Phantastic Phantasy Forum Creative inspiration...

       What inspires each of us when starting a new project?

       With my series- ALHPA ANGELS, it all started about twenty years ago with a very strange dream. I started writing about this dream, adding more to it, but because of depression, I developed a severe case of writers block.

       I stopped writing until this past December, 2008, when I picked up the storyline I'd started in 1988. And thus my series was born. In the span of about five months I wrote seven novels for this series and a couple that have nothing to do with it either. Guess all that creative energy was still bottled up in there somewhere. FALLEN ANGEL was the sixth book of the series, but got pushed up to being the first in line for publishing because it is the authentic beginning to the whole series (long story).

       In this story I ask: What if what we thought were angels were nothing but a specie of alien that visited us centuries ago? And what if all the fantastic creatures we dream up really existed, but in parallel universes or realms? Things like angels, demons, vampires, shape shifting humanoids that can change into dragons, wolves, tigers, etc... , faeries? This is what my series is about.  All these possibilities made a reality in my imaginary infinty.

       I'd love to hear about other peoples inspirations, magical creatures, and stories. 

Good question
(I'll see your twenty years and raise you ten. :)  )
My novel Parallel had it's genesis some Thirty years ago, when I decided to write a book. That initial idea changed over the next three years, and when I was twenty, I finally completed a first draft that resembled the final story. In a fit of depression, however, I burned every copy  in existence one day, excepting for the one in my head. it was twenty odd years before I finally came back to it. ( Very odd years indeed.)
I have tried not to write, but the words and stories, characters and settings won't let me. In the last eighteen months I have stopped fighting the inspiration, and strangely this makes me much happier.
In Parallel I shake up some of the standard foundations of fantasy. Magic is mixed with psychic abilities, trolls are actually Neanderthals and dragons are a species of Pterosaur.
I find that writing is the only way I can let people into my daydreams.

ChrisK

I've yet to finish a novel, however I've written many short story fantasies and I have a work in project, currently. My inspirations come from my surrondings, usually nature or the city, things I see, smell, hear, touch and sometimes taste, that and from experience, dreams, and sometimes music. (Music without lyrics, namely classical. The violins and flutes just seem to awaken something within me.)

That's for me, anyway. :]

 My inspiration comes from things around me and things that happen in everyday life and I morph those normal things into something abnormal. For instance my love for wolves inspired the thought of having a werewolf character and when morphed hunting can become assassination or bounty hunting or even a simple a task as walking down the road could become some big ordeal where there could be an earthquake or could start moving or the road could change direction from day to day. And that is what may make a good story. Why does the road change day after day? Where does it lead to? Does end up leading to the same place or different places? If different places, are they related in some way? Does it the road change for other people or is it just you?

These are the kinds of things I think about all day long. Morphing normal things into crazy wild imaginations.

=^,,..,,^=
Wolfie

Some three or four years ago, I was driving by a cemetery when we passed a funeral in session. Following common courtesy, we slowed down to respect the passed. It was then when I looked at the session I asked myself, "What if we were to be given another chance?" What if we were able to rise from the dead with our self being still intact and live a life again?

Artemus spawned shortly after. :D 

For me, inspiration comes from pictures. When I can get a single image into my head, or to be more exact, when I can't get an image out of my head, that usually turns into a story, it could be the beginning or the end, or somewhere in the middle, but that picture is what it all revolves around. That, and a good playlist. Music is absolutely important to my writing, although when I get into it, I usually just end up blocking whatever it is out. Still, it helps me get started...

Wow, I was inspired with new ideas just by reading all of your posts. Chris I started writing a novel called Parallel about a year ago but mine is about the doorway between life and death. My inspirations come from just about everywhere, I have about 20 notebooks just full of scribbling. I wrote more childrens stories than anything for a while and was even published in the 80s. I wrote about a hundred of them that Im going to edit soon and try to publish, but I thought the character was dead. I really didn't think I had any more Ideas for him, then I had kids of my own. Need inspiration? Have kids! You would be surprised the amount of ideas you can gain from children. From their actions to their thoughts and I don't just mean children's stories. Some of the scariest ideas can come from the imagination of a child. Not to mention some of the most beautiful adventures.

There is no "correct answer", ( or perhaps only correct answers.)
This continues to be a great thread, by the way, Mourning Star. Thanks for posting it.

Chris K

My inspiration comes from everywhere. From my environment, to the music I listen to (which is a HUGE part of my inspiration, music saved my novel Mercy of We from being scrapped) to art I see. It also can come from video games, as I've often been inspired by the morbid, gory and grotesque Silent Hill which is frightening, but has a wonderfully built setting and theatrical plot. Probably why I love it so much, :P.