Thanks, Sarah! I have to admit to feeling something different than chills when I realized the similarities: blind. How could I have missed all of that? But it’s the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to me in terms of showcasing the subconscious mind.
I loved the encouragement that inspiration could come from anywhere and, even if subliminal, will enrich the fabric of the story. The moral for me is, keep you eyes and ears open and absorb like a sponge. It’ll all be useful and will resurface. I only wish I had learned the lesson earlier.
I agree, Alex. It’ll linger and then resurface if it’s important.
Loved this post, Therese. It relates so much to what I’ve been dealing with now (it’s in my post this week) . . . it’s all related to losing sight of why we write and what happens when we start writing for publication with no connection whatsoever to the creative process we once loved. Great headings of “down to the bone” and “coursing through the marrow.”
Smart insight, Nina. Does your inspiration become about money and/or fulfilling a contract after you’ve published your first book, or is it still about that deep stuff coursing through the marrow? I’m not going to lie: I struggled with that while writing book #2. But I think for me the marrow is finally in charge again.
Between a Barbara O’Neal class on Voice and an exercise Holly Lisle advocates, I’m getting a lot more aware of that marrow-deep level. I do think it adds to complexity and depth, though I have to let go of it when I’m writing lest it overpower the broth.
I hear you about overpowering the broth, Jan. When I attended the Muse and the Marketplace conference in Boston this past spring, I sat in on a session about editing and asked the instructor about this. Because at that point, I understood what book #2 wanted to be about–what was in the marrow–but I wasn’t sure how to handle adding touches of it here and there to even the whole thing out. The instructor said not to be afraid to write insights with a heavy hand at first; the important thing is to make sure they’re there, on the page, in some way. You can go back through and subtle them out later, turn them into metaphors, whatever. The tip was liberating, and I think I’ve had an easier time in revisions because of it.
That’s freeing advice, Therese. Thank you!
This is such a lovely post, especially the last insight! I’ve noticed that the theme I go into a story isn’t necessarily the one I come out with, and I usually get some smack-my-forehead “enlightenment” after the fact. Every book I’ve written has told me something I needed to know — and apparently couldn’t figure out until I told myself the story.
And I loved this: “Research works hand in hand with imagination to build a story, if you let it seep into the bone.”
I had exactly this experience with the story I’m working on now, Cathy. I was close-but-not-quite-a-cigar with my understanding of the story’s theme. It’s a little crazy-making, isn’t it?
What a perfect post for me today. And I’m with Nina–I love the subheading titles! Even though I’ve been lucky enough to have already heard some of the revelations your journey has provided, my eyes started stinging in reading this. The arc of my trilogy has so much to do with the arc of my life. I know more about myself, my marriage, have come to such better grips with death, all because of this wonderful journey.
Maybe it’s Labor Day’s passing, or maybe that it was 45 degrees this morning, but I’ve been refective and counting my blessings all day. I’m still unpubbed, but I’ve gained so much. Foremost among these blessings has been my association with Writer Unboxed, and all the meaningful friendships that have sprung from the community you’ve created here. So thanks, and here’s to you, Therese.
It does seem to be a reflective time of year, doesn’t it? And I’m just as grateful for this community, Vaughn. It’s brought me so much joy. Thanks for being such a big part of it–here and on the WU Facebook page. I’m also glad to hear that you’ve tapped into your own marrow for your stories, which by the way I’m anxious to read!
“Research works hand in hand with imagination to build a story, if you let it seep into the bone.”
Yes, I have definitely found that to be true. (And you put it so beautifully!) I wrote my outline without doing any research, and then as I come upon things that need accurate details, I look them up, and I always find interesting elements or nuances to add. Often I make notes to go back and layer something in throughout the part I’ve already written.
Also, thank you sharing “Atlantico.” That is beyond gorgeous. I can certainly see how it would be inspiring.
Research is a critical part of my writing process. So much so that sometimes I block because a section of my story is poorly researched and I need more fodder.
I’m thrilled you listened to and appreciated Atlantico, Kristan. I had a hard time getting Roberto’s album back in 2007ish, but now you can download Quarto Tempo in all of the usual online haunts. The entire album is gorgeous.
Fantastic post! Maybe I need a course on enlightenment, because it didn’t hit me until I saw my book in print, as an actual book, that under the bright beachy surface, it tackled some more serious questions.
Ones my friends instantly recognized as of and from my life.
It took some distance from the endless reviews of drafts to see it.
I think a story would feel dispassionate without that something-something. I’m glad you found it, Mari!
“writing like a pantser can be a lot like undergoing personal therapy”
Amen. I think that’s the reason why I’m a hyper-organized person in all aspects of life except writing. Because the only way to face the deep things are sometimes to have them sneak up on you when your defenses are down, like in writing when you’re trying to open up to the muse.
Or maybe it’s because the only homework I ever got an F on was third grade outlining? :-)
A big Amen back to you, Jeanne! It can be so hard to just write and trust that whatever it is in the deep-down is worth rising to the surface and taking over your book. But what choice do we have?
Great post, Therese. Many times the themes of my manuscripts don’t hit me until I get to the middle and the story feels aimless. At that point, I am forced to examine what I’m really trying to get across. Discovering the theme helps to implement and move the plot toward a satisfying end. Love your prose in this piece.
Thanks so much, Christy. And good for you for being able to read the marrow-leaves of your draft at about the 50% point. I could use a lesson!
I love this post. I didn’t realize the places and types of motivation and inspiration I got. I generally find most of my inspiration through quotes and music. I didn’t realize there may be deeper sources motivating me until I read your post. Then I began to see the similarities unfold. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
http://www.michelle-pickett.com
Isn’t it exciting when you start to see them all? :-)
Loved the post (and your book). I’m also a little surprised at the themes that tend to surface in my writing when I’m not trying…all this angsty searching for a place to call home…searching for belonging and parental love/approval. How on earth did some kid raised by two loving parents in a boring suburb in Oklahoma City end up with such issues to resolve? To tell you the truth, I really have no idea. Probably therapy time for me… ha!
Thank you, Melissa! Who knows why we latch to the things we do. Maybe they’re issues from a past life, mwhahahaha. I keep circling back to death and meaning of life issues. My muse needs to lighten up.
So true! I’m writing a series with four main characters…although I had set out to write one romance, I wound up with a character who kept showing up to the page, and essentially insisting he have his own story. I thought his story might be more than I could handle, but I took a leap of faith and started writing him anyway. Lo and behold, he got his wish, his owns story, although, to this day, I hope upon hope I didn’t bite off more than I could chew. I just thank God every day that he did. He took me from one book to three…now to get it published…that’s a whole nother story, and I’ll take the artistic license on the phrase ‘whole nother’, cos, yeah, I’m a Jersey girl. We don’t just tease our hair :) Happy writing to all :)
Interesting about the character who wouldn’t let go of you, Shannon. Must be something there! Best of luck with your series.
I love the definition of certain inspirations based on subconscious memories as “coursing through the marrow”. Perhaps those emotions and experiences — held in our subconscious–and that define in part who we are–like the experiences that showed up in your story– can also be a catalyst for becoming a writer– in the first place.
Oh, Bernadette, I think you’re exactly right. Why write at all if you don’t have something to say? It might not be until we start writing that we realize we do have something to say — something uniquely important to us.
This was a timely post!
So much to digest. I read it paragraph by paragraph, giving thought to my own writing.
Thanks for sharing this inside perspective on writing.
As for the music link, it is a beautiful song, added to my playlist!
best, Patricia
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment, Patricia! I’m so glad the post took you to that deep-thinking place with regards to your own work. I’m also thrilled you enjoyed Roberto’s song. As I told Kristen, you can find the album Quarto Tempo online to download; it’s entirely inspiring.
Thank you for this inspiring post, Therese. Inspiration is such a great part in a writer’s life. It is what keeps us writing in both happy and tough times. For me, wonderful people and places never fail to inspire me. What I see and feel in them encourages me to put my thoughts and feelings into words.
But there are times when I really want to write but cannot seem to write at all. This is a time when most writers say they lack inspiration. What I do is that I just start and continue writing until somehow along the way, the inspiration comes. While writing, new ideas develop. So let’s write on because sometimes, the inspiration that we need is just waiting in the middle.
Love this, Shyxter! And agreed that sometimes we’re blocked because we can’t consciously recognize what it is we want/need to write about. It’s only in the writing that those issues rise to the surface and we figure it out.
Right =) Once a writer, always a writer. You will always find things to write about. So just write and inspiration will come sometimes in the most unexpected times.
I really enjoyed reading this, Therese. Maybe that’s part of the beauty of Writer Unboxed, that in reading other writers’ stories, inspirations, and writing journeys below the surface, we can connect with things we’ve noticed in our own writing. This is certainly true for me, so thank you on both counts.
So many things inspire me and my writing. Some are more obvious than others. But you’re right, those deeper issues somehow impact our work in big ways. Therapy, for sure. Isn’t it said that for a writer, the biggest gift from their past is a dysfunctional family life? Well, maybe not, but that’s always been my thought. :o)
Thank you for the inspiration.
Isn’t it said that for a writer, the biggest gift from their past is a dysfunctional family life?
It should be good for something, right? Thanks for your comment, Jennifer!
What a perfect read this is at 6:30 AM — before my writing day begins and I’m gathering up thoughts to tackle the ripe and ready WIP.
Funny, that’s a question I’ve been asked at every one of my book events, “Where do you get your inspiration,” and it’s one of the easiest to answer “Everywhere.” As long as the senses are turned on, it seems there’s always something that will tap tap tap in the back of your head to get your attention and then send the mind flying.
The question as to “who we’re really writing about” is a gem. I write fiction, have always written fiction, or so I thought. Not until I had the courage to peek below the surface, did I see the varied shards of my own life experiences. And surely it is truth that brings a certain richness to fiction.
Beautiful post, Therese. Much loved and appreciated :-)
Agreed! All Barbara O’Neal. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of her online classes, I can’t recommend them highly enough. She has a way of helping you hone in on the things that matter.
Good luck with your writing today, Barbara.
[…] Therese Walsh has an awesome post over on Writer Unboxed (subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already). Internal and External Inspirations […]
Oh, did I enjoy this post today, Therese! I thought it would never happen to me, but I have a severe case of writer’s block. Reading your post and all of the wonderful comments has helped me see that maybe what I should do is just start writing. Where should I get my inspiration? As Barbara Forte Abate said, “from everywhere”. I know somewhere inside of me lies my fourth book and I’ve been afraid to put hands to the computer keys, although I’m a pantser, because I’m not sure where I’ll go. But, “onward and upward”, I have to start somewhere.
Thank you for inspiring me. I needed it.
Patti
I’m so sorry to hear about the block; that is the worst. But I’m glad this post has inspired you! I do think writing through it, if you can force yourself, is the best strategy. Tell yourself that the writing doesn’t count. Open up a new Word doc, separate from your wip, then just play through the possibilities. Let your characters blab with seemingly pointless chatter. Somewhere in the midst of it all I’d bet you’ll find a clue.
Let us know how it goes, and best of luck!
Therese, you always inspire me with your posts. It’s easy to say what inspires when skimming the surface, but I’ve never thought much about the deeper inspiration, Coursing Through the Marrow. As a fellow panster, I tend to feel my way through the story. The characters take me on highs and lows that I never even saw coming. I love that you said it’s a lot like personal therapy. Looking back at Touched by Darkness, I can see parallels from my own life that I hadn’t noticed before. Bits of me poured out on the page without me knowing. I hope I can be more aware of this in my next WIP. I agree that it could help bring more clarity from the beginning. Did you approach your second book with more awareness of what was coursing through your marrow and do you think it made a difference? Thank you!
Thank you, Heather! You know I love seeing you here, right?
I thought I approached book #2 with more awareness, but — nope. There were still big surprises for me as I wrote, and even after I finished the first draft. This is something I have yet to come to terms with about my process.
I love your metaphor and insight into how our inspirations influence our writing. I like that you’ve opened it up and shared examples. I hear lots of writers use music and stand by that aspect of inspiration for their work, but I don’t always focus well when music is playing, or maybe just haven’t had enough experience with it. I take photos. I go for walks and take pictures of things that inspire me to write a story or craft a scene. Then I have a reference point and associate my excitement and my feelings from that place whenever I look back at the photo. That works for me.
Thanks for sharing this, Jess. I’m also a big fan of photos as inspiration. If I hadn’t been a writer, I think I might have pursued photography!
Wonderful post, Therese!!!
I have something brewing in my belly regarding this very topic, inspiration, and I will be blogging on it once I stir it about a bit and drop in a pinch of this, a handful of that. Could I quote you (giving you full credit) on my blog? Please let me know. Thank you.
Yvonne, yes, feel free to quote from the piece. I look forward to reading about what’s brewing in your belly!
Wow, I love this post. I recently wrote a blog post about what inspires my story ideas (linked w/commentluv), and my answer was emotional experiences from my own life. So I guess it’s not as subconscious for me, but I’m glad all the same that I’m starting from the deepest point. Thanks for the lovely post!