Sometimes, when I’m interviewed, I get this question. I actually get it a lot. I don’t blame the interviewer. As a writer who is relatively unknown, there isn’t that much to go by. Unless of course, they find this blog and hit the motherlode, to which they can surf and pick out which writers and books I’m influenced by.
Of course, I will oblige and answer the question. I should be thankful that they ask this question, because it’s an easy one. I can pick any aspect of my life and show how it is linked to writing. I can talk about how I hankered after stories as a child, and how my parents were accidental storytellers. I can cite my favourite childhood books, or the young adults I have read as a teenager. Or if you want a more current answer, I can write and talk about the book I am reading about at the moment.
But it’s not just books that inspire me. Science inspires me. I read about and watch videos of two-headed snakes and sharks that create a bite mark that resembles a cookie. I read about how the Andromeda galaxy and ours will crash in 4 billion years. I read about Caligula, of history, and weird geographical phenomena. I try to be curious. I hope I am.
So instead of being asked what inspires me, I would rather be asked:
- What book (fiction) are you reading now?
- What fun fact did you find out recently?
- What non-fiction book are you reading now?
- What are you excited about?
But if you ask what I’m inspired by, I’ll answer it anyway. It is a fairly easy question, after all.
Featured image by Danny Navarro