(07-11-2022, 06:54 PM)Michigan Swamp Buck Wrote: Ah yes, the creative methods one can use and the burn out of writing. The muse must tickle and tease me to get me going. I've found that listening to music and drinking beer late at night is a pretty good motivator. Also, once you get going, the story begins to write itself and the characters take on a life of their own.
Most of this story is based on my research into myths, urban legends and conspiracy theories, but much of it is also based on personal experience. The music I find most inspiring is late 80s to 90s alternative rock with some old off the wall classics mixed in. When I get into some of the next chapters this may become apparent.
I must admit that the dark subject matter I've been exploring has had it's effects on my personal life. Just the other night I was having nightmares while talking in my sleep and sleep walking. I was apparently very upset and fighting with something. These things very rarely happen to me.
Personal experience is the wellspring for many a tale. Folks often write about what they are most familiar with. In Franklin's case, two of those 3 series are set in the same "universe", which coincidentally enough happens to be located right here in this area. Most of his characters are inspired by folks he knows. I was his inspiration for the "Hugh" character in the Borrowed World series.
He recently did a crossover between the two series, and in that crossover Hugh seems to be on the verge of developing a relationship with a truly scary woman from the other series. I got curious about that, and asked Franklin if he was planning on swapping Hugh back and forth between the series, due to the reception of his crossover novel and the fact that Hugh was developing an interest in a character from the other series, but his reply indicated that the crossover work was such a tremendous pain in the ass that he might never do another crossover installment.
I understand how the research can take a toll. I recently stumbled across an old legend from this general area regarding "feral people", also known as "wild men", "wild hillbillies" and sometimes just "hillbillies" in certain areas. Think "Wrong Turn" or "The Hills Have Eyes", but less civilized. Some folks say that some families went feral during the Depression, and others claim they are the remnants of Civil War deserters. In any event, they're pretty damned scary folks who mostly go naked, live in caves and rock shelters, don't mind the occasional bout of cannibalism, and who sometimes actively hunt people.
After absorbing all that information, for several days I could not walk past an open window without getting the willies even though I was indoors.
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Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’