My essay last week on plotting vs. spontaneous writing
generated a lot of debate online (See Plot
vs. Pants). It also raised a deeper question for me about ideas and inspiration;
how much inspiration does a writer need
to start creating a novel?
In the Beginning
The start of my own creative process is a mental Frankenstein.
It could start with from a book, movie or video game (See Bloody Inspiration Film,
Graphic
Novels and Books).
Then add in something that I haven’t
seen that I’d like to create. Throw in a real world issue that catches my eye
and season it with my own philosophical perspective. Bake for several days or
weeks and presto…I’ve got my inspiration.
For example, my next novel Smooth Operator is definitely a cobbled together concept. Books
like Rain Fall and 100 Bullets inspired the tone and the
characters. My own interest in corporate spy companies and new forms of
organized crime channeled my focus. The tactics and world view of Robert Greene
and Machiavelli rounded out the message to create the Life and Crimes of Warren
Baker.
But I don’t start
writing a novel with just an idea. I spend some time developing it into a
story. I imagine the beginning, the middle and the end (actually, the process
works better when I think up the end, the beginning and the middle). I look at
the characters, including their motivations, conflicts and resources. I cut the
story into acts, the acts into chapters and the chapters into beats. I get a
feel for the genre, setting, time period and the duration of the story. If all
the idea can remain viable after it goes through that plotting process, then I
start writing my novel. If not, it goes into the idea file to be played with at
a later date.
Are Six Words Enough?
Writers who plot might recognize some of their own method in
the process I described. But what happens if a writer creates by the seat of
their pants? Several writers have told me that they follow an idea and start
writing to see where the idea takes them. How much of an idea gets them going?
Is it a detailed nightmare or a recurring dream? Is it a photo in a magazine or an overheard
conversation? Is it a character imagined over time or a phrase as simple as a woman walks into a bar? I know ideas can’t be measured like pounds of
chocolate or gallons of whiskey, but I am intrigued to find out if
spontaneous writers have a threshold of inspiration that guides them to
creativity.
Can you share your idea to writing process? If so, please
feel free to share.
Have fun.
G