Insecure Writers Support Group – February – Inspiration

February 5 question – Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it? The awesome co-hosts for the The awesome co-hosts for the February 5 posting of the IWSG are Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson!

I cannot recall any photo or artwork that has inspired a story and I’ve been around some world class artwork (The Uffici in Florence and The Gilcrease and The Philbrook in Tulsa, US and many others).

That feels like a dead end, but I will admit to ‘scenes’ or ‘moments’ in nature that spark some feeling or ideas that I have to put on paper.

One was the drive to school when I lived on the coast in Italy. I was always headed east and although the sun might not be up, the moon might be and one particular view became the ‘feel’, starting point for one book.

I even used the idea for the book cover.

There must be something about early mornings with moon’s overhead as I opened another story with that setting also. Here the protagonist is chasing someone he sees in the early pre-dawn moonlight.

Along the same lines, I wrote on another ISWG post about the idea for a murder mystery (I have yet to write) idea based on the rocky coast in Marina di Pisa, Italy.

So moments in nature certainly suggest writing ideas to me.