Writers often talk about their inspiration. We all have influences, though there are some who might say they completely original in their work. Those are the writers who think that their ideas came from the ether without any outside influence or inspiration. I honestly can’t imagine the type of arrogance it takes to entertain such thought. The truth is, there are few truly original stories to still be told. I have no problem admitting even my own work is probably derivative of something else, though I try to tell a story in my own way. I find inspiration in my own life experiences and interests like many authors do.
Growing up in the South (and yes, I consider Louisville the South even if our more southernly neighbors would disagree) I have seen and experienced a lot of things not exactly unique to our region. For instance, bourbon is the way of life for many in my home state and I have sampled much of it over the years. As a result, I find that a lot of my characters enjoy a glass of Maker’s Mark of Blanton from time to time.
In one of my works-in-progress (tentatively titled What the Dew Might Bring) something with a little more darker legacy pops up. Moonshine is part of the culture of Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and for many years has been illegal. In recent years legal moonshine operations have been allowed, but there are still those that make it in stills out in the woods. These outlaws run the risk of jailtime if they caught and things could get violent if one came across their hidden operation. It is in much the way that crystal meth has become a problem and clandestine operation in more recent years. In the novel, these two world will intersect. Researching both topics, I found some similarities to those old backwoods distillers and those that are making the horrible drug. Some local news stories of what happened to people that stumbled upon meth labs inspired a lot of the action in that story.
If you had a chance to read The Apostate yet, you can probably guess some of the inspiration for that story. I’m a fan of Stephen King as well as Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lector stories. Probably one of my more graphic stories, having the psychological element was something that was fun exploring. Also, growing up in a Baptist household, I liked the idea of what would happen if someone was unhinged and thought that they were doing the Lord’s work by killing people.
I’m also a student of history. I got my degree in history and consume a lot of books and media on various historical topics. History often inspires some of my work. Paradise of the Locust combines my love of westerns with my love of nineteenth-century history. Some of the fantasy stories I am currently working on take inspiration, like many fantasy writers before me, from medieval history.
Movies, television, and video games are also great sources of inspiration. I wrote a short story based on a round of the game Epic Battle Simulator. I had several groups of orcs, elves, humans, and robots battling it out at the ruins of an old castle. Part of the game map had a bridge that some characters had to cross. The orcs decided to take a stand and fought off all comers at the bridge, where they were all wiped out. That game gave me the idea of an army of orcs that wanted to prove themselves as true warriors by fighting off a horde of enemies. One day, I’m going to publish that one.
Inspiration comes from a lot of places. It is the media we absorb. It is in the world and life experiences we live. A wise person once said to write what you know, and I agree. Write about the world as you see it and the way you understand it. And if the story has already been told, that is okay. Because we haven’t heard your version yet. And your version may be someone’s favorite.