Dollop 3: That One Moment That Changed Your Writing Life
Returning to that first spark of inspiration
Don’t forget, if you’d like your writing or self-publishing question answered in a future Dollop, email me your question at hello@writeintothewoods.com or send me a message. I can share your books and you can stay anonymous, just let me know.
Was there a specific moment that made you want to write what you write?
A moment when you fell in love with a genre or a trope or storytelling in general?
I was in the cinema watching Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
You might have seen it.
Do you remember the scene where the fellowship enters the mines of Moria?
There is darkness, then Gandalf lights up his staff and we see the mines. The tall arches, the stonework, the deep caverns.
Usually when I’m watching something, my brain is whirring.
You might have noticed.
My mind doesn’t shut the hell up. It’s constantly asking why was that scene so good? What’s going to happen next? What would I write next? I love that character! Why do I love that character so much? What the hell is wrong with that character? Why do I hate them so much?
But when Gandalf lit up the mines of Moria and the music swelled, my mind was rendered speechless.
I started writing epic/high fantasy the moment I got home.
Okay, so I’d already spent years writing dark fantasy. Spilling my teenage hormones all over the page, detailing pale, handsome vampires.
Lord of the Rings, and shortly afterwards Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, showed me a different world was possible, and changed my writing immediately and for the better.
It feels like a while since I’ve written fantasy. I’ve been trying my hand at romance and paranormal cosy mysteries. Both have a touch of the fantastical about them, but not enough.
Sometimes it’s nice to remember what sparked that first flame of joy and passion for telling stories.
I’ll ask again because I’m genuinely fascinated, and feel free to leave a comment below.
What specific moment made you want to write what you write?
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I kid you not, Jenny, oh Virgo friend, it was LoTR for me too. I went in fascinated by the elves and left with a huge and enduring crush on dirt-caked honorable brooding men like Aragorn. That image of him as a reluctant guide and king, tstarted writing what I thought would be a silly play about elves. That blew up into a real storyline and entire cast of characters. I had written little bits of fanart before that, and other small stories, but I was convinced I was a visual artist first. LoTR changed everything.