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| Ruth Douthitt with a fan at Madison #1 Elementary School. |
Inspiration
So, what inspires you to write?
I know for me, my main inspiration came from my son. He actually enjoyed my story when I told it to him. I was pleasantly surprised!
Artwork always inspires me to not only create artwork of my own, but to write a story.
The artwork that inspired me to write The Dragon Forest was found in a popular children’s book called Dragonology by Dugald Steer. This brilliant book provides kids all the tools to become dragon hunters for scientific study! How fun is that?
After using the book for ideas about dragons, I also used the illustrations to sketch out my own dragon drawings.
That is the magic of books! Each time you read a book, you can find new and exciting things that may inspire you to fulfill your dreams.
Art
Because I am a professional artist, art has always played an important role in my life. Today, as I write the first book of my next series, The Warfare Club, I came upon an old print that provided me the inspiration needed to write about the persecution of the early Christians.
The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1883).
This old painting was created during the Realism movement in the late 19th century. The artist wanted to show the religious fortitude of the victims about to suffer martyrdom.
As I wrote scenes set during this time in Rome, this particular painting served as inspiration. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes hit that “wall” when writing a scene. As a visual person, I sometimes can’t see the scene in my head and, therefore, can’t write the scene until I can! Artwork has always been a useful tool for inspiring me when the creativity as dried up.
Film
Sometimes, scenes from films serve as inspiration for me. When writing the battle scenes in The Dragon Forest, I viewed the battle scenes from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers over and over again. I also viewed fight scenes from Gladiator to help me with fight scenes in the Coliseum I needed for The Warfare Club.
God’s Word
Finally, the beauty of a good sermon always inspires me. I take copious notes during sermons and have many completed journals at home to prove it. Along with Scriptures, topics, and other notes, you will see in the margins of my journals ideas I have jotted down for my books. I go back and read those notes when I get stuck on a scene. Works everytime!
So, my advice to any writer is to stop and think about what inspires you to write and jot down what helps you bring that scene to life in your mind and then on the page. Remember those “tools” so that when you hit that wall (and you will…) you have that reserve to tap in to on a day when the creativity well runs dry.
But most importantly….just write!
Your turn: What tool do you use to inspire you to write? How has artwork of any kind helped you complete a scene?
Ruth A. Douthitt’s life took a turn for the better when she returned to college in her late thirties to complete a B.A. in Visual Art from ASU as well as a Masters in Education from University of Phoenix. After teaching college part time, she decided it was time to complete her first book after working on it for almost 20 years. Her son grew up reading C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien which served as her inspiration for her own bildungsroman-type, fantasy adventure book designed to inspire boys everywhere to go out and make their own adventures happen. The Dragon Forest is part one in a three-part series of adventure books about knights, castles, and the dragon realm. Now working in curriculum development as well as teaching teenage girls in church youth ministry, Ruth desires to write both non-fiction as well as fiction for teens based on youth issues today. Ruth lives in Phoenix, AZ with her husband of 23 years, and their teenage son who still inspires her to keep on writing no matter what. For more information on Ruth A. Douthitt and her art work, visit: http://www.artbyruth.com/ and www.thedragonforest.blogspot.com
Also,please visit my author page at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Ruth-A-Douthitt/245592525512882
And my blog at: http://writerspenn.blogspot.com/
Thank you for visiting with us this week, Ruth, and sharing your story. I have a feeling you will soon have many fans; I know I’m one!
Good Morning, Ruth!
It is a rainy, ugly day here in Cincinnati. I need a little inspiration. One of my favorite visuals is the movie poster from Amazing Grace with Ioan Gruffud. http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Gruffudd-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Michael/dp/B0015R91E8
If you look at it closely,it is really inspiring to me. Within the poster that I have framed at home you can see him riding a horse, the woman he loves, Parliament, and a slave ship. I love it. Thanks for visiting today.
Oh yes, that is a beautiful poster. Very romantic and mysterious! Thanks for having me and have a blessed day!