Steve Alcorn
For non-fiction I don't think any special inspiration is required. I love to teach, and so I just write about what I know. Of course good anecdotes are what make non-fiction fun and memorable, so I use lots of those.
For inspiration in fiction, I rely upon the confluence of events: two ideas collide in my mind by chance, and inspiration strikes. For example, I was reading a young adult novel about archaeology and came across an article about the Saint Francis Dam disaster. The two converged and the idea for my novel Everything In Its Path was born. This led to lots of research, about both the dam and Native Americans in Southern California. So the second act of Inspiration is always Perspiration!
For inspiration in fiction, I rely upon the confluence of events: two ideas collide in my mind by chance, and inspiration strikes. For example, I was reading a young adult novel about archaeology and came across an article about the Saint Francis Dam disaster. The two converged and the idea for my novel Everything In Its Path was born. This led to lots of research, about both the dam and Native Americans in Southern California. So the second act of Inspiration is always Perspiration!
More Answered Questions
A Goodreads user
asked
Steve Alcorn:
If there was a literary-themed-park, what favorite books do you think would be cool attractions?
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more