The Muse Strikes Again!

I have a tendency to get inspired very frequently. It’s one of the reasons, for me, why writing is so fun. I’ve been inspired by nature, television, my feelings (okay, that’s rather obvious), and my various opinions. I also really like writing prompts to get me into a more creative mood. Of course, I’m not always inspired by the biggest, grandest ideas; once, I was inspired by a pre-packaged cake box! In my defense, that was because it was lying on the side of the road, so I started wondering about the story behind it. I didn’t just wander down the baking aisle and get inspired by Betty Crocker’s beaming face. Note: I don’t know if Betty Crocker beams on the front of her cake boxes, but from past experience, I’d guess that it’s accurate. Who designs the character behind food boxes is beyond me. (Although I’d never want to do it, it does sound rather interesting . . . Hmmm . . .).

I don’t really believe in inspiration carrying you through your novel. When I was writing my (very) rudimentary first draft for my manuscript, I had no inspiration whatsoever. I only knew what the climax was going to be, and I was always pushing myself towards that point. I do, however, use inspiration often for my poetry and short stories, as well as titles for my nonfiction writing. Inspiration isn’t a big deal for me. If I didn’t have inspiration, I could still write, probably at about the same level that I do now. For me, inspiration is just icing on the cake, which, in my experience, is exactly how it should be.