Sparks Are the Leading Cause of Brainstorms
By Daniel Stallings, East Sierra Branch
From where does inspiration spring for a writer? There are the myriad answers to that most common of questions. The world around us. Personal life experiences. Reading news stories. Family history. Even eavesdropping on interesting conversations we may overhear while waiting for food at Denny’s. But there are always those out-of-the-ordinary, unexpected, one-off ideas that strike us which, by the alchemical process of writing, turn into great gems of storytelling.
What do I mean? I’m talking those short pieces you have written based on a dare from a friend or a strange idea handed to you by a colleague. Pieces that aren’t necessarily in your wheelhouse. I think, for example, of the wonderful story Donna McCrohan Rosenthal read at Weird Weekday titled “Water Is the Leading Cause of Drowning.” It started because she used that phrase, said to her by a friend of hers, at the last Ridge Writers Board Meeting and I replied, “That would make a great title for a piece.” And she agreed. And her writing instincts took over.
I think this is beyond amazing. I am constantly inspired by strange, little quirks and sparks and ideas that spring up out of nowhere, challenges set to me by friends, family, colleagues, strangers, or the universe as a whole. A new voice or accent an actor has experimented with at an audition has grown into full show concepts. The odd turn of phrase from a friend has become the title of a new work. I was even once challenged to make a fart literary, as incredible as that may seem. And then I write. Why do I bring up these examples? I want to encourage all of us writers to embrace these sparks of inspiration. Not every piece has to be a magnum opus. Some can be experimental. Some can be exploratory. And some can be just plain fun. But the more you write, the better you get at it. And the more open you are to accepting new ideas, inspirations, and styles.
Look at this: An anecdote Donna shared inspired a comment from me which inspired her to write a story which in turn inspired this President’s Message which may inspire one of you to write something. One little spark can be the leading cause of major brainstorms. They can grow into deep, moving, beautiful pieces. But if you don’t grab hold of those offbeat sparks and start writing, you will never find out how far your imagination can stretch.
“Sparks” became a President’s Message in
Writers of the Purple Sage, newsletter of the East Sierra Branch