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Kari Trenten

Sources of Inspiration – Weather

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It seems like such a boring, neutral topic, doesn’t it? The weather is what we talk about when we have nothing else to say. Only it doesn’t have to be like that. Applied with the right touch in a story, the weather can reflect a character’s mood, play into a plot, and propel the story forward. I remember reading about the storm Victor Frankenstein wandered about in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. William, Victor’s younger brother had just died. The weather reflected the protagonist’s torment and guilt. For within the flickering lightning, Frankenstein catches a glimpse of the creature he created and … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Changing Locations

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I’m very attached to my writing spots at home. Not only do I have my own office space, but the kitchen table is directly below a skylight. Sitting there I receive a lot of natural light. They’re both great places to work on rough drafts, edits/corrections, and generally create. Sometimes, however, there are too many distractions at home. My loved ones. Other tasks which need to be accomplished. Someone taking a drill to the pavement outside. Sometimes I need a change. I take my notebook or my laptop and go somewhere else. I look for a cafe during its off … Read more

Sources Of Inspiration

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There’s a lot of things which annoy me. Sometimes far too many things. The casual remark someone makes online. The bum sitting on my steps, blocking my way to my home, refusing to move. The decisions people in positions of power often make, decisions which will only cause more problems. There’s always something. More often than not, it’s not worth losing my temper over. This doesn’t mean I can’t use that irritation. Such experiences can add up to some pretty funny stories. (The incident with the bum already became one. My mom laughed her head off when I described the … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Someone Else

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There’s nothing quite like sharing my ideas with another person, especially someone who’ll listen and respond to what I say. Someone who offers not only positive reinforcement but interest. I get a charge of energy being around such people. More ideas pop into my head as we talk, concepts for potential stories, blogs, all kinds of projects. People are a source of creative vitality like nothing else for me. I doubt I would have gotten as far as I have as a writer if I hadn’t been lucky enough to have such people, encouraging me at various times in my life. … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Opposites

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opposites - pixabay

One of my favorite books, Something Wicked This Way Comes, derives a measure of energy from two of its protagonists being opposites. Jim Nightshade is brash, adventurous, seeking danger, half in love with the dark promise of the autumn carnival. Will Halloway is thoughtful, sensitive to the danger in the air, yet somehow more innocent because of it. All of this is expressed in exquisite, visual prose which fires the imagination, much of which might be lost to modern edits. Opposites were depicted in a very different way in Naruto, a pair of contrasting characters I became quite obsessed with. Uzumaki … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Food for Imagination

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We’re in the middle of my favorite month, a time of brilliant fall colors and my favorite grapes. It’s also the month of Halloween. If there’s a holiday I love writing fiction about, it’s this one. Vampires, ghosts, and witches are among my favorite subject matter all year around. Halloween celebrates the gothic. It’s a holiday associated with ancient crypts filled with secrets or creatures waiting to be released within banks of mist in which the undead could be waiting. Grinning pumpkin illuminate the darkness, drawing attention to smiles that are a little disturbing. All of this imagery is food … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Ideas

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For me, sources of inspiration are closely linked with ideas. Much of my inspiration comes from one that pops into my head. I mull it over, allowing it to take form. I start writing about it, allowing it grow and spread across the piece of paper or file. Before long, I have a scene, a paragraph, a segment of dialogue. I start thinking about the circumstances which led to that dialogue, writing it down. Before too long, I have a story. Ideas can lead to other creative works as well, like blog posts or interviews. An idea allowed Quartz, not … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Ideas Sparked by Interests

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Anne Rice, a writer whose works I’ve adored since I was a teenager, offered up some advice I’ve never forgotten. To go where the pleasure is, as well as the pain. Expressing what’s raw and painful can be cathartic. It’s a powerful source of emotion to draw upon, our own pain. Writing about what’s fun, what fascinates you, well, there’s a good chance you’ll keep writing if you’re interested, isn’t there? How apt that Anne Rice was the one who offered this advice. She’s been the source of many of story I loved. Her concept of vampires utterly hooked me. More … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Writing Itself

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Sometimes I’ve found the best source of inspiration is to simply pick up a pencil and start writing. Or to force myself to start typing at a keyboard. There’s something about moving my hands, putting words down on a page (or screen) even if those words are garbage. I may be tired. I may to do something else. I sit down, groaning and grumbling. I stare at what I’ve written or an empty page. I try to think of few sentences, even if they’re jarring or not quite right. I’ve found that stopping at an exciting moment, at the height … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Other People’s Stories

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One of my favorite bookstores moved away. It was the closest thing I had to a local bookstore. On a sorrowful whim, I picked up The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Other stories were included besides the title story. The Company of Wolves was one of them. Years ago, I’d watched the movie which was based on this story. The Company of Wolves had been one of first experiences with fairy tale recreations, shaping and influencing my own work. Almost as soon as I opened The Bloody Chamber and started to read it, I put it down again. Not because … Read more