Inspiration

It is amazing where inspiration and creations come from... JK Rowling was inspired by the Hogwarts Express when she was on a train, but who knows where the rest of her magical genius comes from. How I would love to get into her mind and see where the rest of the wizard world comes from.

It does not have to necessarily be about literature either; I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson and currently reading You Are Not Alone by his brother Jermaine which provides a personal look at Michael Jackson off stage. One thing that fascinated me was seeing all the childhood inspirations that helped build Neverland; from a train set Michael wanted as a child to an analogy Jermaine once quoted to his little brother, it all has its place in Neverland.

So where has my own inspirations come from?

If you've been following my tweets and blogs, you will understand that my new book is about a medium helping someone who's wife is missing. My inspiration has so far come from the famous mediums such as Sally Morgan and Colin Fry, stories in the newspaper defrauding mediums as well as books by Mary O'Reilly. Of course events within my own life have gone in there too! Are not all authors' work slightly autobiographical?

But occasionally things from my own life or an event will appear and inspire me more than any of the above. I was on an underground tour of Manchester last night learning about the history of the city beneath me. It was fascinating; from the transportation of goods through the canals in the 1800s, to the use of bunkers during the world wars, there was so much to learn and there is so much more to explore. What was interesting, however, was how scared people were wondering around in the pitch black with only the dim torches to guide their way. People were especially freaked out when the tour guide told an anecdote of the time she came down here with a medium who was ghost hunting.

My time there inspired me to write a chapter of the book; obviously it will be very different, otherwise I'll have a bunch of people claiming rights on my work, but I have to admit I am more than inspired. It was interesting to see people's reactions while walking through just a dark, damp tunnel, especially with the idea that there could potentially be a spirit in there.

Inspiration is a wonderful thing and more people should share their inspirational secrets because often where an idea came from can be just as interesting as the work they have produced.