Gathering of the Figments

Aurora Asha Ila · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:54 pm Post subject: An idea for inspirations.

I generally find the best influences to be ordinary, everyday things that people do, with some elaboration, they can turn into awsome little fictional stories or even fairytales.

eg. I made myself a cup of tea one morning and found a leprachaun in it... Laughing

O_o

There was a lady on the street once who had a temper tantrum... maybe not so every day occurance, but inspired me to write about a tempered race of people, with the countanance and appearence of angels, hunted for by the devil Twisted Evil

. They were hunted to use in plots against the heavens... they had a weakness... which was discovered, and they had been running from him ever since... once it's done ill post it. Very Happy

So yeah, write about every day things that you see, and elaborate on them to come up with a story... post some of your inspirations from everyday life here! Very Happy

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I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty, city,
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all.

Extract from Clancy and the Overflow, by A.B. Patterson.
Ironically he never actually went outside of a city his entire life, let alone Droving. phht. Henry Lawson was much more acurate, he didnt romanticise the Aussie bush.

Figment · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:37 am Post subject:

I often find inspiration when i think in "what ifs," like *what if i had a secret, secluded spot to go and sit, and what if it was a portal?*

Or *what if that field with the whit horse, actually held a unicorn?*

*What if i could breathe underwater and found a secret race of creatures?*

so take something that we see, and imagine what is special about it...

Imagine what happens in those places when you aren't looking, just like Sara Crewe in "A little princess" imagined that while she wasnt there, her doll would get up and talk, and move around, and when she opens the door, the dolls get back to their places as fast as lightning, and she keeps trying to catch them...
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pommie42 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:58 pm Post subject:

Some advice on how to be inspired or to beat the bane of all writers, writers block...
Thanks to the team at Anti-Shur'tugal for this.

1.) Read a good book, preferably one with prose that you personally like.
2.) Read a bad book.
3.) Listen to music. Many people have had good luck listening to movie soundtracks which they use to imagine certain 'scenes' in their books.
4.) Make a map of your world.
5.) If you are stuck on a certain chapter because you don't know what to do with it, create an outline. If you already have an outline, make a more detailed outline.
6.) Play a video game. If your story is fantasy, go with anything medievalish or Japanese RPGs (which are very fantasy-oriented in general and give good inspiration on storyline and arcs).
7.) If it's not working out, don't force yourself. Pull away from your story, Go outside, get some exercise, fresh air, and clear your mind.
8.) Watch a movie related to what you're working on.
9.) Read fanfics.
10.) If all of this isn't working by a few days, go back to your last chapter and read through it. Is it really worth keeping? Do you want this block or no? Pull your mouse across the whole chunk to select it, press delete, press the little x at the top right corner there, and--here's the best part--say NO to the next question. Now you have no choice but to rewrite it. A blank page is better than a pile of swill.
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It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.

Temeraire Forums
The Dragon's Lair!!

Hawkins · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 3:21 am Post subject:

I usually get my inspirations when I'm doing ordinary things, like Aurora said...i.e., at the pool, I see one of those sticks at the bottom, maybe it's more than just a sinking stick. Then I like play out the first page and a half or so of it. It's so much fun. Except if in said story someone was supposed to drown. xD And people always look at me funny when I start talking all serious to the stick.

LEGOS! Legos are fun. Jordan had this huge crate full of legos, and I'd always take out this giant viking ship and play with it. I always got lots of stowaway/pirate/viking/dragon stories, though. And once a disembodied elephant head, but that was Tyler's fault.
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