My Inspiration Behind My Stories

Every author has an inspiration for each book they write. I have not met a single fiction writer who doesn't take inspiration from something else; however, most of these authors claim to get inspiration from other novels. But for me it's a little different. I greatly indulge in many forms of media, not just novels. I've watched films, television series, news outlets, music, and video games. With each one inspiring the plot of many stories I plan on writing.

First, let me start with television. I don't watch movies or shows that often but there have always been shows and films that stuck with me through the years. For example, I remember watching a very touching news report about a young boy who had his heart donated to a little girl, and the boy's mother, became heavily attached to the young girl. Watching that gave me the inspiration to write my first short story titled "The Ghost of You". The plot centered around a girl who had heart surgery to save her life, and the organ that was donated to her belonged to a boy whose ghost followed her every day.

That's just one example, but a very big inspiration was an anime called "Tokyo Ghoul". That show has inspired so many aspects of various novels I plan I write. I became very invested in every character within the show which is why I focus on characterization so much. One book I've got planned is about a young man who has heavy expectations put on him and much of these tasks involve the safety of human life. This is similar to the main character of the show "Kaneki".

Another heavy inspiration for me is music. I listen to a wide range of genres, but I mostly gravitate toward rock, indie, and classical music. A piece of music that lives in my head is the main theme from the first "Dead Island" game. The slow tempo and gradual crescendo of the violin makes it the perfect piece to inspire heart felt scenes. It has no words but speaks so many stories.

Unlike other authors, books tend to be my last inspiration for my novels. In fact, I've never read an entire manuscript where the plot as a whole has inspired me. Most of the reading that sticks to me are certain quotes placed in just the right spot for me to remember for years. For instance, my favorite quote is, "a child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth". That quote along with my life experiences became the basis for "Brennan Claufield" the male lead for "Life is Inevitable".