Lifelong Influences

Before diving into what-to-write, take a moment to explore what kinds of stories, writers, songs, artwork, and movies that get you excited.

Why?

Because a story that you write that is pulled from these influences is likely going to keep you excited, spark your creativity, and carry you to The End or Fade Out. Maybe both!

You might also see a theme you’ve not ever necessarily noticed before that can spark story ideas near and dear to you. You might even notice where your writer’s voice comes from.

For me, stories that influence my writing include:

• The Wizard of Oz (film)
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder)
• Star Wars (A New Hope)
• Harry Potter (Sorcerer’s Stone)
• The Hobbit

Every one of these stories has something similar—the hero’s world becomes much bigger in a fantastic way. We learn along with Dorothy about a land over the rainbow, and Munchkins, flying monkeys, a flawed wizard, the witches, etc. We learn along with Charlie of this crazy candy maker, Oompa Loompas, Schozzberries, etc. We experience Luke being drawn into the world of The Force, saving the Princess, Wookies, Darth Vader, taking on the Empire. And we celebrate with Harry when he’s taken from his room under the stairs and learns he’s a powerful wizard, goes to Gringott’s, and Hogwarts. We take that first step with Bilbo out from his Hobbit hole and into a world of Orcs, Wizards, Elves, Dwarves, magic rings, and dragons. We learn, with the hero, that their world isn’t just what it has always been.

Now, you can easily argue that any good story does that…and any good story should. But for my list, they all have an element of the fantastical, adventure in a world where any surprising thing just might jump out at us from some place we just weren’t looking. For the Harry Potter series, it's Harry's introduction into the magical realm that grabs my excitement. I enjoy all the Harry Potter novels, but the first has that element I enjoy most. I’m not particularly a fan of fantasy, but stories that bring the hero into the fantastical…kicks me right in the feels.

 

Writers that influence my writing include Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Barbara Kingsolver, Fannie Flagg, and Earnest Hemmingway. Mark Twain has such a strong narrative voice that I often find myself speaking like him after I re-read one of my favorite books: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I like that he wrote a story that seemingly has no real structure until you think of a raft drifting down the Mississippi River. Hemmingway shows up mostly in my screenplays, where brevity is key. Dickens, particularly A Christmas Carol, takes a strong voice and makes it downright intrusive…and that’s how I like to write. Proper grammar and sentence structure be damned…my narrators tend to be just another character who sometimes breaks the fourth wall and reminds you, “hey, I’m talking here…pay attention.” Kingsolver and Flagg have such rich ways of describing people in their worlds, that reading their books reminds me of listening to my grandmother tell me stories. Which brings me to…

Grandma. Damn, that woman could turn a phrase like no other. My favorite line from her, while bickering with my grandfather over the cost of some random thing at Ben Franklin’s, was “Aww hell, make a liar out of me for a nickel!” I’m often surprised at how often I read something I’ve written and realize that particular scene has “grandma” written all over it and her word choices like hinder, rummage, folk, and Aww Hell.

Music influences on my writing include just about anything by Fleetwood Mac. Growing up on Rumours, I always recognized something unique about their music. I would later describe their work as “music for English majors,” for the way they craft their stories through lyrics, harmonies, and how the various instruments work together and against one another. Their music isn’t just enjoyable, but is a fun study. When I want to tap into a certain vibe for a scene, I might cue up one of their albums or a particular song, and sometimes I’ll tap into what I refer to as “orchestrated chaos” from their music (think The Chain, or just about any of Lindsey’s songs from Tusk). John Mellencamp…although not very influential on my writing, has one particular song that is: Key West Intermezzo. I don’t know what my top ten song list is, but this song is most definitely on that list. The story, the imagery, the dramatic pause when “everyone was looking…” and a misheard lyric…this song consistently gets me to imagine something every time I listen. I can’t just enjoy the listen, but my brain goes off to some place in Key West and just literally explores.

And the misheard lyric? “In the bone colored dawn, me and Gypsy Scotty are singin'” I had always heard “In a boat-covered dawn” The way I heard it is much more visual, implying the sun coming up over water, behind boats that reflect in the water. And it’s very consistent with the story he tells in the song. I still sing it that way in my head. When I heard it was just “bone colored” I thought Mellencamp really missed an opportunity. But he does just fine without my input. Nonetheless, this really gets me to see things. It revs me up when I listen to it, especially when there is rum involved.

​So, what inspires you? Make a list. Ask yourself why these things influence you. Chances are, the stories you want to tell has influences from these seemingly unrelated sources.