A few weeks ago, I started an impromptu rewatching of Supernatural. I’m in the middle of season 2 and I’m LOVING the balance between drama and humor that those Winchester boys bring to the table. (I’m up to the Trickster episode — Dean, we don’t need more of your blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah. BLAAAAAH.)
(Hold on, I’m laughing too hard to type!)
Seeing the interweaving of plot threads (an ep in season 2 brings angels into the mythology, something that the boys have to deal with HEAVILY in later seasons) makes me a little giddy.
But this post isn’t about how awesomely fantastic I think writers/authors who can play the long game with plots are. This post is more about finding inspiration in the little things.
(As an aside, it’s really hard to give you examples of things I’ve found inspiration in when giving you those examples will give away some major plot points in the books that haven’t been published yet. Anyway. I’ll give it a try.)
The main compound in my zombie apocalypse love story series is based on the layout of the community where I live. I had one of those “what if” moments one day when I was out walking my dogs.
- What if a zombie outbreak happened? How would the people living here make a safe place from the zombies?
(That sounds boring when I write it out like that. Imagine some screaming and severed limbs, won’t you? And them imagine me standing on the sidewalk with a manic gleam in my eye.)
The idea for the story evolved from there. Well, with a little help from me wondering how horrible it would be to have a mental illness during a zombie apocalypse. Which is one of those things that I can’t talk about for fear of giving too much away.
Back to the Winchester boys. Every episode I’m watching is giving me ideas. Not the episodes themselves but rather the little things that happen on the sides. In real life, the other day, my little nephew kept trying to say “buttocks’ but it kept coming out at “butt cocks”. THAT’S GOING IN A BOOK SOMEWHERE!
It’s the little things, the big things, the things that make you laugh or make you think. Inspiration can be found in any of them!
SO true! For me, the inspiration can even be a feeling I get from a certain thing – show, personal experience, song, etc.
(Side note: I’m glad you’re still watching Supernatural. 😉 )
Amanda and I were chatting earlier and midway through our convo I said “You could blog about this!” IT’S THAT EASY!
I say that, but ask me to come up with topics for discussion posts for my book blog and I freeze up. Lol! But, dammit, I can shout butt cocks out loud whenever the situation calls for it. o.O