inspiration

Thank you, RAF and Leslie Howard.

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

As of late, my WIP has had a bit of an identity crisis. Should I be spec fic? Should I be historical fiction? Should I be flat out space opera sci fi?

I think I’ve finally figured it out.

Historical. Historical historical historical.

What is this madness?

Well, as I’ve previously said, I’ve been researching WWII/The Resistance for said WIP, as some historical inspiration. Turns out WWII is even more fascinating once you get down into the more obscure aspects of it (okay, maybe not obscure, but definitely not what I learned in high school). There’s so much potential for my characters, and the betrayals will be much more “oh crap.”

I might keep something of a fantastical element, as my main character Liv is now an RAF pilot…gremlins galore. Or at least mentions of them.

Leslie Howard gets the nod because the circumstances surrounding his death are fascinating, and, perhaps, a subplot/novel in its own right.

Changing for the sake of simplicity…or greater insanity?

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I’ve been thinking lately about my current WIP, The Continent. My current reading list includes several books on espionage during WWII, and The Resistance for means of inspiration and ideas.

I’m beginning to wonder if my story would be better suited taking place during WWII. Logistically it makes a little more sense, but at the same time it would require dramatic reimagining of different characters, their relationships, etc.

I still want to keep the vaguely sci-fi, alternate universe vibe it has. But how to do it without being ridiculous? And how to write it without TC becoming just another war book?

I’m sure I’ll figure it out in time, with more thought.

What’s On the Bookshelf? Vol. 13

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

Few stories have captured my imagination as The War of the Worlds. When I was in middle school, I was enamoured with the radio play. I listened to the original production; I wrote my own based on it (the big twist being that the Earthlings were invading Mars). When visiting family in Woking, I saw the monument of the Martian attack. I even purchased my copy of the book in Woking.

CC//gordontour

CC//gordontour

I failed to read it. My love affair with the tale continued. I attended live performances of the radio play. I skipped the Tom Cruise movie, preferring to let my mind be captivated with my own images of metallic Martian tripods shooting Heat-Rays.

Like Dracula, The War of the Worlds held a special place in my hear; the land of stories well loved but never read. Well, the Martians landed.

From the instant I began reading, I wished that I had my sketchbook in hand. The mental images were as vivid to me as though I were watching an animated movie or reading a graphic novel. I loved this book. Half way through I realized it. And while we all know the ending, what of the beginning and middle? These parts were as new to me as if I had never had any idea about the story.

Inspiration from Art, or, Why I Love Museums

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

The old adage says a picture is worth a thousand words.

The same is true for a house, a sculpture, even an old necklace.

Museums are a treasure trove of ideas. When I’m at school, I’ll spend hours wandering the corridors of various museums, notebook in hand. A damaged Sphinx provides a line of poetry. A painting inspires a scene or brings back memories (I have a fondness for Saint Sebastian after the Uffizi Gallery, so every painting of him I see reminds me of Italy).

When I was in high school, I often flipped through my massive European History text. One painting (I wish I could remember who painted it) caught my eye, specifically one individual. It was a painting of an Italian family, huge and varied in ages. Towards the back there was a young man, staring out at the viewer. Captivated, I later wrote a few scenes about him, alas, they came to nothing.

I always want to know what happens in the dark corners of paintings and photographs, or what has just been interrupted. Telling the stories myself is a lot of fun.

Captain, productivity is down!

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I wish the opposite were true.

It’s summer. The sun is shining, the birds are squawking (at ungodly early hours and in the gutter outside my window) and I find that I’m having a hell of a time trying to put words to paper. My problem could be that I adore   writing, or that I think on too grand a scale. Even minor characters get full  blown character sheets, detailing what makes them tick.

I’m afraid to really jump head long into this one, tentatively called The Continent. The ideas have potential, and the main characters have been making appearances in my writing journals for three or four years now.  I want to write it, but I can’t seem to get myself to put much down on paper. There are too many back details and relationships to figure out.

Existential inspiration

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

carpe-diemI knew I signed up for Human Nature for a reason. And not just to fulfill a general requirement.

At the moment, I’m knee deep in a paper about existentialism in Dead Poets Society. While debating bad faith in SPOILER Neil’s suicide, I realized something.

My novel just got a swift kick courtesy of existentialism.