Writing fiction is a chance to let the mind, pen and paper, or fingers and keyboard, run free and see what they come up with. One may not know where to start with a new idea, or where to find inspiration, so here are some tips:

•       For ideas and inspiration just look around you, listen in on conversations. Yes this is one time that it is okay to be an eavesdropper. Someone may say something interesting that will spark your creative fire, or may turn up as great conversation text in a piece of fiction.
  • Read, read, read, read. Read everything you can get your hands on for inspiration. This may sound cynical, but no matter what you write somehow, some way it is not original. SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU. But that is okay, this gives you a platform to leap off of. This gives you a chance to give it your own twist.
    • EX: Time travel, nothing new. Scotland, ditto. Westerns, ein und dasselbe (German for same thing). Woman falling in love with man, there have been one or two tales. Bad guy trys to kill someone, maybe someone has thought of this before. What do you get when you combine all of these topics? Cowgirl and The Highlander. A tale of a modern cowgirl who travels back in time to Medieval Scotland, falls in love with a overbearing, egotistical, dictatorial, and yet lovable Highland laird and they both have to fight off a time-traveling murderer!
    • See it is that easy! Everything in there had been written about before, but could be combined to create something slightly new.
  • Still can't find an idea? Look at paintings or pictures. Pick one picture of anything and make up a story about the picture's contents. You now have an Insta-Idea! (Please excuse the bad joke)
  • No ideas are popping up even after your little insta-idea? Go outside and observe people, animals, nature, even a rock. What would a rock say if it could talk? Man what do you think you are doing using me as a stool? Do I look like a piece of wood? Ya know it ain't always easy sitting here all day long, every day, (actually every night, all night long, for that matter) with nothing to do but contemplate the bird that made the nest in the tree above my head! I just know something bad is going to fall out of that baby! And so on. (Be careful of limestone rocks, they talk even more!)
• So now you have your slightly used idea, or insta-idea, or your talking rock. Sit down somewhere, preferably not in the street, with pen and paper, or at your computer and just let you idea meld and flow. You will be suprised at what will come flooding out of your pen or fingertips: it's called magic.

Well there you have it, a few secrets to writing fiction. Good luck and have fun writing! Also watch out for trees, if you think rocks are bad try getting an oak to shut up!!

RESOURCES

• Need some books to look at for inspiration? Here are a few suggestioins.
  • "Bird By Bird" by Anne Lammot
  • "How To Read Literature Like a Proffesor" by Thomas C. Foster
    • Both of these books are great for the technicalities of writing fiction
  • Any anthology of short stories by your favorite author. Find someone you really like and see what you can get from there.
    • My favorite is Baxter Black. "Cactus Tracks and Cowboy Philosphy" has gotten me through some bumpy spots and he is hilarious!
  • Read any magazine.
    • I love "Western Horseman", "Cowboys and Indians", and "American History"
  • Watch movies.
    • I prefer Westerns, John Wayne, and the movies from the ninteen thirties and fourties
      • If you are interested in mysteries and comedy check out any of "The Thin Man" movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy
      • Romance, "Gone With The Wind" with Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, "The Philidelphia Story" with Catherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, any of their movies are great.
      • Drama, "Casablanca" with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, "To Have and Have Not" with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" with Jimmy Stewart.
      • Musicals more your type? Some great ones are "Two Girls and A Sailor" with Van Johnson, June Allyson, and Gloria DeHaven, any Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers movies, any of the Road pictures starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosbey, Dorothy Lamour. There are seven of them, "Road to Rio," "Road to Bali", "Road to Singapor," "Road to Morracco," "Road to Zanzibar," "Road to Utopia," and "Road to Hong Kong"
      • Westerns, John Wayne: "El Dorado", "Rio Bravo", "Chisum" (this particular one has influenced me a lot!) "North to Alaska" (also a great song), "McClintock" and the list goes on. I also like Randolph Scott, my two favorites of his are "The Tall T" and "Ride Lonsome."
      • If you happen to like the war genre some great ones are "The Enemy Below," (also a novel) with Robert Mitchum, "Sands of Iwo Jima", starring John Wayne (big suprise there!), "Flying Tigers", again John Wayne, "Run Silent, Run Deep" with Clark Gable
  • Listen to music,  whatever kind you like to listen to! Really listen to the story behind the lyrics there can be some great material to work with there. I like to just listen to keep my mind in the writing mode.
    • I like country music, especially classic country. Hank Williams, his are great if you are in a "done-me-wrong" kind of mood. Bob Wills is good if you're in a swinging kind of mood. For cowboy music I turn to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers (I also like his movies!), or Marty Robbins.
  • And of course read novels!!!!!!!!!! Read your favorite author, branch out and try other authors for a fresh spin.
    • I like Louis L'amour's "Hondo", "Crossfire Trail" and "The Kiowa Path"
    • "Gone With the Wind" by Margarte Mitchell
    • "Redemption" by Carolyn Davidson
    • "Scarlett" by Alexandra Ripley
    • "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte
    • "The China Garden" by Liz Berry
    • "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin
    • "The Guardian" by Nicholas Sparks 
• These are only my personal favorites, there is an endless selection of material to get inspiration from, you just have to dig a bit!!