What gives you the inspiration to write something compelling?

[Philip Clark]

Like the title suggests, I'm wondering where the collective muse of the group lies. What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas? Dish on the basics of the storytelling process here.

[Marvin Capistrano]

I honestly think for me the number one source of stories comes from people. Ok, that's a little vague. But it seems like i find at least one conversation a week where, after having said discussion, I've said to myself "wow, that would be a good story." It also helps to be friends with people who LOVE to gossip. Fortunately, my sister and mother fill this role to a T.

[Shannon Chenoweth]

Good discussion Philip!
I get a lot of my new ideas from my dreams and while I'm in the shower. There's just something about allowing your mind to sleep on the day's events and waking up with all sorts of understandings and what have you.
As far as what inspires me, I'd have to say everything. The world around me inspires. I've learned to "listen" to everything around me more, let things in. I'm always thinking about even the smallest things. I just let myself take things in. It has been said that skilled writers hear even when they're seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching. That their ear is so developed that they hear right through whatever sense... I believe this fully. I think that I've started to be able to do this.

[Joey Cruz]

My biggest source of inspiration is and always has been music. Frequently, I'll hear a song and either A) Come up with a character to fit that song, B) come up with a scene that the song could be used as soundtrack for if it were played in a movie (or during a D&D game), or C) build an entire freaking story around that one song (or album). It's almost collaborative in a way... Many of my best stories wouldn't even exist had I not heard a certain NIN, BT, or Peter Gabriel song at just the right time.

Another place/time I get a lot of my best ideas is during my 20 minute walk to work every morning. I stopped riding my bike to work *specifically* because I realize that those 20 minutes are essential to my creative process.

Annnnd another one... which may seem odd? I've just recently started reading Transmetropolitan. I'm about 5 books into the series. Whenever I'm revving up to write a review, or if I know that I'm gluing myself to the computer for a day of writing, I'll always grab the latest Transmet and read it when I'm not at my computer. Something about Ellis's writing in that book just gets me going. Like Spider's rants are somehow opening up my creative pathways, and when I sit down, my fingers are like machine guns, just tapping out every little thing that comes to mind.

S'kinda cool.

And that's my process!

[Chris!! Page]

music helps me a ton. for whatever reason, if i put on U2 and/or counting crows, the writing flows. alcohol also helps, although that's a dangerous thing to become reliant on.

otherwise, it's just reading books, watching movies and/or tv. inspiration comes from strange places. i basically wrote an entire outline for a novel while at work one day, because i was bored and my mp3 player was broken.

[J.D. Sharp]

I get my writing muse from life experiences, other writing sources and gradual progression of thoughts. I will actively take a comment or an idea and take it to its most extreme circumstances.

Jai

[BlaqueSaber]

Wow, I too include the shower and music in my process. My greatest inspiration comes from desire. Often a desire for great escapism (that I used to find in comic books all the time). I ask my self "What would you go buy at the comic book shop if you could pick up anything" and since its not there for me to pick up then I need to write it.

I also find inspiration in a what I personally conceive as a failure on the writer of a piece of pop culture (movie, tv, comic, whatever) to bring their core concept to fruition. Let me explain. Take KnightRider 3000 (that new TV back door pilot). Yeah, I sat through it, and I felt like it wasn't that great because they didn't stray far enough from the original concept. Now, you could argue the original concept work (depending on your definition of "worked") but the world is not the same place so something different needed to be done to reach today's audience. INSPIRATION hits as my mind begins to form new stories and plots around how I would have done it.

[Govan]

My insperation comes from my friends and what ifs. It's like what if this happend or that how would we react. I'ts sort of like what happens on Scrubs.

[BlaqueSaber]

You have a lot of inspiration. Thats very cool

[Ron]

I'm walking in the garden for hours and just use my imagination until i got a good idea.
im just telling myself a story (:
and then i start writeing .

[BlaqueSaber]

I believe Marv Wolfman has stated that he doesn't spend much time in front of the computer. He spends a lot of time walking and thinking about a story, and then sits down and writes it in one sitting. Something I aspire too.