What inspired your WIP?

A dream inspired the last two. I have some pretty messed up dreams.

Writing a short story that was inspired by looking at my snowglobe.

I hate to admit it, but my story was initially inspired by Eragon. I was fourteen back then, so the idea has evolved quite a bit (actually, it looks nothing like it looked back then).

wishflower said:

I've never read Eragon, but I don't think there's anything wrong with being inspired by something you read. I first read The Hobbit in 3rd grade, and then devoured the lotr books. They inspired me to try to write a high fantasy novel in middle school, but thankfully I never made it past extensive outlining. I'm glad I had that experience, though, because it made me want to create something that incredible. It started me writing.

What inspires you isn't as important as the fact that you are inspired.

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I agree, but I have come to dislike Eragon. At that point only the first book was out and I read it in Dutch and I loved it. Once I started reading in English, I tried it but I couldn't finish the book. And when the sequels came out...
But however the series turned out, I met some great people because of it and have a story that hasn't left me alone for years.

My current WIP was inspired, by all things, the manga Loveless. Which is utter crap so don't go seek it out, but it had such an intriguing premise I wanted to do something with it (and I already have a major fondness for magical bonds/contracts, anyway).

Inspiration comes from all over, in a wide variety of forms. And what it starts out as is rarely how it ends.

Dreams are a common source for me, but a lot of stories arise from that "wouldn't it be cool if..." discussion among friends, or even a random thought.

I was inspired by this crazy dream I had when I was seventeen. I wrote the idea of it down immediately and then just sort of took notes over the years. Finally decided to turn my idea into a full-fledged WIP several months ago and am so glad I'm finally doing it!

It was more a vague idea of wanting to have guns as a main weapon, with realistic gun fights instead of swords or knives. I hadn't seen much stuff written that way in YA fiction (maybe I missed it, lol).

My latest story was inspired by listening to Sami yoiking music. It's strange sounding, but absolutely beautiful.

Sofia Jannok - Irene
Sofia Jannok - Liekkas


Another story was inspired by the documentary Guns, Germs, and Steel. There really is no rhyme or reason to where most of my story ideas come from.

A dream was the main inspiration for my current WIP. (Actually, a dream was the inspiration for my last WIP...which needs serious work.) The specific elements of the WIP have been influenced by various video games, movies, and even an anime here or there.

My current WIP also came from a dream. It mutated tremendously along the way, but that was the basis.

My WIP was inspired by a scene in the beginning of the movie Half Nelson with Ryan Gosling.

Huh. You know, I don't remember. Not like it's been that long--I started it in November. Guess ye old memory is on vacation.

I know I wanted to write something based in NYC. And there may have been a show on Discovery or something about what the earth would be like once humans were gone. Feels right anyway.

Another WIP idea came to me when a van with some ghost hunter logo passed me on the highway. Another came from a dream.

A very weird horse.

My current WIP was inspired by a customer query at one of the bookstores I used to work at. What's funny is I don't think I was even supposed to work that night; I'm pretty sure I got called in. That right there is one of the main reasons I believe in fate.

I have had many inspirations for my epic fantasy novel. But want to know what 80% is?

Music.

Epic trailer music of all kinds.

Google "Two Steps From Hell -- Invincible" and you'll see what I mean.

I write science fiction and fantasy pretty much exclusively, and a lot of my ideas come from thinking, "Y'know...that trope/stock character just ain't right..."

In other words, I find something that I think is logically incorrect and unrealistic, and I want to write a book that shows how things should really be.

For example, why are vampires so often depicted as pale? Nature should select for dark-skinned vampires because they'd have a little extra protection from the sun--maybe just enough to sprint into the shadows instead of bursting into flame.

And how come necromancers are always depicted as evil and ghoulish? People who work in funeral homes are sensitive about emotional pain, kind to the bereaved, and respectful of mortal remains. In a world where magic is mainstreamed, why wouldn't necromancers be the same?

And so on. A lot of my ideas are just a case of me deciding other authors have got the wrong end of the stick.

It was Dragonlance that made me want to write. When I was a kid my at-the-time stepdad lent me and my bro this book, it looked huge back then. It was the Time, War and Test of the Twins, crammed into a single volume. Raistlin and Caramon Majeer.

Durth zamich och durth tabor. My bro STILL says that to me sometimes! It means "strange times make strange brothers."

Ever since then I wanted to write. We used to play D&D at the time i read those books, and the DM let me and my bro create a new race each for our characters, so we did. I couldnt stop making new races and classes after that. Then we got that book, and I went from making D&D stuff to making characters that would interact with each other. A few years later I ran a D&D group for a couple of friends and used some of those characters as NPCs, but was never satisfied because the rules didnt allow what I imagined (and the players never EVER did what I had planned for). That game didnt last long, but I was left with the need to create. So I started writing down my story ideas, with what felt like an amazing ammount of freedom because I could make up my own rules. My interest moved from D&D to fantasy, eventually encompassing sci fi as well-two sides and all that-and the remaining... what, 12 years? is history. Ive got three WIP ideas, only one of which has any real significance at the mo. My main, the Axis, is an epic fantasy/sci fi mashup; my second is Last Scion, SF, and the newest one is an urban fantasy called Redeemer. Ive never really been into urban fantasy too much until I watched some Supernatural and Being Human, didnt even consider writing any til I came (back) here.

So thats me in a nutshell

A picture.

jjdebenedictis said:

For example, why are vampires so often depicted as pale? Nature should select for dark-skinned vampires because they'd have a little extra protection from the sun--maybe just enough to sprint into the shadows instead of bursting into flame.

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There's a scene in TV show Sanctuary where one of the character is explaining "real" vampires to another:

"You call this a plan? Whatever happened to the good old stake through the heart?"
"Doesn't work."
"What about all those movies like Buffy?"
"Misinformation propaganda spread by the vampires themselves...confuse the enemy, preserve the race."
"What about exposing them to sunlight or garlic?"
"All you get is tanned vampires with bad breath."

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So, yeah, you're probably right. That scene also inspired my own take on the vampire legend.

Firefly was the initial one.

Now it's got so many inspirations that I can't even keep track of them all.