Today I am participating in the Secret Subject Swap. It happens once a month. This month the subject was sent to me by J. C. Wolfe and the subject sent was "inspiration." To see the others involved, click here.
For me, inspiration takes on many forms. There is inspiration for my stories. The ideas created for my stories often come from my children. I have seven children, some grown and some still young, but they have, throughout their lives, provided me with inspiration for many, many stories. My youngest will sometimes say something that is completely ridiculous, but it will spark a new picture book idea in my mind. My ten year old daughter might be bossing her siblings around during a game of make-believe and idea is formed for a chapter book. My 6 year old son might ask me a question, and an idea for an early reader comes to me. My seven year old daughter might be trying to find a superhero toy for her to join in with her brothers game of "Superheroes" and a need for a new superhero story pops up in my mind. Sometimes just knowing the things that my children love and are interested in can bring me oodles of story ideas.
If you ask me who inspires me as an author, I can't give you any names as there are too many. Inspiring authors run the gamut from relatively unknown names to world-famous names. Whenever I read a story that sucks me into its world and doesn't let go until I finish reading the book and, reluctantly, have to leave its world and come back to reality, I am inspired to make my writing just as gripping and just as unforgettable.
I am inspired when I see other authors helping one another, whether it is through offering to be beta reader,s offering manuscript critiques, sharing each others' books through social media, blogging about one another and each others' books, commenting on each others blogs, congratulating each other on achievements, encouraging one another and any number of other things that authors do to support and lift each other up. Being an author can be lonely and really hard on the ego. We need each other.
I'm inspired by everything in the world around me. Being a writer means that I have a vehicle for making myself heard if there is an injustice I have noticed or a topic I desperately want to share with the world. And I am incredibly inspired by writers who stand up for what they believe in by writing about it and sharing their views in the wide world of the Internet.
What inspires you?
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The the other writers in the swap are:
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6 comments:
Great post Becky. I also don't think I could start saying what inspires me - it's a lot of different things too. Love your list :)
Authors are very inspiring aren't they. I get very inspired and envious when I am swept up in a beautifully written book.
Great post about inspiration! With seven children, it's easy to see how ideas are plentiful in your home! It's wonderful when so many authors inspire us too; I too would have a hard time counting all the stories that have pulled me into their world!
Oh my seven children, that is a lot of inspiration! I know what you mean about it sometimes just being the little everyday things that they do that makes you go ahh great story idea there.
Great pot Becky. I love reading about what inspires other authors and of course helping each other is always fantastic!
Great post - I love that your children provide such great inspiration for your children's books - straight from the source! Thanks for participating in this month's swap ;)
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