Imagination requires fuel. As a writer, it’s important to me to feed my inner muse. Not by researching key historical facts or visiting museums or reading books on improving an author’s craft. All of those things are important, of course, but there are times when the creative well must simply be filled. Not with intentional, plot or character specific information, but simply with story.
I can’t tell you how many of my book ideas have come from movies I’ve seen or books I’ve read or television shows I’ve watched. I didn’t read or watch any of these with the desire to be inspired. Nevertheless, these stories have infiltrated my subconscious and left their mark. They are the fuel that feeds my muse, whether I realize it or not.
As a kid, when I would daydream, my flights of fancy always seemed to center around television shows. I imagined myself with Laura on the prairie or as the intrepid Dr. Quinn, medicine woman. I imagined myself solving crimes and developing super powers to defeat villains of all kinds. Perhaps because it is so visual, television seemed to become the major catalyst for my imagination.
Today, I still love watching shows that fuel my imagination. At the end of a long day, my husband and I will sit together in our recliners and watch a show together. Thanks to the DVR, we can record whatever we want and watch at our convenience. Since I don’t want to force him to watch shows he doesn’t like, we end up watching a lot of crime solving and high action shows like NCIS, CSI, and Agents of SHIELD. (And apparently we like shows with acronyms. Ha!)
But lately, I’ve found a handful of shows that really feed my inner muse.
The Paradise
This is a BBC show I just discovered through Netflix. It takes place at the end of the 19th century in a town in north east England at Britain’s first department store. The costumes are glorious, there is a great love story, and a touch of mystery to keep me clamoring for more. Unfortunately, there are only two seasons of the show. The first I watched through Netflix, and the second is currently playing on PBS right now on Sunday evenings.
This show feeds my historical muse.
Longmire
Mary Connealy recommended this show to me about a year ago, and I’m so glad she did. It is set in small town in Wyoming and centers around a true cowboy sheriff who is the epitome of the strong, silent type. A man of integrity yet not without his demons, Walt Longmire is a fabulous character. The episodes follow a crime show series, but the western setting gets my creative cowboy juices flowing.
This show feeds my western muse.
Scorpion
This is a new show that just started on CBS. It is based off the life of a real person – Walter O’Brien – who has the 4th highest IQ in recorded history, a 197. In the show, he has a team of geniuses (who are delightfully socially awkward) consisting of a mechanical engineer, a psychologist who reminds me a bit of The Mentalist (another show I love), and a human calculator who can solve any mathematical problem in seconds. Being a nerd and the mother of several nerds, I’ve convinced my entire family to watch this show and cheer on characters who use their brains instead of guns to solve the world’s problems.
This show feeds my nerdy muse.
Beyond television or movies, though, the single best way that I fill my creative well is by reading other books. I read historical romance almost exclusively. It’s been my favorite genre since I was a kid. Any wonder that it’s the genre I chose to write? I read both in the general market and the inspirational market, and I am constantly inspired by the creativity of my fellow authors.
After attending a session at the RWA conference last summer, I joined a group of historical authors concerned with promoting the genre as a whole. Recently, this group came out with a video, and I’m so excited, because my cover for Full Steam Ahead is side by side with mega bestselling authors from the general market like Julia Quinn, Amanda Quick, Courtney Milan, and Stephanie Laurens just to name a few. The purpose of the video is to show the breadth and variety of the genre and to entice new readers to give historical romance a try.
Full Steam Ahead is featured near the middle. and I think my heroine’s expression helped land me a key spot in the video. It pauses on my cover to say “Let us surprise you” so that wide-eyed look on Nicole’s face is perfect!
- What things inspire your inner muse?
- Got any suggestions for shows that I might like to try to keep my creativity well full? I’m always on the lookout for some new show to get addicted to. Ha!
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Hi Karen! So glad you mentioned Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman! I have the whole series on DVD. Love, love love! It’s a good thing, too, because my husband and I don’t have television or Netlflix, and I have to say, that show The Paradise looks like my cup of tea!
I’m glad your well keeps getting full so that we can get some fantastic stories to read! As for me, I love the classics, but I am not like you. I could never write fiction… writing short stories in a college was a stretch for me! I’m definitely a non-fiction writer. I’ll leave the fiction to the geniuses like you!
Hi, Courtney! Dr. Quinn was a huge favorite of mine. I loved the strong female lead. So smart. And courageous. Compassion toward her adopted children and passionate about doing what was right no matter the risk. And Sulley was pretty awesome, too. 🙂 Love those rugged frontiersmen types. 🙂
The book The Paradise is even better than the show, adapted from an Emile Zola novel (and relocated from Paris to the U.K.). I read the novel last year and my review is on GoodReads. Longmire is fantastic. Scorpion isn’t living up to the pilot unfortunately IMHO.
Hi, Andrea. I knew The Paradise was based on a novel, but I didn’t realize the setting was originally Paris. Interesting.
And you’re right about the pilot of Scorpion being phenomenal. It will be hard for them to maintain that level for the rest of the episodes. I’m still enjoying it, though. It’s the only show my computer nerd son will actually get off the computer in order to watch with the rest of us. For that reason alone, it’s a keeper for now. 🙂
Filling our creative well is so important! Without being swept away by inspiration, writing can quickly come to feel like drudgery and we can forget the wonderful, rich, heart-tugging ideas that got us started on this writing journey in the first place. Like you, I get a lot of my inspiration from TV, books, and movies.
I’ve always loved historical romance novels. I recognized the names of many of the authors in the video!
I agree, Becky. If writing become drudgery, no one wins.
I have become a huge fan of The Walton’s –history as well as family situations and values. I will look for Longmire and like Paradise and the Scorpions. Have you tried Forever? It has two story lines and brings history in a bit.
Have read one of your books and really liked it. Will read more as $$ allows…
Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Hi, Jan! I grew up with the Waltons. All those goodnights. Ha! Loved it. And yes, I did start watching Forever. I do enjoy the flashbacks into history. It’s an interesting premise. I like that he has a son who looks like he is his father. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed one of my books! If you have an e-reader, you can watch my FB page for sales. Sometimes they drop down to only $1.99 for a day. Or you can see if your library would be interested in ordering them. I’m a sale watcher and am always on the lookout for a bargain. 🙂
Hi Karen, I’m only familiar with The Paradise so I look forward to checking out your other suggestions. Another favorite of mine is Call The Midwife which has wonderful engaging characters, clever braiding of stories, and valuable deeper messages.
I watched the first episode of the midwives, and found it really interesting. Loved the nuns, but the harshness of the lives of the people they served was a little hard to watch. I’ve so many good things about it, though, I might have to go back and give it another try. Thanks for the recommendation!
Enjoyed this post, Karen – – and I’m still giggling over your statement: “This show feeds my nerdy muse.” (Okay, I often get really tickled over things that might not seem all that funny to others – – but your sentence did make me giggle!). 😉
A change of scenery often fills my muse(especially to our coast or up in the mountains of n. GA or Eastern TN!). 🙂 However, since I’m pretty much a homebody, LOL, those trips are not really frequent. So….reading books and even being on my front porch, surrounded by trees, camellia bushes, birds singing, and of course cats—really helps feed my muse.
I have FULL STEAM AHEAD in my TBR stack, and cannot wait to read it!! 🙂
Hugs from Georgia, Patti Jo
Scenery is a great way to be inspired, Patti Jo! I love the mountains. They never fail to fill me with awe. Of course, I rarely see them. Not too many mountains in Texas. 🙂
Hope you enjoy Full Steam Ahead! And thanks for giggling over my nerdy muse. 😀
If you enjoy historical romance stories, I think you would greatly enjoy a new series from the Hallmark Channel called When Calls the Heart, based on the Canadian West series of books by Janette Oke. It is truly phenomenal, especially the acting. The first season aired this spring, and the second season will air next spring. You can also pre-order the first season from ChristianBook.com.
If you would like to learn more about how the books, movie, and t.v. series correspond to each other, (which is actually quite confusing!) I would love to invite you to check out my blog at Prairie Sky Book Reviews (just click on Blog and scroll down to find my post on this subject). You can also find a When Calls the Heart facebook page, fan group, and lots more online.
Thanks for your post today (and for all the awesome books you have written – I enjoy them so much!)
Carly
Great post, Karen! Loved the video too. We watch a lot of the same shows though I am more a Downton Abbey and Selfridge’s gal myself. I haven’t watched The Paradise yet. You might try Call the Midwife and if your nerdy side really wants to go a little more hardcore I recommend Doctor Who. 🙂