Weirdest Place For Inspiration To Strike

gothicangel · Jan 27, 2010

I've known for about two years now I wanted to write a novel set against the world of professional tennis. I knew there was a murder, but otherwise the plot alluded me.

Then it came to me while playing Top Spin on the Wii tonight.

Okay, what are your weird and wonderful places?

SirOtter · Jan 27, 2010

gothicangel said:
Okay, what are your weird and wonderful places?

The original title of the book I'm currently flogging about to agents never thrilled me, but I couldn't think of a better one until I took She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed to the Nashville Symphony on our anniversary last year. Itzhak Perlman was the special guest for the evening, and as he was conducting something by Beethoven, the much better title Smarter Than the Average Werewolf just came to me. I have no idea why.

Kitty Pryde · Jan 27, 2010

I was drinking beers and talking shit (as one does) at high altitude on a trip to Bishop, California, and a genius name for my kidlit novel just came to me.

Recent weird inspiration: in the passenger seat of a car on a deserted snow-covered road in Germany in a snowstorm, coming back from a pub crawl (hmm, i see a pattern here I think), and an enormous wild boar ran out into the road ahead of us--the car stopped just in time. When my heart rate had returned normal again, I had a brilliant story idea.

Wayne K · Jan 27, 2010

Mine hit me as I was writing a suicide note. Around page 100 I thought "This would make a pretty good book"

Caitlin Black · Jan 27, 2010

I was working in a call centre, talking endlessly about roller shutters, and then I had this great idea for a book. It had nothing to do with roller shutters.

ETA: Okay, so it's not as weird as some of yours. Dang.

LaurieD · Jan 27, 2010

Maybe not the original idea for one, but some of my horrorsmut was/has been written in the parking lot of my kids' school while I wait for 3:00.

Have I mentioned they go to Catholic school?

brokenfingers · Jan 27, 2010

For me it's usually one of the following:

1. In the shower

2. While driving

3. During a movie

3. Right before I go to sleep, a time I usually spend thinking on my WIP

Matera the Mad · Jan 27, 2010

I was standing by the fryer in Taco Bell when I realized that one of my characters was an accidental time traveler.

I didn't burn the chips.

Wayne K · Jan 27, 2010

I'm waiting for someone to say "In the can"

Snowstorm · Jan 27, 2010

At a restaurant, while staring at an oil lamp on a sideboard, I asked the owner for a piece of paper and a pencil. I said, way too loud, "I just thought of a great way to kill somebody, and I gotta write it down."

CACTUSWENDY · Jan 27, 2010

Darn it Wayne...I was going to say...on the throne. lol :ROFL:

(Let minds think what they want.)

SanStormin · Jan 27, 2010

Kitty Pryde said:
I was drinking beers and talking shit (as one does) at high altitude on a trip to Bishop, California, and a genius name for my kidlit novel just came to me.

Recent weird inspiration: in the passenger seat of a car on a deserted snow-covered road in Germany in a snowstorm, coming back from a pub crawl (hmm, i see a pattern here I think), and an enormous wild boar ran out into the road ahead of us--the car stopped just in time. When my heart rate had returned normal again, I had a brilliant story idea.

You're sh*tting us now, too? Wild boar?!
I'm impressed. I've only had a wild turkey fly across my hood.

Mine prob. are during the sermon on Sunday morning. Oops.

HighDesertBrat · Jan 27, 2010

In the stirrups at the gynecologist.

Kitty Pryde · Jan 27, 2010

SanStormin said:
You're sh*tting us now, too? Wild boar?!
I'm impressed. I've only had a wild turkey fly across my hood.

I shit you not! I swear, the thing was 5 feet long and stripy and covered in snow. AND THE TUSKS! I almost peed myself. Our friend said that in 40 years living in Germany he had never seen a wild boar before.

soapdish · Jan 27, 2010

I think I've said this in a similar thread, but my best stuff always comes to me when I'm blow drying my hair. :Shrug:

Mr Flibble · Jan 28, 2010

I blogged about mine a while ago:

I’ve been having a knotty little problem of how to ’sort of’ resolve a row between two lovers. Well, there’s the obvious way, isn’t there? The post row bonkathon. Only I’ve never written a sex scene before. There weren’t any in the first book and if I have someone who reads that and, gods forfend, want to read the second obviously I don’t want it to suddenly be erotica. So, how to go about it? How to insinuate it all without any ‘And then Tab A was inserted in Slot B, and everyone was sweaty, a little sticky but above all happy’

So to take my mind off it I go back to reading ‘American Gods,’ by Neil Gaimen. An excellent book btw, and I love his depiction of Odin. Shame about Thor, he’s my favourite god. So there I am, reading about a zombie blowing maggots out of her nose when BOOM, it hits me. Inspiration for a really quite sweet / tender / passionate making up after a blazing row though still pretty pissed at each other love scene with very little Tab A and Slot B action.

Yes, zombie maggots as inspiration for a sex scene.

No, there are no maggots in the sex scene.

aadams73 · Jan 28, 2010

CACTUSWENDY said:
Darn it Wayne...I was going to say...on the throne. lol

But...isn't that when we're all busy reading?

Inspiration usually slows up to slap me around the face when I can't reach for my pen: when I'm driving, when I'm running, when I'm chasing the robot bears in my dreams. But weird places? I've been known to pull out a pen and start scribbling on a napkin at a restaurant/bar, but I bet a lot of writers do that therefore it's not too weird.

Perhaps I just need to do more weird things.

thethinker42 · Jan 28, 2010

I was driving past a casino and glanced at a billboard for an upcoming concert. I was suddenly with an idea for an erotica novel involving kickboxers.

Mad Queen · Jan 28, 2010

gothicangel said:
I've known for about two years now I wanted to write a novel set against the world of professional tennis. I knew there was a murder, but otherwise the plot alluded me.

Have you seen Match Point?

gothicangel said:
what are your weird and wonderful places?

Ideas come to me almost always when I'm driving, riding the bus, taking a shower or taking a walk. The latter is the best trigger for inspiration other than sitting down and writing.

DeleyanLee · Jan 28, 2010

Probably the weirdest was just before I filed for divorce and my ex decided to seduce me. Apparently "great sex" was supposed to change my mind. Anyway, things had started to get hot when the plot tangle suddenly unraveled in my mind and I jumped up and ran to the computer to get it down before it whiffled away.

Even though he was a writer, he didn't appreciate the revelation at all. Yet another reason for the divorce.

Though I think HighDesertBrat wins at this point.

Alpha Echo · Jan 28, 2010

My last idea wasn't entirely mine - my SO suggested a basis for my next WIP while we were in the bathtub drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.

HighDesertBrat · Jan 28, 2010

DeleyanLee said:
Though I think HighDesertBrat wins at this point.

Thank you, I think. When it happened, I actually said, "Ooohh, nice."

The good doctor, who has stood between my legs every six months since my first pap smear, just looked up and replied, "Glad you liked it. I don't get that reaction very often."

Alpha Echo · Jan 28, 2010

HighDesertBrat said:
In the stirrups at the gynecologist.

Ooof, yeah you win. I don't think about anything while I'm there except "Get me out!!!"

rhymegirl · Jan 28, 2010

Well usually an idea hits right when I'm in the middle of typing a po....

Ken · Jan 28, 2010

... standing in a packed bus. Afraid of forgetting the idea, I managed to hold on to the turnstile and my attache case and scribble down the idea. Took about 20 minutes of intense absorption. When I finished and looked up passengers about me were looking at me like I was a raving lunatic. Business as usual ;-)

Weirdest Place For Inspiration To Strike

Toughen up.

Il Cavaliere Marino

i luv you giant bear statue

Wild one

aka Skwirrel

Walkin' That Road

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Baby plot bunneh sniffs out a clue

An old, sappy, and happy one.

In the ozone

Hired Pen

i luv you giant bear statue

writing

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

A Work in Progress

Abnormal Romance Author

California Mountain Snake

Writing Anarchist

I should be writing.

Hired Pen

I should be writing.

It's a New Year!