Fuel for my Brain

Influence and inspiration are two complex aspects of writing that I don't often consider, well, not consciously. I'm much happier settling with the phrase 'I write when I feel it.' I suppose this is because I find it particularly hard to pin point where I get my inspiration from without being extremely vague. As I've had to consider my inspiratory sources, It's become clear that my own company gives me time to become inspired. I can think about anything I want without having to think what I'm going to say to this person, or how I look to this person.

Alternatively, I've also found that places of natural beauty can ignite a spark inside me that makes me want to sit and write. Strangely enough, this was a very recent discovery of mine. Sitting on a hill, backed against a tree, watching the sun set; it allowed me a kind of clarity which I used to write two short poems. It was easy for me to see how the Romantics found such a unity with nature while I was writing, although I'm sure it wasn't anything that could rival that of John Keat's 'An Ode to Autumn.'

To try and line myself up with another author, I took a glance at This Website, which holds writer's reasons for writing. One I found that rang true to me was from Milly Johnson:   

I don’t wait for inspiration otherwise I’d get nothing done. I start writing and inspiration joins me on the journey.

Because inspiration is something I don't consciously think about, This seems to fit well with my outlook on my positive states of mind where I enjoy writing, because I often find myself enjoying my work after I've started it.

What books do for you

It's no doubt that as children, we were encouraged to read. Perhaps back then we couldn't entirely see why our teachers were so eager to get us reading independently, but (hopefully) now we can understand how important reading is in our day-to-day lives. We can identify a good book sometimes by it's ability to seemingly turn the pages itself as we become drawn in by the world the author has created.

The question about whether a book should let us escape existence of endure it is difficult to answer. At the risk of becoming philosophical, I always feel more positive about my existence after reading a well written book, especially fantasy. Although it's a break from a day or week I'm finding particularly difficult, I often leave the book feeling refreshed in a way: ready to get back to where I left off. If I were asked to choose a book that either allowed me to escape or endure existence, I couldn't say, for most do both for me.

Most of John Cheever's short stories often present to us a character that has a dilema to tackle, or some sort of disequilibrium that we expect to be resolved. Do these problems allow us to learn life lessons, or do they simply make us feel better about our own lives. I percieve Cheever's stories as a type of reality reinforcement, which serve to remind me of some of the issues that we can face, in particular relation to drinking, which makes a frequent appearance in his stories. However, these 'window on a world' stories do allow me to briefly forget about myself as I view his characters' lives unfolding.

He who takes the lead

It's probably correct to think that for writers, the time they put into creating a character varies from person to person. Some writers might create a character almost to the extent of living and breathing beside them, or alternatively roughly sketch out the foundations for one and leave it at that. However, there is one decision that we all make when we're creating a character. We decide what they're going to be like. As their creator, we have the power to imbue them with flaws, or indeed make them flawless.

When I sit down at my desk and think about creating a new character for a piece of work, one of the first things I establish is 'what makes them interesting?' For me, interesting characters almost always inhibit some flaw, be it blindingly obvious or a mere pimple on an otherwise perfect face. Flaws can be a powerful tool in writing. They can cause your character to trust that man who made the shady promise, to put themselves in danger, or more simply; start the story. I've always viewed the traditional story as being compelled by the main character's flaws, with the length of it dedicated to him/her overcoming it.

Without a flawed character, any story I'd imagine writing wouldn't seem whole. I also carry this view across to works that I read. Overcoming a flaw allows the story you read to become a personal achievement, and the reader can feel a sense of accomplishment for having witnessed this growth. Although, in stories such as John Cheever's 'The Swimmer', The main character doesn't ride over his flaw, but I still find his story fascinating. In a way, I can admit with guilt that I feel fortunate not to share the problems that he did, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one...