When you come up with an idea for an article or book is it because you were inspired to do so? Or is it because it was all part of the plan?
I have to admit, I'm an inspiration kind of girl. I write as the words flow, and planning generally doesn't have a lot of say.
That's not to say I can't plan how a story goes, because I can do an outline with the best of them. My brain, however, works on a different wavelength and by the time I hit the second or third chapter, my story generally takes on a life of its own.
As a novelist I find it hard to fight my characters. It was something I learned with my first novel. Even though I didn't really have a plan going in, I thought I knew how the story would go. My characters, however, had a different plan and led the way. I have to admit, I was happy with the results.
The current romance series I'm working on has pretty much done the same thing. I started with an outline but it's not really going accordingly. It's funny how that works.
My nonfiction books are often derived from inspiration as well. That doesn't mean they're written on a whim, as a certain degree of research and planning has to go into them. What it does mean is when I get an idea I can usually make it materialize on the page; and that materialization is helpful to others.
Now, what inspires you as a creator?
It doesn't matter if you're a writer, artist, painter, photographer, dancer, sculptor, or whatever. Any time you make something, you're creating.
Is it the sounds you hear, the things you see, or even the environment you live in?
For me, my settings in my fiction is generally either derived from my own back yard, or somewhere I enjoy spending time.
Let me know where you get your inspiration: surroundings, sounds, or places you enjoy?