Many times I get asked what is my inspiration for writing. Honestly, I never know how to respond. What do they mean? Do they mean who inspired me to become a writer? What inspires my stories? There are so many things that I could say.
Why did I decide to start writing?
I guess you could say it is in my blood. I grew up with a mother who was once an English teacher and a grandmother who was a professor in Education. Both are published and fostered a love of the written love into my heart. I first started writing poetry around the age of twelve when my grandfather passed away. After that, I took events that occurred into my life and wrote about them. From poetry, I started twisting events, emotions, fears, hopes, and life in general into stories. Several times I started to write them down, but never really got anywhere. I spent so much time planning the stories, that I never really got around to put them into words. Just a few weeks ago, my husband found a flash drive from before we were married that I had an outline and rough draft of a story I had started working on before we met. I always wanted to write, I just never really found the time to sit down and write a traditional story.
September 4, 2014, I was involved in a major car accident. For months afterwards, I struggled to speak coherently and understand words others were saying. I quickly learned that my brain could no longer function the way it used to. Even years later, I struggle to find the words that I want to say. I know exactly what I want to say, but my brain has a hard time formulating the appropriate words to use. Beyond that, I have struggled with memory and sensory issues. One day, I can remember every single thing that happened. Another day, I will say or do something, and immediately forget what I said or did. My auditory senses are completely shot. I cannot focus on anything if I am listening to someone or something. This can be difficult with a husband and two kids that are trying to talk to me at the same time. It literally hurts my brain. It is as if I can only focus on one thing at a time.
While I know I never will be who I once was, writing has helped in some regards. My speech has improved dramatically since writing, and I find that my memory spells are few and far between. Whether that is natural recovery or not, I don't know, but I love to write.
As to my inspiration for individual stories?
Well, it depends on the story. When I first started writing on Episode, I tried to adapt a story I had written down during my darkest days. It was a deep dark story that twisted real events into my life, but also showed how sometimes your darkest pain can bring you your greatest joy. I hope to one day bring that story back to Episode under the title of "Dear John." While writing that story, I loved to listen to music. Most of the time, just composers so my brain didn't try to process the words. Sometimes, I pulled lyrics as inspiration for mood. One day, I was listening to a Pandora station, and The Sound of Silence by Disturbed came on. It spoke to me. Not only in regards to the story I was writing, but my own struggles with speaking, not just physically, but emotionally, but that is another story.
After listening to that song probably a dozen times, I decided to write a story that both embodied my struggles to physically speak, but my struggles with mental health and speaking up for myself. That story became Speak. Both stories are very much a part of me. My daughter has recently started reading Speak, and I kind of smile that she can pick out events and people from real life in the story.
Chicanery came from an emotion that I felt while reading another story. During the whole story, the villain is a mystery to everyone. At the end, there was a revelation and the person who was behind everything was the person readers least suspected. I wanted to mimic that... the confusion, diversion, the mind blowing ending where you just HAVE to read it all over again to see the subtle hints from the very beginning.
Other stories were inspired by events in my life, history, Episode itself, and even fan mail. It is amazing what fan mail asking why I can't let characters be happy can turn into... The Wall.
So... what is my inspiration?
Stay tuned... and I'll tell you a little more.
J. Miley
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