Inspiration: Where does an author get their ideas?

One of the questions most frequently asked on a school visit is ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ It is both the easiest and most difficult question to answer. ‘Everywhere’ and ‘All around me’ are my first answers.

How does inspiration happen?

But what does that mean? What inspires one person may be hardly noticed by another. What inspires on one day, may fail to do so on another. Sometimes ideas pop like the cartoon light bulb – fully formed and brightly shining. Other times a sound, an image, some words spoken will zing an idea into life. Like many writers, I’ll jot down ideas, collect pictures, cut out newspaper articles and store them for inspiration. Photos will do it too. Sometimes what they will inspire is unclear, they just catch your eye and invite a closer look.

Is that a Tractor?

This photo is one of those…a tractor in pajamas. Will it inspire a piece of writing? Who knows? But meanwhile, I just like looking at it.

On the Water

Last Saturday afternoon we went down to watch the sailing boats sail (yes they are there…just a little left of this pic) and saw these moored boats. This tiny dinghy, complete with frayed rope and sitting lower than low in the water, looked like the loneliest boat in the harbour.

A leaning, twisted tree

On my daily walk, I traverse this block where all the trees have this weird lean and twist to them. Perhaps it wouldn’t be surprising if this block were facing the sea with a constant onshore wind, but it isn’t. It’s about 3 kilometres inland. So why are they all twisted? Only in this one street

A splash of red

My Carmonkey. Doesn’t everyone have one?

Up Close with the Bark of a Tree

Bark from another tree along the route I walk daily. I can see a face in this one. Can you?

What inspires me? Everything, from the smallest to the weirdest and everything in between.

More about life with Claire Saxby