One of the biggest inspirations for me personally as a writer is other media formats. While the written word is my favorite medium of storytelling,
when I write, I imagine what certain scenes in my books would look like as a movie or television series. I also enjoy seeing some of my
favorite books translated into film, television and other media formats. One book I’m incredibly excited to see become a film franchise is
Stephen King’s The Stand. Written as an epic saga of good versus evil, the book follows the survivors of a devastating plague that wipes out
all but a few of the human population. Those survivors must choose whether to follow the path of the light or give into the evil desires of
a ruthless stranger who seeks to wipe out the remaining good guys in the world. It’s an interesting take on the classic tale of the apocalypse,
and this story is incredibly character driven, and I think with the right cast this can be an amazing new film series that fans and newcomers
alike will enjoy. Who do you think should be in The Stand series? If you don’t know the book that well, what book do you want to see get
made into a movie/tv series next?
Tag: creativity
Developing Plot #2: Deciding The Main Obstacle
When you decide to write a story, whether it be a short story, a novella, or a full book, deciding what the main obstacle or problem of the
book is important. No matter what your genre is, what the characters are doing, or who your characters are, the main obstacle is what brings
the entire story together. Bottom line: if you have no obstacle, you have no story.
For instance, let’s take a popular book and see what it would like look without a central problem. For instance, the Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins. The series’ main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives in world where the planet’s government has not only divided the
country into twelve districts, but has put into motion a yearly ritual in which a boy and a girl are chosen to participate in deadly games
in which you must kill or survive until you are the last person standing, like a modern day gladiator ring. When her young sister is chosen,
Katniss steps in and volunteers to take her sister’s place, putting herself in danger in order to protect her sister.
Now what would have happened if her sister hadn’t been chosen? Katniss would never have had a reason to volunteer for the Hunger Games. Without that, she never would have gone on to become the central figurehead for a revolution. She never would have saved her friend/love interest, Peeta, and would never have gone on to be the first couple to survive the games. She never would have broken the entire Hunger Games system, and never would have helped the rebellion take down the antagonist for the series, President Snow. Without that central obstacle in the first novel, without her sister being chosen, Katniss never would have had a journey worth telling.
This is why the central obstacle is important for any book or book series. Without that first and main obstacle, there is no start to the
story. There’s nothing for the story’s protagonists to overcome. There’s nothing tangible to hang onto, and therefore the story collapses.
Question: What is an example of a story that lacked a central obstacle?
Inspiration Mondays: Christmas Time
For those who have read my books before, you guys know that I in general write horror based stories, filled with good men and women having to overcome great evil, (both human and non-human), and from the outside, that probably looks like most of my inspiration for writing comes from horror movies, true crime novels and a questionable childhood. However, that is not the case. While I’m a huge fan of the horror genre and love horror movies, shows, games, books and more, I’m also a sucker for romance and feel-good stories that touch the heart. One of the big inspirations for me when I try to be creative in both my writing and my filming is the holidays. Halloween is a big creative push for me, but one of my favorite times of year that truly inspires me is Christmas time.
Christmas means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For those of you guys that are religious, this holiday holds a special
meaning to you guys. For others, this is a time where you get free gifts and get to eat your favorite foods. However, since I’m not religious
and since I don’t really focus on the gift portion of the holiday, Christmas has a sort of different meaning for me. To me, Christmas is a
time to be with family. The actual traditions associated with the holiday, (i.e. decorating, baking, wrapping presents, putting up the tree,
listening to Christmas music, watching holiday movies and shows, and even playing games and reading books), these are all a part of the same overlaying tradition, and that’s spending time with family. Family not just by blood, but the families we create as well, whether its significant others and friends to your pets.
These things and the act of being with friends and family is truly inspiring. It lifts my spirits, and boosts my creativity ten fold. Being
around all of these traditions and my family reminds me about the power that family, friends, hope, and love can bring about. It reminds me
of what it is my protagonists are fighting for, and what it means to be connected to one another. No matter how dark things get, the power
of hope and love is strong enough to get you through that darkness. That is what the holiday means to me, and why Christmas is a huge
inspiration to me around this time of year.
Question: What does Christmas mean to you?
The Poet’s Corner #1: Isolation
Bugs, crawling along my skin,
Disappearing before I can catch a glance.
Trapped, locked within a bin,
While I dream of adventures in France.
I watch the world, but it doesn’t watch back,
I sit motionless as time passes me.
The walls are closing in,
The air seems to escape my lungs.
So many things have changed,
So much, yet I remain the same.
I claw at the walls, yearning for the light,
Hoping to feel its warm embrace.
Just when the darkness seems to consume me,
A warm hand grips me.
My eyes adjust, and I stare into true beauty,
And feeling loves embrace, I am free.
Writing 101: The Creative Process
Whether you are writing a novel, poetry, an essay, or the menu for your restaurant, one of the biggest aspects of writing is immersing yourself into the creative process. Everyone’s process is unique and different than others. For instance, I like to either put on some tv or blast my spotify music to get into the right head space. The first step in beginning your writing is to find whatever it is in life that inspires you, that gets your creative juices flowing, and delving head first into that pool of creativity. Lesson of the day to all you writers out there: find your inspiration, develop your personal creative process, and immerse yourself completely!
