THE INTOXICATON OF INSPIRATION

To place a word in front of another or for that matter to place it behind the other. Or more importantly to place a word that conveys the same exact thought but sounds completely different. Or should I have replaced “importantly” with “significant”. To the average person what difference does it make? A question. To the average person it makes no difference. A statement.

To the writer words are as paint is to an artist. With but a simple switch of a few letters you can change everything the story is about. With a subtle change in the shade of blue the artist can alter the mood.
Then comes the thoughts conveyed by the words and with thoughts there have been inspirations. The conception of a story is where it all begins. Inspiration is the warm sensual embrace. The writer impregnates his seed and hopefully a story grows and develops. Okay that was entirely sexist I'm sure my many female writer friends will take umbrage with that totally male perspective. However, it does illustrate how a writer's mind can wander. So lets get back on track. Inspiration. Yes, where does it come from? Well that is a long list but usually it comes from other writers. You see we are also readers. When I put together a science fiction story I like to read articles by writers who report on breaking news in the world of genetics, gene splicing, cloning. The melding of human and animal DNA is the focal point of my crossbreed series. While my stories are fiction I like the reader to feel that it's not only possible but not that far off.

The simple fact is we humans alter the DNA of animals every day, you do it, I've done it. You don't have to be a mad scientist to do it. Anyone that has bred a dog or live stock or hybrid tropical fish has done it. All those animals are genetically altered hybrids. In labs around the world we are splicing human, plant and animal genes to study disease and new drugs. We already have the wealthy buying human eggs from super models to create designer babies. It's only a matter of time before you get super babies enhance with animal DNA. Talk about inspiration, what could possibly go wrong?

Writers and artists mutually inspire each other. Illustrator Julie Edwards creates images inspired by my words and once I've seen my characters visualized I'm re-inspired now that I can look them in the eyes.

I read an article in Smithsonian that said a scientist was working on a way to transplant a human brain into a donor body. Now in the annals of science fiction that is a very old gag. Anyone remember the brain transfer bit in Abbott and Costello meet  Frankenstein? In 1948 that was a farfetched comedy, yet seventy years later it could actually happen. That current story gave me some interesting ideas but I'll let them simmer for a while.

I'm working on a vampire novel right now inspired by stories gleaned from the Blood Moon Social Club, an interactive theater group. We roll played out improve scenes featuring creatures of the night. First I get the inspiration, then the story peculates in my head for awhile, then it just pours out onto my keyboard.

My friend Susanne Leist author of the Dead Game is a rabid reader of murder mysteries and loves paranormal TV shows. More and more she wanted a blend of the two. Like most of us we have at least one author that touched us in profound way. With me it was Robert E. Howard with Susanne it was Brad Meltzer author of Book of Lies and Book of Fates. Comic fans will no doubt recognize his name from Identity Crisis, Green Arrow and many other DC titles.

Inspired by this prolific writer of dark twisted mysteries she eventually took a very bold step. Susanne put her own concepts of mystery and paranormal horror to work and blended up a scary mix of vampires and a haunted house, in the Dead Game. She's hooked now she has acted on her inspiration, the next step is another book. Once bitten the infection rarely goes away.

Inspiration can come from many realms. My pal Edward Rex Riepe author of the extremely popular apocalyptic Fema Camp series, works well into the night sipping whiskey and listening to Pink Floyd. He falls asleep and enters a dream world constructed by God. He awakens inspired to pound out another five thousand words based on those dreams. I tend to work best early in the morning sipping hot tea and honey with the sun rising over Mystic Canyon. In a way that's a spiritual inspiration for me.

Legend has it that in the 1930s Robert E. Howard would beat out his savage tales of Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Kane on his old fashioned typewriter, while he shouted the words allowed. The story further claims the spirit of the mighty Conan stood looking over his biographer's shoulder and whispered in his ear accounts of evil sorcerers and bloody battles.

I'm not much of a shouter but before I finish editing I like to read the story aloud to my wife. Hearing the spoken words is quite different than how they sound in my head.

In the Victorian era Edgar Allan Poe led a dark life as twisted with drugs, sex, and madness as anything he wrote about. His inner demons swirled around him like a miasmas fog. I must confess at one time my own mind was clouded by intoxication induced hallucinations. I'm fairly certain the voices I heard were not coming from angels nor God but may have been a darker entity. These days I'm into more healthy pursuits, having looked into the deep dark well of lost souls I pulled back just in time.

Many writers take it right up to the edge of the abyss searching for inspiration or maybe looking to see the face of evil. You can't really scare anyone unless you know what true horror looks like. Some like Howard and Poe looked too long and never returned. The search for inspiration can be a dangerous thing for some writers, depending on where it's coming from. Writers walk a thin line between reality and fantasy. Many have lost their balance and the world has lost another poet far too soon.

Hemingway wrote about real people with real issues but terrifying nonetheless. He lived the life of his protagonists. Hard living: big game hunting in Africa, sport fishing in Key West. If there was danger he was there, if there was a war zone he covered it. And yes if there was alcohol he drank it, and if there was a woman he was inspired. To read his books is to know his life and in the end like Howard and so many others he ended his own story himself.

Personally, I'm a survivor that has looked into the blank soulless eyes of death many times. I've come very close to knowing what lays beyond and I've seen enough to know how to write it without jumping off the edge. That is the real trick now isn't it? We keep rolling the dice all the while knowing snake-eyes are coming.