'Inspiration' - A Guest Post by Author Nicole R. Taylor ~ LoupDargent.info

Don't worry, I'm not going to go all "The Only Way Is Essex" on you guys, but I must admit I was tempted to start this little introduction with a loud "OMG, guess what?!". I believe it could have been justified though, as, Nicole R. Taylor (the author of 'The Witch Hunter'), is visiting LoupDargent.info once again (must be something in our virtual coffee) and, this time, she is talking about... inspiration.

The inspiration behind a writer's work is always something I'm curious about, so I'm obviously very happy about Nicole's chosen topic...but, I'm also pretty sure somehow that you guys will find Nicole's "talk" about it very interesting (and enjoyable) too.

Happy reading!

Loup Dargent

Inspiration
By: Nicole R. Taylor

As a writer, I get asked a lot of questions about what I do. How do I write, why do I write and where do I get my inspiration from? Those are questions I get asked a lot.

The short answer is… With my fingers on a keyboard, because sometimes I'd rather live in a fantasy world and everywhere.

What I do want to talk about today is inspiration. It's the one thing that a lot of new writers (and old ones) get stuck on and the eternal question is; What do I write? And it's not an easy question to answer.

Inspiration comes from everywhere and is found in everything. The best advice I could offer is to go out and live your life. Look at things, notice the way people talk to each other, read novels and stories and listen to music. But, don't just notice it, capture it. It doesn't really matter how you do it, if you carry a notebook or type it into your smartphone or even take a picture... just get that little observation down on paper. Ideas can easily be forgotten if you let them rattle about in you head long enough. I've done it too many times to count.

A friend asked me the other day about my personal inspiration. Because everyone's different right? So, how did I come up with that particular story or that particular character? Sometimes I just have to shrug my shoulders and say, "I don't know." Because sometimes I just don't! I'll be thinking of something random, which leads to something else, which leads to an idea. Bam, outta nowhere.

But, this question was an easy one. The inspiration behind my current set of novels was a convoluted process. It was a mishmash of different sparks that somehow came together in a roundabout way.

In the beginning, I had become frustrated with the books I had been reading and the TV shows I had been following. They all had the same kind of main characters and most of the female leads were… boring and timid. "They need to introduce a character that will challenge so and so. She's just bringing' him down," I told myself. So, I thought up a character that could do just that and that character became one of the mains in my first published novel, The Witch Hunter.

I knew I wanted to write something new but had no idea where to begin and didn't even know if I wanted to use this character I had dreamt up. Around the time she began to take shape in my quasi-fantasy, I was listening to one of my favourite bands, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Then this song came on (titled, Aya, which is also how I named her) and when I listened closer to the words, it sounded like her through and through. I wanted to write a strong female lead who kicked a$. I wanted her to be more than just a regular vampire type. I wanted her to be something else.

This was the lyric that caught my attention. The spark of inspiration:

She's a patient killer, a timeless hand

The choke of the falling sands

She's a proven saint with a witches tongue

The gods of war at her command

It was those few words that I drew on and created a whole person, desire, history and purpose for. She already existed in a small way, but I don't know what she would have been like if I didn't hear this song. Probably not half as awesome as she is now.

And where did I start the story itself? I had this scene floating around in my head for a while, but no ultimate story attached to it. (It was the scene where my two main characters, Zac and Aya, first meet and what happens next - I won't give it away!) Once I had the characters down pat, I had to have a reason for her to show up and meddle with the regulars. She was the outsider, a witch hunter, so what better way than to throw an evil psychotic witch into the mix?

Once you have a beginning, the rest follows. Sometimes whether you want it to or not.

The thing to take from this story is that inspiration comes from the most random places. Don't disregard anything. Write it down. Think about it. Ask yourself why. Little sparks can sometimes grow into huge ideas. Maybe not right when you have them, but they'll catch on.

More About Nicole R. Taylor
Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing program and is a former music mem:orabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.

She currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky dive, but has to work up the courage first.

The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in print and eBook.

Where to find Nicole R. Taylor on the net