I asked the CI fiction authors what sort of settings inspire them... What do we need from a space in order to sit down and create? There’s a broad range of answers here – every author is unique.Top of Form
Gary Michael Vasey: ah - music and meditation. I can write anywhere but to be inspired I either use music or meditation. It puts me in a different place so place becomes irrelevant in a way.
Nicolas Forzy: I like to write in places where paths cross, an intersection of auras. It can be a staircase landing or a busy train station, a bustling cafe or a crowded airport. Somewhere with people in transitory friction. That way, I can always look up from my work and study a character, an interaction, a special moment. Very inspiring. I'd advise to anyone wishing to unshackle themselves from their smartphones once in a while. As the great philosopher Ferris Bueler once said: 'Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.'
Helen Noble: What is it about water? I am drawn to the seashore, edges of lakes, paths of streams. I seem to process ideas more effectively when I am walking on deserted beaches or in quiet forests. Then again I am also inspired by the expansive feeling from a mountain top or view point from castle battlements...
Marie Yates: If I'm lacking inspiration I need to get outside, preferably with a dog or out for a run. It's amazing how quickly the ideas begin to flow again. I have learned that I need to record ideas on my phone as a pen and paper doesn't work in either scenario!
Daniela Norris: People inspire me - and the interesting situations they often create. These are much better than anything I can possibly make up!
Maria Moloney: Mysterious landscapes. I live in Ireland and there are plenty of places where you can "feel" the magic. The Burren in County Clare is one of those. Another place is Wiltshire, UK, and with stone circles, Salisbury Plain and all those burial mounds, it really breathes magic.
Jon Mackley: I like to have straight lines in front of me, so I can see some distance. My last house had a long garden, which then looked down the road. Lots of space, but still keeping me focused. I also get lots of ideas when I'm doing repetitive manual work, stuffing envelopes at work, or digging in the garden.
Mercedes Rochelle: I often get my inspiration inside of another book!
Jan Krause Greene: Windows and doors have always sparked my curiosity. I often fantasize about what is on the other side. Windows in Touro Tower in Newport play a part in my next novel.
Elen Sentier: One I'll be on today - on Dartmoor, in the wilds, hawking with a couple of friends, catching my own lunch and cooking it on the Moor
Timothy Roderick: I am drawn to old coastal New England towns and ports. My partner and I just got back from a week in Maine. Oh my gosh! The changing leaves left us breathless. Ancient monuments like Stonehenge and dense oaky forests capture my attention.
Nimue Brown: A wide horizon is always inspiring. In terms of places to sit down and write, I love it when there are other people about who are doing their own thing - very occasional interruptions in a good cause (to share something brilliant or offer me coffee, for example) seem to suit me.
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