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Kari Trenten

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

Sources of Inspiration: Just a Feeling

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Every once in a while, I walk by someone. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. My skin crawls. I don’t know why. I don’t even know him. I just want to get away from him as soon as possible. Other times, I look into a stranger’s eyes and find myself smiling. She smiles back. We’re instantly at ease with each other. I don’t know why. Some of my favorite moments on television remind me of these moments. I remember a scene in the very first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy approached a shy, … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Creativity vs. Practicality

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Too often, my desire to write, my creative impulse outstrips my ability to perform. My hands simply can’t move fast enough to put all the stories into words. Ideas come and go too quickly to transmuted into stories. I’ve got so many I’ve begun which I’ve put on hold, due to constraints of time or my own physical limits. I can only take sitting for so long. I have other things that need to get done. Many a practical concern awaits, ready to distract me from my manuscript. Practicalities often dictate what project I choose to focus. I need to … Read more