Monday, July 18, 2011

INSPIRATION FOR WRITING ....

Today Summer Ross is hosting a blogfest on what authors use to prompt their writing. It could be literary or visual.

So what prompts you? We all would like to know.




As for my inspiration comes from my visual surrounding. Nature plays a huge part. I live across the street from one of the loveliest parks in the county. Much of my first novel had been inspired by its beauty. Here's the visual inspiration for The Willows.... the world I created for my novel AMBER AND THE WHISPERING WILLOWS.


Yes, this awesome scene is smack in the middle of urban Chicago..... How could you not be inspired?

Have a wonderful monday everyone.

34 comments:

Sarah McCabe said...

That's absolutely beautiful. I love willow trees.

erica and christy said...

Very nice picture - I love the reflection in the water.
erica

Javid Suleymanli said...

my inspiration is music :)

Philip Siegel said...

Hello, fellow Chicago writer! That is beautiful! Is this Lincoln Park? I hope you're surviving the heat :)

Summer Ross said...

I have always loved those kind of trees! They can be so romantic or be very sad. Thank you so much for participating!

Linda Gray said...

My inspiration is often cities themselves, and places and the things people do. I think that's why descriptive writing is the easiest part for me. When it comes to character development, it's time to dig deep. Nature definitely helps with that! Beautiful picture, Michael. I'm almost positive I've never seen that part of whichever park it is in Chicago. I would have remembered! Willow trees are so sad and beautiful at the same time.

Heather said...

My inspiration comes from every sense and often has a lot to do with my surrounding or photos that I've found.

Teralyn Rose Pilgrim said...

That's a great title for a book! I can see how such a place would inspire you.

Melissa Sarno said...

Wow, what park is that? It's so beautiful. Right now, I am writing a novel that takes place in a fictional Brooklyn, inspired by the real place.

M Pax said...

That's so pretty. I want to be there.

M.J. Fifield said...

My inspiration can really come from anywhere. A song, or just one line of one song. A television show or movie. Pictures too. My brother and sister-in-law gave me a set of photo albums to store my inspirational pictures in.

The picture you posted is really quite lovely. I've always loved willow trees.

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

Oh gorgeous image. All you need is a punt, a trailing female hand in the water and... ;)

best
F

Golden Eagle said...

It looks like it must be a wonderful park--great picture!

Johanna Garth said...

That is such a beautiful picture! I can see why it's so inspiring. I think I'm also visually inspired. Probably has to do with the way I process information. It's easier to "see" than to "hear".

Unknown said...

Pretty! And in the middle of Chicago?? How cool is that! I'd have placed it, i dunno, in the Shire or at the very least the Summerlands... ; )

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I got a wierd message from your twitter account that was like "go to this link and make $800.00" or something like that.

Just thought you'd like to know in case you have a virus or some keylogger that has your twitter password.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I could hang there...

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That's a beautiful view.

Susan Oloier said...

Michael, I have read some of your passages, and that is what I have imagined the setting to be! Simply lovely. Shows how vivid your descriptions are.

Nicki Elson said...

Gorgeous. You know, Lincoln Park is a niche you'll have to explore for marketing after Amber is published. I can just see you doing book signings in that pavilion over yonder. ;)

Arlee Bird said...

That is a beautiful looking park!
My inspirations come from many places, but most often it is rooted in actual stories I hear in the news or from other people. It would be nice to have a park like you have. I have a very nice industrial park and shopping center across the street from where I live. It's okay, but it's just not the same as natural beauty.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Brenda Sills said...

I LOVE trees, love 'em like crazy! And what a fantastic place with the bridge, the water, the pavilion, and the trees! It's inspiring just to imagine myself there getting carried away in my thoughts. Thanks!

Morgan said...

What a gorgeous picture! I'm sure it's even more beautiful in person.

Nature is one thing that really inspires me, especially when it's unexpected (like a park in the middle of Chicago). I love to write in parks, though I rarely get the chance. It just seems so much easier to be inspired when you're surrounded by so much beauty.

Great post! :)

E. Arroyo said...

Nice pic.

dolorah said...

When I read Whispering Willows I will see this setting. It is awesome. I could get lost in the beauty.

.....dhole

Unknown said...

Would love to paint this! Nature is such a wonderful inspiration to all forms of art. Nature and heart creates wonder. Have a wondrous day!

Anonymous said...

That park is gorgeous! I could definitely see how you could be inspired by it.

Unknown said...

You're kidding! That's gorgeous! The next time I'm in Chicago I'm going to have to stop in!!!

That being said my husband and I were bouncing around ideas on where we'd live after he was done with college. Chicago made the cut :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Have you gone down and seen the new Marilyn statue? I saw it in the news and thought, my blogger pal Michael lives in this city.

Donea Lee said...

Hi Michael!! I've missed your blog ~ :) So sorry I haven't been around lately...(no excuses, just distraction...)

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods?

And I'd have to say that my inspiration is highly visual, too. Your park is just lovely. I had a huge wheeping willow tree in my back yard growing up and I loved playing under it - it was like opening a curtain into another world ~ :)

Susan Kane said...

Chicago? What a lovely haven for a city!

Unknown said...

I love willow trees. They can make any area twenty times more beautiful.

Lisa Potts said...

One of these days I'm going to get to Chicago so I can see all of these places you talk about on your blog. Beautiful, Michael.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful scene to live near! I grew up on a sugar cane estate so when I looked out of my window what I saw (beyond our extensive garden) was fields of sugar cane, hills in the distance, and a dam that reflected the most gorgeous sunsets on winter mornings.
Needless to say I cried a lot when we had to leave that house!