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Kari Trenten

Sources of Inspiration: What Is Magic?

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I’ve always been fascinated by magic. A tent appearing out of nowhere with a table and plates covered with food at the wave of a wand. Only to disappear again with a wave of that same wand. People transforming (or being transformed) into pigs or ornaments. Being able to transform yourself into a beam of light which streaks across the landscape from one location to another. Or hurling beams of light at people to harm or heal them.  I’ve fallen in love with all of these flashy moments, trying them out (or some variation) in my own stories. Other writers … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Blogging

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writing journal

Every year I take part in the Blogging From AZ April project. It’s always about the same characters, only I use a slightly different theme.  This year it’s Character Origins. When did these characters come to me? What inspired them? One year it was Character Conflicts. What is the main conflict for the character in the plot? Another year it was Character Snippets. As with Rainbow Snippets, I posted six sentences of story involving these particular characters.  Every time I participate in this project, I’m reminded of these characters. I’m reminded of the stories I’ve written. Every time I learn … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Food

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Such a turbulent, torrid passion I’ve had with food over the years.  No, not always. Sometimes it’s been comforting. Sometimes it’s been all about comfort, distracting myself from fear or frustration. Those are the most dangerous moments when I eat, not really thinking about the food. I’m eating to avoid thinking about something else.  I’m picky, too. There’s a lot of food I dislike while I overindulge in others. Cheese, chocolate, wine; many a time and often during 2020, I hid behind my favorite DVDs and BluRays with these.  At other times, I forget to eat. When I’m so wrapped … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: A Purpose

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I find I write faster, stay focused, and stayed inspired in general if I have a purpose.  What am I trying to accomplish with this particular project? If I have characters, what are their purposes? How are those purposes aligned or at odds? Reminding myself of this helps me keep writing. It inspires my characters to do things. Sometimes they act in ways that surprise me, but they remain true to their purposes.  This doesn’t mean their purposes can’t change. Sometimes the actions my characters take over the course of a plot can lead to a change of purpose. It … Read more