Inspired

Carly Simon recently said in an interview, “You can never predict what will inspire you.” It struck a chord (if you’ll excuse the pun) with me because it goes to the heart of what a lot of writers fear: that of running out of ideas. Call it writer’s block, call it Muse strike action or call it a ‘hiatus’, it’s all the same.

No writer wants to ever find themselves with nothing to write.

Daily stress, deadline pressure, fan demands and self-condemnation can all play a part in torpedoing a writer’s creativity. So too can producing a less than optimum piece of work. Who hasn’t read a ‘pot boiler’ from one of their favourite authors and been disappointed?

Whether it’s the pursuit of that first published novel or the next best seller, the pressure to perform is extreme. Editors, publishers and fans apply the blowtorch to writers with their expectations.

Writers are well aware that they are only as good as the next novel. Which is the more difficult: stand alones or series? The former requires all the ingredients, from world building to dialogue; the latter requires an initial investment of everything, but from there, new plot lines, adhering to the characterisations and story arc are paramount. Fans expect a high standard from authors, and howl with outrage if that standard isn’t maintained. So the answer is that neither is more difficult than the other; they’re both hard.

One author went so far as to announce he wouldn’t write horror anymore because it was too difficult to scare people in today’s environment. For those who read Stephen King, it’s fortunate that he still writes at all. He’s probably the most well-known example.

Today’s fans are more canny, more knowledgeable about life and technology than ever before and their expectations reflect that knowledge. It means an author can fail spectacularly, or rise beyond that brass ring. The consequences of either can be catastrophic. Fail, and you may never be published again; succeed and you’ve set yourself a very high bar indeed.

But, for all the doom and gloom, writers are hardy folk. Writers must write; like teachers teaching, politicians lying… er, politicking, scientists investigating. It’s a fundamental part of us… whether we succeed or not.

Everything is up for grabs and nothing is too sacred to be written about or used as inspiration.

We can pluck an amorphous thought or idea out of thin air and turn it into something wonderful. We can hear a snippet of innocent conversation and turn it into a global conspiracy. We can see a flash of light, or dark shadow, and create scariness. We can do anything. We are the Gods and Goddesses of the written word and we can twist anything to suit our purposes.

So, while we can’t “predict what will inspire” us, we can certainly look around at this world of ours and tempt the Muse with what we see.