Where did it all begin?
In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth…
Oh wait, too far back! I’m supposed to start with the origins of my writing.
I’m sure by now you’ve read some really amazing origin stories of writers inspired by deep and meaningful events in their lives and by a passion to write and express themselves.
My inspiration’s not so deep.
I began writing because some of the adventures I’d imagined weren’t available in any of these formats. I penned a few short stories, jotted down some ideas, and even wrote a partial, crappy novel. It wasn’t really a passion, just a way I could channel my imagination. (And avoid boring stuff like homework.)
Writing faded before college though. It was never my goal to become a writer or an author so I forgot about it. It wasn’t until decades later I picked up that crappy novel. The story sucked but the characters were strong, so I decided to rewrite my tale of two brothers in a war.
Now, aren’t you all inspired?
Be sure to visit others participating today!
Movie Review
Chronicle
Finally saw it this past weekend, and it was no more than what previews promised. It was impressive for the size of budget (read: tiny!) and the characters were realistic. I think we can expect more good things from this director, as he made the camera angles fresh. (Although I do hope it’s the last found footage movie for a while.) It was good and captivated me while watching it, but the film wasn’t earth shattering nor did it stick with me for long.
And guys – don’t forget Valentine’s Day on Tuesday! You may not be as fortunate as me (I have a wife who says don’t get me anything and she means it) so don’t mess up and forget. Ladies, may there be chocolate or wine involved. Or if you’re Talli, both!
What’ the origins of your writing? Or your passion if it’s movies or something else? Have you seen Chronicle? Did you remember Valentine’s Day? If you vanish, we’ll know you didn’t…
179 comments:
Well, everyone has to start somewhere, and I think it's cool that your original characters were workable for you to create something great with!
I like your angst-free story. When you start as young as I did, and then combine raging adolescent hormones, and you get some very high-level angst!
I believe I'm being tested, she says she wants a steamer and she's getting me a frying pan?, on the safe side I've bought chocolates....
Capn Ninja!! I always had fantasies about Buck Rogers...oh and gorgeous Erin! I think that was her real name - she was a starfighter pilot with gorgeous hair! I liked her!
Take care
x
Glad you revisited that 'crappy' novel. :) I love reading how everyone began their writing journeys.
For me too, watching a great movie or television show would inspire me! Still does.
Your inspiration (tv and movies) are where a lot of writers begin. As for D&D, anyone who plays that has to have plenty of imagination. Great beginnings!
Your origins sound incredibly similar to mine!
Thanks, Kyra.
Annalisa, maybe it's good I avoided the angst.
Lurker, I'd play it safe!
Kitty, I definitely had a thing for Erin!
Brinda, did you play D&D?
Matthew, that's good to know I'm not odd.
I can see how you'd be inspired by the movies you watch from your blog. Thanks for sharing about it.
My husband & I said the same thing about Valentine's Day--no gifts and we mean it. Have a happy day anyway.
I get so stressed over Valentine's day. My wife tends to be forgiving of my horrid attempts at romance at least.
Glad your origin story was finally told. Lots of writers come from a D&D background too. So you're in good company.
Thanks for sharing your story Alex! Everything starts with inspiration!:)
Great "origins" story. And I'm with your wife...Valentines Day is no biggie with me. I'd rather get roses when I don't expect it.
Wow A lot of you got started with television and media. I really gave my age away.
Can't wait to get home from work and read all these posts.
Some points of your writing story is similar to mine.
Glad you revisited the crappy novel ;)
My hubby is travelling at the moment, so I'll spend Valentine's Day alone with our daughter. Hope she doesn't mind me drinking wine, though lol
boys =)
reminds me of my son, didnt want the adventure to end, and that is awesome!
great story
=)
Alex, you always make me smile. And yes, your writing may have come more on a whim, but look how far it has sustained you!
I don't do Valentine's Day. My exes all loved me for that one. LOL
I have a passion for all those old TV shows. What happened to great drama like that? Such inspiring shows they were. I'm glad they inspired you to write. Can't wait for CassaFire. :)
I enjoyed this origins too...I love tv shows and movies though both have reduced in viewing frequency. What is Valentine Day?...have just one VD memory to date...Now I am on my way to my meditative cave after visiting a dozen or more on the list.
Inspiration comes in all kinds of ways. Movies and TV have been the source of inspiration for a story or two of mine. Thank you for sharing! This blogfest is so interesting!
It's amazing the numbers of writers who got their imagination fired up from things they watched or read. Like you, it was ages before I got back to writing.
That "crappy" novel did pretty good for itself! You may not call it a passion, but an outlet for imagination you're unable to find anywhere else...is pretty darn close! Thank you for joining arms with Katie, Matt and me for this. It turned out so much better than I hoped! :)
College halted my writing, too.
I wanted to see Chronicle, but perhaps I'll wait for the video. I did see Journey to the Mysterious Island. The kids liked it, but I wanted more mystery.
Ah yes, Saturday morning in the 70s and 80s Who couldn't be inspired. Remember Thundarr the Barbarian? That was one of my favorites. I showed it to my kid last year and he was underwhelmed. Oh well.
I've been writing since I was young, but never seriously considered writing until after my kids came along. Now I've got so many projects floating around that I think I need to scale it back a bit. Happy Monday!
We have some similarities in how we began to form our writing skills. I'm still waiting for a chance to break away and see Chronicle. We say Journey 2 with the kids and Safe House with wifey though, then The Descendants earlier in the week..
LOVE this!!! Great story, ALEX! :)
Great minds think alike. I started my post with the "in the beginning ..." notion, too. Thanks for hosting the blogfest. Fun stuff.
Fun blogfest. Thanks for hosting. Great story.
Sometimes everything just falls into place and it sounds like writing did for you. Not everyone has a great starter story but most of the time, everyone has an ending worth telling about.
Loved reading how Ninja Captain became into existance.
I was a late starter.
I hope I will be able to read as many on the blogfest but I'm up to my eyes in packing.
Looking forward to your party, Daniel is booked and it's all systems go.
Yvonne.
Well, Battlestar Gallactica would inspire anyone! Bit more normal than mine though.
I love Sci Fi and watch(ed) it every chance I get.
I started writing in the 2nd grade. I even loved writing my research papers in Grad school. My classmates groaned when i said that but {pretended to}loved me anyway.
T
I am totally inspired! Great story. I often think as writers we create what we want to read. Thanks for sharing. :)
Inspired? Of course I am.
I love CassaStar's genesis.
Tip: surprise your Lady with a single rose, okay?
Kind of thought you were inspired by those old television shows. Wow, for someone who didn't aspire to write you've accomplished a lot!!
I'm not familiar with Chronicle. I will have to look it up on IMDB
Buck Rogers ~ "Biddi Biddi". Check.
Saturday morning cartoons ~ Check.
Dungeons and Dragons ~ I wish.
I sometimes wish it were so easy. This *passion* took over my brain and body long ago. I wish it were so easy to turn the volume down on the nag inside of me that tells me I'm no good and I know it.
Sounds like *somebody* needs to join your Insecure Writers Group! (That would be me, of course.)
Thanks for co-hosting the Fest!
Interesting story- Gamers -Sheesh!
On Valentines Day - maybe your wife will get you that 'slayer suit' you mentioned. If not you have already proved you have a great imagination.
I'm grateful for the movie review. I didn't expect much and will definitely save it for Netflix. Thanks for sharing your story and for the fest!
i think a lot of people start out writing the same way. You like a book or a show and you want more like it and are forced to do it yourself and then it just sticks.
That's awesome Alex! I love hearing the similarities and differences about how writer begin!
"the story sucked" - inspiring words, indeed. Very cool the strong characters stuck w/ you though.
Natalie, good! It's not just us then.
Rusty, that sounds like an interesting blog post someday...
Em, that's what she says!
Juliana, tell her it's just Kool Aid.
Thanks, Liza. I am here for your amusement.
Melissa, I bet they did!
JL, glad I'm not alone in that.
DL, this turned out awesome!
Miranda, I'll probably see that one on NetFlix. I like Michael Caine.
Sean, I saw some of it but think I was finally past cartoons at that point.
Stephen, you've seen more than me!
Susan, great minds DO think alike!
Yvonne, safe travels, and I heard you get to meet Lee this trip.
Teresa, I bet your teachers loved it.
Huntress, you know I'll still get her something!
LG, yeah, I never planned all this...
Scarlett, please join!
Faraway, that is a great idea!!!
There are many people who write, few who stick to it and finish. Glad you came back to your story:)
My hubby unfortunately has to work on Valentine's :(, but we did have champagne past weekend:)
My first story sucked too :) but the characters still hold a special place in my heart. I think it's awesome that you decided to rewrite it.
I grew up watching the exact same stuff on TV. We'd play Battlestar Galactica on our bikes. Good times.
I want to see Chronicle now. There were more to see that movie on Friday than those in line to see Star Wars!
There is nothing like visiting old stories to wake up the writing instinct! I read a beloved short story I wrote in sixth grade to my daughters, and we laughed. Then we read the next story in that same notebook and laughed even harder. However, it made me want to write. And it gave them the encouragement to write . . . they knew they could write better than "that."
Thanks for this blogfest!
The best writing always comes from the least expected places. I don't celebrate so I guess my husband is lucky too! lool I've found a great site to get free ebooks so what little I did watch TV/movies has now faded into oblivion. If it weren't for your reviews, I seriously would have no idea what was going on in the world.
That seems to be how most people get started.
Enjoying this fest! I like the idea of writing b/c there's nothing available that meets that literary need at the time. I've definitely thought about switching to MG genre just for that reason, but seem to fit more neatly in the adult fiction category.
And thanks for that little reminder of Valentine's Day. I'm sad to say that I'm usually the one to forget, not my beloved husband.
I love that you went back to what you had written, saw what it really was but also had the vision of what it could be.
Thanks for sharing and hosting!
Thanks, Alex, for sharing your story!
Monti
I miss good Saturday morning cartoons! Thanks for hosting this blogfest. It's a lot of fun to see where everyone got their start. And I'm with your wife on Valentine's Day. I tell my husband no presents, but he thinks this is some sort of trick and gets me chocolate anyway. Not that I would turn down chocolate...
What was your favorite D&D character?
Sure you're the genius behind Cassastar? I was expecting an earth-shattering origins story...
Makes me realise there's still hope for me... :) *air punches in glee*
Thanks for sharing Alex!
It's amazing how many of us put writing aside for years and didn't take it seriously until later in life. Great story. And, Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm pretty sure He-Man and She-Ra were among my first inspirations.
I've read a surprisingly large number of positive reviews for Chronicle. I really didn't think that would happen.
I guess the Narnia books fired up my imagination but it wasn't until The White Dragon that I began writing.
Yep, love those shows and I loved super heroes in the comics. I also love Conan and warrior tales.
I hear you on writing as a way to channel your imagination.
When did you say the third book was coming out, Alex?
Hugs.
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
You mean your origin had nothing to do with a power ring? I could see you having become a writer all Green Lantern-style.
Marta, as long as you celebrate sometime, right?
Jay, it's a better movie, that's why!
Tyrean, now you're a whole writing family!
Dafeenah, I'll keep reviewing movies just for you.
Heather, you now have a whole day to prepare!
Thanks, Tasha.
Adrienne, it is a trick and not one I'm ever falling for.
A fighter named Bloodstone - don't even remember what level he was when I finally stopped playing.
Mish, it wasn't anything genius, promise.
MJ, it is really good and fairly unique for the genre.
Sia, first I have to write it...
Jeffrey, there were probably some Green Lantern stories in there somewhere...
Inspiration doesn't have to be deep! It doesn't have to be profound, magical, or all that "inspirational" either. It's different for everyone, and it seems like your bout of inspiration did the job!
Too funny! Love it.
My inspiration started with essay tests in school ... I found it much easier to BS a teacher with subjective answers than to disguise my ignorance with objective tests ... made me go, hmmmm.
Thanks for sharing your story and hosting this blogfest. It's interesting to see how everyone got their start.
Ha! You've got the same beginning as Susan! LOL too funny!
A very realistic beginning. Thanks for sharing, Alex.
I did a lot of reading too before deciding science fiction writing was what I wanted to do. I read the writers from both genders, and found a few great women sci-fi writers along the way. If they could do it, I could do it (or so I told myself).
Whatever works and gives us good books to read.
Imagination is always a great beginning!
It's great that your first writing was just an off shoot of play. That's what my kid told me today "Play is children's work." Sounds like it pushed you toward your writing career.
LOL Nice. I think a lot of us got inspired by those shows.
I love how you revisited that old story. There is something to be said for that... obviously!
Some of those shows inspired my love of stories as well. I think they can be deep and meaningful - Star Wars certainly always was to me!
Oh, yeah, I spent my share of hours writing Star Wars sequels, Dr Who adventures, and D&D dungeon manuals!
I'm always inspired by you, Alex.
I'm really enjoying this blogfest, too. Thanks for your co-sponsorship.
xoRobyn
Great story, Alex. I was never a big Star Wars fan but it's amazing how much those movies inspired writers, filmmakers... you name it! Thanks for co-hosting this blogfest!
You're not the only one to clean up a crappy old story with potential. Thanks for hosting this whole event--it is a great, original idea.
Jen, you just keep working on the first crappy novel!
Christopher - clever!
DG, you CAN do it.
PK, yes there is.
Dianne, nothing like writing your own D&D adventure!
Robyn, thanks and this one is a blast!
Alex,
I'm as fortunateas you because my wife does not want anything for Valentine's Day!
Instead we will spen some extra money during our holiday.
By the way homework can be inspiring. When I clean the cat toilet I change the shape of a small universe .....
I love that you started writing to fill a need. Heck, if it's not out there, craft it yourself. And I have to agree that you are fantastic with characters!
Thanks for the snippet on Chronicle. I wanted to watch it because it has that superpower spin I like (like Push, Jumper, etc), but I was worried it'd be too blah for me to not regret spending money on the theater.
Thanks for co hosting this blogfest, Alex. I love that you started writing thanks to tons of TVs and movies. :)
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I say it always pays to keep our original work, one never knows when it comes in handy! What a great tale of success!
Thanks for hosting this Blogfest, Alex!
Jenny @ Pearson Report
Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
Got Battlestar Gallactia on Netflix and watched all the seasons without commercials. Wonderful! No wonder that was inspirational for you.
You may not need to buy your wife anything, but doing something special for her would be good :)
Yay! I was just commenting to another bloggy friend who'd abandoned several partially written stories that she never knew when she might return to one. I wish I'd been here first. I'dve pointed her in your direction~ :o)
Funny! I'm noticing through this blogfest that a lot of writers start out in the same place. Interesting...
Movies and stories are definitely inspirational in getting people to start penning their own stories. I remember watching some excerpt from a conference where Steven King was speaking, and he said something to the effect of eventually every writer comes across a book and goes 'I can do better than that!'. :)
Short and sweet and to the point! Some of us are born to write and don't know it! Glad you found your way into the world of words.
Great origins story. :) I love those kinds of characters--the ones who stick with you for a long time.
Thanks for hosting this blogfest!
Ah, memories of Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers . . . and Saturday afternoons glued to the TV. Nice!
I can remember lying ill on the couch watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I was sickly as a youngster (hence Hibbs as a constant companion.) I loved that Frazetta painting of the main characters! Your prose says it all. Your dream is now reality, Roland
I have always been a story teller. My mom used to call me a ham for that reason. I loved an audience and would ham it up for them.
Even though I don't write in that genre, Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Gallactica were early inspirations for me too. I loved the characters and the idea of creating an entire world in my mind.
You have great inspiration there. Even if it took decades later to catch you, I'm glad it did. I don't do Valentines Day myself. My hubby is lucky like you in that!
Funny how we both came to writing later in life. We old folks still have something to offer!! Thanks for hosting this blogfest. All the stories are so interesting, and I've only read a few so far.
As for Chronicle, I loved it! I thought it was very cool and I don;t usually like this type of flick. Maybe that's why it felt so fresh to me. And, living in Seattle, I loved that it featured so many places I recognized. I want to see it again.
Glad you became a writer and a Ninja Captain! Thanks for co-hosting this wonderful blogfest, and I'm sure you'll share some Hot Tamales with your wife! Julie
Old 1930's Tarzan movies were a big inspiration for me -- loved the adventures, and I think the big sweep of those adventures show up in my (very different, non-Tarzan) novels.
Oh my goodness, Buck Rogers. You just took me straight back to saturday teatimes :-)
Cool origins story, Alex. It was inevitable you turned out to be an author!
I have always despised Valentine's Day (but that's an essay for another day). Wake me up when it's over!
Edi, that made me laugh out loud!!
Thanks, Angela. It was good and interesting to watch.
Jenny, glad I kept mine!
Clee, the original was cheesy, but fun!
Carol, I got that covered!
LTM, next time to comment, let her know she needs to keep them!
Clarissa, are we funny or interesting???
Bob, as a kid, I lived for those moments.
Christine, it doesn't sound like anyone does Valentine's Day! We're going to put Hallmark out of business.
Nancy, it was good, just wish the previews hadn't shown the whole storyline.
Helena, I remember watching those.
Jennifer, I'm setting your wake up call now...
Alex, your inspiration may not be as deep as some other writers', but the important thing is that it all paid off, and brought you success with your books. :)
Glad you liked "Chronicle". Yes, it wasn't necessarily mind-blowing, but it achieved its purpose which is to entertain. Loved the dark tone of it too. My review of it is coming on Wednesday.
I love that you were able to go back and make the right place for those characters! Thanks for sharing, Alex. :)
"I began writing because some of the adventures I’d imagined weren’t available in any of these formats."
I think a big reason to start writing.
I mean, what you watched and read really inspired a lot of people, too! These were enduring stories and have lasted a long time.
Ah, D&D... oh the storytelling-possibility-geekyness.
I love the fact that it wasn't a mad passion for you, just something that you did, and have come back to over time.
Great blogfest Mr Ninja
Lxxx
Battlestar Galactica. Now that is a blast from the past. Great story. Thanks for hosting.
Your "origin" tale made me laugh out loud. LOVE it! It doesn't all have to be angst and esoterica (although, a lot of it is!). You have a new follower (me!). Thanks for co-sponsoring this blogfest and for your entertaining and inspiring post, Alex!
Yep, I watched all those shows too--and even watched many cartoons. I loved them. Love your origin story.
I might do that someday ... resurrect the characters from my first novel. I still think about them sometimes. I'm glad it worked out for you!
Great origin story! I decided to sign up for the A to Z challenge, and I am spending today checking out the host's blogs. I am now following you too and look foward to reading your books CassaStar and CassaFire.
Sorry for the double post, but I signed up for Catch Fire and was wondering where to obtain the Cassafire button.
Thanks for hosting the origins blogfest. It's great reading everyone's stories of how they came to be writers.
I was hoping to learn something new about you today. I already knew this, oh well. I'm an Origin blogfest drop out. *bows head* I'm afraid I double booked my blog today, but I'm enjoying everyone else's entries.
Too many people try to ascibe some great significance to the event, so I'm glad you didn't.
Me? I just knew I was good at it. Is there really a better reason?
Of course, then, I waited too long to do anything about it.
[Again, not subscribing. Still in the midst of the busies (and we had a death in the family today).
Thanks, George! It was good, just wish they'd held back more in the trailer.
Leovi, thank you.
Laura, thanks, and here's to geeks!
Intricate, thanks and glad you've enjoyed it!
Jeremy, thank you! You can right-click on the Catch Fire image and save it as a jpg - then post to your own blog. I'll be sending out all the information for the party next week.
Ciara, that's all right!
Andrew, I'm so sorry!
Thank you so much for hosting this blog fest, it was wonderful to reminisce!
I loved reading your origins story! So great you found your love for writing again, goes to show that no matter how long it takes, when you are a writer, you WILL pick up the pen one day.
Thanks for your safe travels message and yes Lee and I are going to meet up in LA.(Hope he realises what he's letting himself in for) Seriously I am looking forward to meeting him
Yvonne.
Thanks for hosting this. I totally forgot about Buck Rogers, I watched that all the time. Even had a Twiggy action figure. One of my few non-Star Wars toys.
It doesn't matter how you found inspiration, as long as you found it. :)
We didn't get too many cool shows in England to inspire me to become a writer. But I did want to become Sandy after seeing Grease. :D
I'd heard that about that movie. Not a lot of depth.
I'm not surprised that you started with watching a lot of sci-fi stuff!
Those are great inspirations. I watched all of those shows, too.
Will have to check out Chronicles then. Sounds good.
I also started writing fantasy because none of the books I read were exactly what I wanted to read--none of them were perfect! So I set out to write the perfect fantasy. Still haven't accomplished it, but soon I will finish the book in my head that is clamouring to come out, and though it won't be perfect, it'll be mine!
Thanks for sharing and co-hosting!
Allison (Geek Banter)
I'm not at all surprised some of those classic SF movies inspired you. Nice to know your origins.
Alex! That is inspiring. It's cool that you let your imagination fly. That you wrote something, let it rest, picked it back up and finished it. Finishing is inspiring to me. People talk a lot but not as many people DO. :-) Thank you for hosting this awesome blogfest!
Wow! Glad Chronicles didn't disappoint. Looks pretty cool.
For me, writing faded for a while too, but it was replaced by songwriting :)
Sylvia, that's true!
Yvonne, wish I could meet you!!! Wrong side of the country.
Stina, that's because Olivia was cool.
Tracy, glad you've enjoyed it.
Copyboy, it was good!
Thank you, everyone. With SO many participants in the blogfest, it will take me through tomorrow to visit everyone. Please be patient!
If you want a job done properly, you just gotta do it yourself :)
Thanks for hosting this blogfest, Alex. Holy moley what a lot of entries to read through!
Very cool that you wrote adventures that you wanted to read and see!
And I tell my hubby no Vday gift too. He does however need to give me a card and his homemade ones are the best (and funniest).
"It was never my goal to become a writer or an author so I forgot about it." -- I guess you never know what you'll end up doing, huh?!
I also say no valentine's day gifts, but hubs surprised me with flowers today, and those I never turn down! I love how they brighten up the house :)
I love the idea of this blogfest. It's SO NICE to read of authors who are just like anyone else. They started writing, put in the long hours and the hard work, and it pays off. I was starting to think I missed my opportunity when I wasn't penning my own novels by 3rd grade!
Great origin story... i think many of us can relate to something similar:)
excellent post!
Great fun, Alex.
Hi alex
It sounds to me as if you aren't much different then the rest of us. You had a story and characters that spoke to you until you began to write them down. Interesting and inspiring.
Nancy
My wife and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Monday since she was off work.
Your origins story is similar to many I've read. Seems like a lot of us who had fun with writing in our school days let it fall by the wayside as we became adults and then had it become rekindled as we got older. Makes sense I guess.
Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
Hey Alex,
Thanks for having us... this was as much fun as the '80s last week (where I first premiered the White Man Can't Dance Shuffle:)
Pretty cool. You had an idea. Sat it down for a long while. Came back to it and made it happen.
Oh and one of the great things about being single, is that Valentine's Day is a non-issue. Woot!
Botanist, I know! Still making my rounds of the entries.
Kelly, that's sweet.
Kristin, some things can't be planned.
TL, oh no! Many late bloomers here.
Lee, we returned to it when we were ready.
Mark, that's because we can't dance!
Angela, that is a plus!
Happy you kept your novel and reworked it!
Now I wish I had kept some crappy art, lol
Fun blogfest, off to make the rounds
Thats so cool that you took some old scribbles and turned it into a published novel. Great story. Goals can come true.
I think TV, movies and comic books are a GREAT origin... and I also had some early playing around and then left it behind for years. Harry Potter sucked me back into writing...
LOVE your origins story Alex, it's truly inspiring! Great review for Chronicle too - thank you for sharing! :)
I think a lot of us started that way...having a story in our heads that wasn't like anything else out there--and putting it down on paper, ourselves! Great origin story.
We've got sick kids here, so we'll be putting off Valentine's Day here. :)
Thanks for co-hosting the blogfest, Alex. I'm still hopping around finding awesome Origins stories.
SO glad you picked up that story and knocked your characters into a compelling storyline.
Hopping away again. EEE! So many new people to meet.
That's a great originals story because it shows us that the stories call to us. They want us to write them. You are doing what you were born to do. Yay!
Reading inspired my writing too. Your origins story rocks! What a great idea for a blogfest!
Buck Rogers! I wrote to avoid boring stuff, too, when I was a kid. I guess I still do...
Ella, you could never create crappy art.
Maurice, yes they can!
Hart, let's hear it for Harry Potter sucking! Wait, that came out wrong...
Elizabeth, I'm sorry!
Gloria, thanks, and I've still some hopping to do as well.
Milo, boring stuff is... boring!
I find inspiration to my writing (and watercolor painting) practically everywhere. My brain is always buzzing with ideas. Now getting them on a paper, or rather on a computer screen, is a whole different story!
A lot of my inspiration comes from Nerding out. There is no shame in that! :)
Great sources of inspiration! I think my grade school teachers inspired me by showing me the magic of the written word. Cheesy but true:)
You know, Alex, I think lots of writers are afraid to admit just how much they've been shaped/inspired by film and TV. It's not the truest form of street cred for writer types, after all. However, there's no question that visual media has been the dominate form of entertainment for decades now, so why should we be surprised that it has been fodder for so many creative minds?
I'm in the same boat. I'm not sure I'd have wanted to tell stories if not for the movies. I fell for them long before books. But then found books to be a superior way of telling a story and got hooked on writing.
You enjoy the same as DH. I am not inspired by TV or movies, as I do not watch a lot.
I am like your wife, I don't need money spent on me for Valentine's Day.
That's awesome you could salvage something from your first crappy novel and make it into something spectacular. :)
Happy Valentine's Day.
I think we all started with a crappy novel. It wasn't the quality, it was the FEELING of writing. It's quite a high!
Thanks for sharing, Alex!
Wow Alex! I'm pretty sure that you and my brother could've been besties. He made me sit through all those show and he had a mass load of Terry Brooks books. But I was content with my Sweet VAlley High.
Awesome beginning for you! I do think we tend to write the stories we couldn't find to read.
This was an interesting blogfest, Alex. I'm off to read more posts.
Wow, this blog fest is huge! Love reading people's stories:)
Cool idea.
I had a solitary childhood, so my imagination flowered. :)
Angela, does that make you a buzz brain?
EJ, for those of us who are visual thinkers and learners, film and TV is inspiring.
Glynis, that makes you cool!
Leovi, same to you!
Erin, yes, it sounds like I would've gotten along great with your brother.
Jamie, I know! It may take me all week to read entries.
Maybe I should re-visit my own crappy novel :-) This was a great blogfest idea, the entries are very entertaining!
I wish I'd done this one! My origins were from the age of 5 or something.
I think the science fiction I watched and read has a lot to do with me loving writing as well! :)
ROFL! You are just all kinds of awesome Alex. I had pretty much not fostered any interest in CHRONICLE, even though the premise of the story appealed to me. I'm just not a Blair Witch-style movie, girl. But ... maybe I'll give it a chance!
It was cool to read how you got started too. Glad you decided to pick that old story up again!
I loved Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers! and of course I'm still Star Wars crazy.
Was it Stephen King who said you should write the story you want to read?
I watched Chronicle too. The action and story plot was intriguing - they made good use of the camera - but it was kinda boring. Not so boring I'd walk out, but definitely wouldn't have kept my interest at home if I could switch channels.
But I wouldn't put it in the worst movies I've seen category either.
......dhole
The only writing I do is letters, I have a friend in Florida who will not buy a computer to save her life so I still use snail mail for her. I do love to read other people's writing though. Happy Belated Valentine Day from your friend in Rome!
Lisa, you should!
Ali, it is a really good movie. Maybe not one for repeat views though.
Donna, it was just a slice of life type of thing.
Francesca, not many people still write letters!
You are obviously a professional with superb talents and gifts. Movies are as encouraging as novels, per se. We were all weaned on TV, so we get encouragement where we can ...
175 comments????????????? Egad, Alex! I need to hop over to see MacNish. I have not been over there in a few.
I read my pal Medeia's post. It was very uplifting. Yours is inspiring, Alex. I mean who wouldn't be inspired by Buck? He was waaay cool. I'm thinking you are where you are supposed to be in life.
Thanks for your review on Chronicle. I'll go see it now that you tested the waters for me. Ha! :-)
What a nice way to avoid that boring ol' homework!
Enjoyed learning the origins of your writing. Its been fun reading all the different posts on the blogfest.
I think that's a great idea, Alex - writing what you'd like to read!
Fun blogfest. It's always fun to learn a little more about people's histories.
And thanks for the movie review. I have never been a big fan of "found footage" movies. The concept is intriguing, but the visuals leave me a bit queasy and I often feel that the story suffers from too much "look at the camera." That said, I was interested in this movie for the concept of super hero origins with more reality than comic-book styling.
Very cool that those original characters were usable. I don't really remember an origin; I was just always telling or writing stories. It was what I was.
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