I believe that inspiration for writing can be found anywhere and everywhere… I just have to keep my eyes and ears open. If I’m not paying attention, I might miss things.
I like to read and write because I love to immerse myself in a story. I can be anyone, go anywhere, do anything. The constraints of real life can float away, almost as if they don’t exist at all. In books and novels, we get to skip the boring parts. Unless it’s integral to the plot line, we never have to cook meals, go to the bathroom, have a bad hair day, stock up on shampoo, or gain any weight.
People can fall in love and get married within 200 pages, and it seems just fine. The FBI or CIA can take over your computer and blow up your house, and you don’t have to worry about filing insurance claims. You can get shot and say, “It’s only a scratch.”
That’s why I laugh when people tell me that a story was “unrealistic.” It’s all unrealistic! It’s not a webcam of someone’s life, it’s a story. I believe that as readers and watchers, we get the best experience when we suspend disbelief. I’ll believe anything, as long as it makes sense in the context of the story. If the story’s poorly put together, then it strains the limits of even my imagination. But a well-told story about something fantastic can be… well… fantastic. (Okay, bad pun. Sorry.)
All this may be one of the best arguments to have others read and critique. Maybe the story makes perfect sense to the writer, but that’s because you’ve connected the dots in your head. Writing at its best will connect (or imply a connect) those dots for readers. We all mess up sometimes though and miss those vital connections.
Just keep writing, keep reading, stay open minded, and it will all come together.
Doree Weller 