Inspired to Write: Getting inspiration from television and movies

Hi guys! Welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by. This month, as you ought to know by now (I mean, you do come read my posts every week, don’t you? ;-) ), we’re talking all about inspiration. We’re talking about some of the usual and unusual places writers find the elusive muse, that inspiration we’re all direly looking for in our everyday lives, because, truth be told, we’re really always writing, even when we’re not. There’s always narration going on, always a story being told.

So far, we’ve talked about a couple basic ones. We’ve discussed everyday life, and mentioned how easy it is to find inspiration from the day to day—and also how hard that can be, if you’ve been overlooking it—and we’ve talked about getting inspired by our own adventures and travels around the world. This week, we’re staying home again.

Inspired to Write: Getting inspiration from television and movies

Now, I know that some of you will say this isn’t right. Some of you will say that we shouldn’t borrow ideas from television or movies, because that’s cheating. But I’ll refute that by saying that there’s nothing new under the sun. Everybody has to get their ideas from somewhere, and for many of us, that somewhere is television and/or films. Whether it’s the latest Netflix or Hulu show, and oldie-but-goody movie, or even something obscure that no one really remembers anymore, there’s often a treasure trove of inspiration to be found on the screen.

So I challenge you to watch some new shows (or some old ones) and find some inspiration. Watch something you wouldn’t normally watch, and see what you glean from it. Take note of the story elements that you like, and those you don’t like—and for the ones you don’t like, try to nail down the why in your not liking them. Look for plot elements that could be used in your story, look for character arcs that you find fascinating or cliché, but most of all, keep your eyes peeled for those random moments that somehow inspire you to write something completely different than what's depicted on the screen. Those moments are the most fun.

Case in point: I got a great deal of inspiration for the Druid Novels from things like Sanctuary and Avatar, decidedly science-fiction television and film—though the Druid Novels sit firmly in the fantasy realm. I found myself enthralled by random moments on the screen, various points in time that I wanted to replicate in scenes scattered through my books. And if you know Sanctuary well enough, or you’ve seen Avatar enough times, you might be able to pick a few of those scenes out when you read my work.

Is that stealing? No. Why? Because you can’t steal an idea, nor can you steal a moment.

So, open your mind to it. Allow yourself to be inspired by television and movies. Allow yourself to think outside the box and find inspiration for your modern murder mystery by watching an old west movie. Let your mind go free, and discover the inspiration to be found across genres, no matter what genre you find yourself writing in.

I promise, you’ll be surprised by the things you come up with. Pleasantly surprised, that is.

[love]

{Rani Divine}