I have always loved to read. I couldn't learn fast enough and once I did, nothing in print was safe from my grubby little paws. For years, much of my spare time has been spent devouring fiction. When I found new authors, I gravitated toward their books first but I always had time (or made time) to look for an interesting book.
As an author, I do the obligatory research I need for my projects but I've found that sometimes, reading a non-fiction book that has nothing to do with my WIP will spur an idea for my current story or suggest a new one. This happy accident has also led me to rediscovering my passion for learning something, simply for the sheer joy of learning.
I just started reading "Guns, Germs, and Steel The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond. The first paragraph intrigued me by asking the question of why history unfolded differently on different continents (assuring me this book was not about racial differences). It may spark an idea for a story, it may not but I'm looking forward to reading Diamond's book and that's exciting.
Becoming excited about anything is the first step in getting my creative juices flowing again. What about you? Do you have any special interests that might spark an idea or start the flow of creativity?
5 comments:
Paris, I know what you mean. Non-fiction reading has sparked as many ideas as fiction reading for me.
The joy of learning, I hope, becomes the norm. It's the reason I went to college.
Instead of so much focus on learning simply for a career path.
I enjoy writing memoirs for other people...and putting myself in their heads! Sounds crazy, but when I do this, I sometimes get "bogged down" in their emotions and how they've expressed their views affects me. I become the person I'm ghostwriting about, and experience what they've been through.
April, that's fascinating. I haven't ever done that kind of writing. But I can certainly imagine that would be true.
I'm a watcher of life and it spurs my immagination. For instance, the owner of a Yahoo group has just disappeared. No one has heard from her or knows what has happened to her. Her name was Bella Wolf, and she was owner of the Mistress Bella Yahoo Group. I know at one time she was in the hospital for a couple of weeks with H1N1 flu and we didn't hear from her then, but now she seems gone for good. What has happened. My mind is running rampant.
Thanks for stopping by, everyone. You all have very interesting ways of sparking creativity!
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