My ideas and concepts while writing a story are almost always derivative of something. Not in the way of directly copying a work of course, but more like adapting random thoughts into something coherent. Sometimes I listen to music and become randomly inspired by some stray sound or lyric that passes through my head, and I’ll try to convey as best I can whatever thought comes into my head as a result. Other times it’s a movie or a book I read, possibly some strange personality trait of a character that stands out, or an interesting plot point or moment that my brain attaches itself on and spins into something very different from its source.
More interesting, and a bit more concerning, is the fact that I sometimes base my stories or characters on personal anecdotes and experiences. The personalities of myself and my friends, my experiences, and stories I hear and talk about sometimes end up influencing, and possibly even constituting a major part of my writing. It’s not that I’m particularly afraid or embarrassed to have people read those stories that seem a little too personal to be completely fiction. I feel though, that sometimes I rely too much on personal experience and people I meet, sometimes using it as a creative crutch as opposed to creating something truly and wholly original. I know that many authors’ visions for their stories originate from experience or personal belief but I want to be wary of using it too much. I want to write the story, not have the story written for me.
-Tomas
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