Inspiration in strange places

I write fiction in part because I don't have the patience to be accurate with research. Instead of figuring out the facts to the detail, I'd rather make them up... and that's somewhat frowned upon in the non-fiction industry.

But my stories are all drawn from truth and real life experiences. Everyone has experienced all the emotions to one degree or another. Usually I feel a moment, a situation and think 'this could become a story by wondering what if'... the changes of a real situation answering 'what if' grow into fiction.

Today I took the kids to see Maleficent. I love going to the movies but it's unusual that I love a specific movie itself enough to be wrapped up and impacted by it. Most I enjoy while I'm watching (or not) and then forget about them shortly after. Maleficent was amazing. It was magical in its story and its presentation - the effects and the cinematography were phenomenal. The story was beautiful, real and painful and honest. The characters seemed so true (despite the occasional wing or horns in the head) and so flawed. I came out of there wanting to write more fantasy stories, which is something I've never been interested in before.

If you get a chance to check it out, please do so!

N

Unproductive... ARGH!

Unproductive is the polite term for it.

I remember a discussion in an early science class about the difference between 'causational' and 'correlational' relationships. The example used was this: A ten year old has bigger feet than a two year old. A ten year old has stronger reading skills than a two year old. The size of feet and the reading skills both increase with age but the larger feet is not responsible for the reading - it's not a causational relationship.

I've not had diet Coke or M&Ms in two weeks.

I have not been able to solve my latest WIP issues in two weeks.

Causational? or Correlational?

The WIP character is in a lot of pain and stress, in a very dark place that many have seen from afar. It's hard to figure out how she works there, how to explain what she does and why she makes the choices she has so far. I've got the beginning and the and and really struggling to see if there's a middle worth writing since 7K words does not a novel make.

I'm pretty sure it's the lack of diet Coke and M&Ms.

N

Stone Dust and Lucky Clovers (previously known as The Practice)

My passions include - my kids and their dad, my dog, writing, reading, taking pictures and baseball.

Of these, the oldest is probably baseball.

I love the art of the game, the history, the culture, the class. The superstitions. The stats. The smell of grass and dirt and the squeak of a new ball. The way real stitches feel under the fingertips... Baseball is more than a sport, it has a soul all its own.

I have written two shorts centred around baseball. Nine is available through Amazon and Kobo, and my latest was just released by Cobalt Press in their Cobalt Review: Special Baseball Issue. (Click here to read it! I'm RF for the Home team, which is the only way I get to play on the grass).

N