The Fiction Writing Process — For Beginning Authors #2 / Your Creative Contemplation Place

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The wonders of water should not be underestimated when it comes to sources of inspiration.  A simple hot shower is a great, quick way for me to get back in the right frame of mind to write. If I have more time, I’ll take a bath.

And if I have more time AND it’s not too hot outside I’ll sit in my hot tub. One reason the hot tub experience works for me is the surrounding environment. We landscaped our yard with about 12 trees, lots of flowers, shrubs, and a large fountain along the fence line. Beyond the fenced-in yard are rolling hills, a couple of farms, and animals… cows, deer, elk, and other wildlife.

But it’s the water where it starts. 60% of our bodies are made of water. And 71% of the world is comprised of water. It’s got to be important. right? For me, it frees my mind. It wanders and then I just stumble upon ideas, and then I jot them down on my notepad on my phone.

Another place I go to get away is my basement. A few years ago we finished our walkout basement. One of the things I wanted was a big fireplace. I can sit in my lounger and watch the fireplace and I start to drift. Yes, sometimes I drift to sleep, but sometimes my mind drifts to unexpected places. I can come up with a character’s flaw, a plot twist, or the landscape of an alien planet.

I do have an office. I work in different parts of my house, and, yes, the office is one of those. I have a large computer monitor and I like to spend time designing book covers, for books that (sometimes) haven’t even been started yet. I get inspired by the cover because, to me, a good book cover tells a story. I’ve always been a visual person, and my creative juices really start working when I can see something that intrigues me. Design is in my background, so I play with images and fonts on Photoshop and mess around until something clicks.

Other sources of inspiration include going hiking, going on trips (one-day getaways to five-nighters), reading a good book, looking at bookcovers at a book store, running on the treadmill, spending time with neighbors/family/friends, or watching a great movie.

So, what inspires you?

I will  leave you with a quote that kind of spoke to me, “The important thing for you is to be alert, to question, to find out, so that your own initiative may be awakened.”- Bruce Lee