Matt Roberts
I believe inspiration typically comes from an external source through the senses and stirs both emotion and imagination of the writer.
As an example, an author by the name of Masuccio Salernitano wrote a short story which inspired Luigi da Porto to write his own version of the tale in 1531 called "Newly Found Story of Two Noble Lovers". That book inspired many other authors including Matteo Bandello whose novellas often featured as the foundation of plays written by Shakespeare. An English version of the story was written in 1562 (Arthur Brook) followed by another in 1582 (William Painter). A Spanish retelling was published in 1590 (Lope de Vega) before William Shakespeare produced his own version entitled, "Romeo and Juliet". That play enjoyed worldwide popularity and inspired others to create their own versions of the story in the form of plays, musicals, operas, ballets, and movies. Perhaps the more popular of these works is "West Side Story", but similar story themes can be seen in other works such as the movie "Grease".
I am not encouraging writers to retell the stories of others, but rather cite this example to support the idea inspiration comes from external sources. A great many people have seen or heard something which inspired them to write.
The source of inspiration can be virtually anything we see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. With this in mind, I choose to receive a large variety of sensory input. I listen to all forms of music, watch movies of every genre, enjoy food from a variety of cultures, and read news articles about numerous subjects including archaeology, science, history, current events, social issues, pop culture, politics, and religion. Every sensory input is an opportunity for inspiration which stirs the imagination and can result in an idea for a writing project.
As an example, an author by the name of Masuccio Salernitano wrote a short story which inspired Luigi da Porto to write his own version of the tale in 1531 called "Newly Found Story of Two Noble Lovers". That book inspired many other authors including Matteo Bandello whose novellas often featured as the foundation of plays written by Shakespeare. An English version of the story was written in 1562 (Arthur Brook) followed by another in 1582 (William Painter). A Spanish retelling was published in 1590 (Lope de Vega) before William Shakespeare produced his own version entitled, "Romeo and Juliet". That play enjoyed worldwide popularity and inspired others to create their own versions of the story in the form of plays, musicals, operas, ballets, and movies. Perhaps the more popular of these works is "West Side Story", but similar story themes can be seen in other works such as the movie "Grease".
I am not encouraging writers to retell the stories of others, but rather cite this example to support the idea inspiration comes from external sources. A great many people have seen or heard something which inspired them to write.
The source of inspiration can be virtually anything we see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. With this in mind, I choose to receive a large variety of sensory input. I listen to all forms of music, watch movies of every genre, enjoy food from a variety of cultures, and read news articles about numerous subjects including archaeology, science, history, current events, social issues, pop culture, politics, and religion. Every sensory input is an opportunity for inspiration which stirs the imagination and can result in an idea for a writing project.
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