For myself, music is a powerful source of inspiration for my imagination. Often when I find a new piece of music that I love, I will play it over and over again. Whilst I’m listening to it, a new scene will pop into my head. The more times I replay that same track, the more I flesh out this scene. Finally, I end up listening to this track so much that I get sick of it, and end up dropping it from my playlist.
What I’m left with, in my mind, is a fantastically rendered set-piece. I can then expand on it and add it to whatever I’m currently writing about, or I can use it as the seed for a new story.
I also keep a little moleskin notebook in my jacket pocket. I’ve scribbled down some interesting characters I’ve observed on my train journeys to and from work.
Then there are times when you stumble upon something completely out of the blue. Take this house I nearly walked passed without noticing; I simply had to stop and take a photo of it:
How could you not come up with the premise for a scary story from one glance at this house? I know I have! I’ve once again had to bump my full-length novel down the priority list as my muse suddenly appears on my shoulder and begins stomping up and down, shouting ideas in my ear for a new scary story.
Where do you get your inspiration from?