We have a lovely routine in our house at the moment, and before I get to that, it should be known that, as a writer, I write in several formats. I write TV Drama series, Adult Thriller Fiction, and Middle Grade Children’s Fantasy. Now, gun to my head, my preference will always be children’s books. I feel as a creative, I can be totally and completely free.
My Middle Grade writing has been inspired by and assisted by my 12-year-old daughter. She is the main character, and she helped write the first of 8 books. So, back to the home routine.
Breakfast takes place around our round kitchen table, complete with our Maine Coon/Norwegian Forest cat sitting on the table helpfully, with a tail as long as he is. We often brainstorm, and some of the best idea’s we’ve had for my writing comes from these impromptu sessions. They’re not scheduled or organised or anything like that; you’re anything like me in the morning, no weekday school run routine has time for anything else. But we just sit and discuss things.
Usually, my Wife will ask what I’m up to writing wise for the day, who am I pitching to, what’s the subject of my next Stage 32 post, what I’m writing today etc. Off the back of that, comes ideas galore, and most of them make up the stories of my daughter, and her magical magician friend.
I love these sessions, because it proves that writing and creativity brings people together, particularly during lockdowns and scary times, in fact it was COVID, and lockdowns that encouraged us to write together!
Does anyone else do anything like this, and where do your idea’s come from? Has anyone in your life inspired your plot or characters?
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EVERYONE from my life - my many lives - has inspired my plot / characters. LOL In a way, it is my of honoring them and the lessons I have learned.
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I love that you have started including your whole family in your writing process, Phil! My husband and I started writing on comedies together a couple of years before covid, but I know exactly what you mean. It's a valuable way to spend time and we can't watch a tv show or movie without discussing the plot and characters now. =)
Karen, Same here ;)
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Tessa Shaffer wow that's really kind of you to say. I've been a great admirer of Corvisiero Literary for years, even submitting my first manuscript. We do like to do things like this together. Being that my 12-year-old is the main character, she gets a great deal of say in the character development as I'm aging the character the same way my not-so-little anymore daughter does, and my Wife, being a chef, has come up with the recipes for a recipe book written by one of the characters, so we're all really getting involved!
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Karen "Kay" Ross I feel the same, it's sometimes difficult because there is so much around us. I don't think too much inspiration is bad for us though!