The Sauce of Inspiration

It's OK folks, you haven't logged into my other blog (inside the chicken coop) by mistake. Just felt this post wanted to be here instead.

My hens are always digging up old china, bottles, and metal etc, but today the 'Time Team' chicks came up trumps when they had their first complete find. It was an old H P Sauce bottle. It's not ancient, there are probably loads of them around, but it's still nicer than the plastic bottles we have today, and of course it has a little bit of history.



This simple sauce bottle really made me think. I wondered who had shaken the last drop of sauce out of it, and what were they eating at the time? What were they talking about? What were they wearing? Where were they going next? It's endless isn't it? How the smallest objects can make you think about the wider picture? It's a great way of building a character for a story (do they like red or brown sauce?!)

That's the wonderful thing about writing. It makes you wonder about things. Some things, even if they appear insignificant, could be the source of an idea that leads on to a great story or article.





Above is just a small collection of what my little 'Time Team' have found. I don't think I can claim treasure trove just yet, but I certainly have history and a brilliant source of inspiration.

So next time you find a penny in the street, a car park ticket, a cigarette stub on a pavement, it could be the source of inspiration for your next piece of writing.

Good luck
Di
xx

Inspiration - The sequel

Hi folks

Well I'm here again. Due to the snow, I could not get into work today, so decided to sort some of my books out. I found the one pictured and it brought back lovely memories of my first joining Wrekin Writers. It's come full circle as our very own Sue Horder-Mason was chair back then and from the moment I walked in I felt welcome. I was so shy then I couldn't stand reading anything out but the group has helped me overcome that with years of support and encouragement.

Sue often used this book to give us exercises which were a fantastic way of getting instant inspiration. Some of them were against the clock and she would quite literally open to a page, close her eyes and pick one to do. It has pages of 'five minute fictions' where you are invited to write a story about anything from 'something old' to 'a chair' to 'being afraid' etc. This is a great way to get limbered up for your own writing, a bit like stretching exercises for the brain before you go into your full aerobic exercise of writing.

I never forgot it and only last year I managed to get a used copy of the book from amazon. It really is a good read and very informative. Roberta Allen the author of 'Fast Fiction has a website so is well worth look at see www.robertaallen.com/

Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny thing as you never know where you are going to find it. I made this little slide show to capture some of the things that have inspired me.

This morning I fed the ponies as normal. Chad is the first pony in the slide, all rugged up as he is an old boy now. I bought him as a six year old when I was just 14years old. We have actually grown up together, in fact apart from my mom, I have spent more time with him than any other person in my life. He, along with my Mom are the ones responsible for giving me the first inspiration to write. He had quite a history before coming to me, but that's another story. Brodie is the little fury pony, quite a handful and a bit grumpy some days, but he is a wonderful companion to Chad. It touches my heart that these two huge creatures are so dependent on me, it's tough every morning and night feeding and watering them in the freezing cold, but when they whinny at the sound of my car, it's an incredible feeling.

As I approached Chad's field shelter to spread the hay, I thought I could see two birds fighting. It was in fact a kestrel that had just caught a mouse. It was darting about in the hay for a while then flew straight past me with the unfortunate rodent gripped in it's claws.

Then the marmalade cat that thinks he is a horse came strolling over the field. He didn't seem to notice the two rabbits who were kicking up the snow as they fled across the field. I find him quite often in the field shelter, it's deep with shavings and straw, so it's lovely and warm and he is probably looking for the mice that the kestrel has already nabbed! He seems to get on very well with the horses and prefers to spend his days in their field rather than hang out with the other village cats.

After that I noticed a robin sat on the rim of Chad's bucket while he was eating. Chad was clearly not bothered by the hungry intruder who only flew off when I started cracking the ice on their water containers. The birds often come close to the ponies, and in the spring when they start to shed their winter coats, I have experienced several Jackdaws waiting in turn to pick up the discarded hair so they can take it for their nests.

Finally on my way home, I had to stop the car at the sight of some sheep feeding. Two had climbed right on top of the bales of hay and were tucking in with glee. The others stood side by side munching away oblivious to me grinning like a fool as I snapped them on my camera. (Although I think the one is looking right at me in the slide show)

In just that short space of time, I had seen so many wonderful things that are living around me all of the time. They are simple things that many people may not even notice or care about, but to me they are precious. They are my inspiration. It is ironic though that many of the things that inspire me, are usually the things that prevent me from writing in the first place. I know I probably spend more time inside the chicken coop just watching my funny little hens than writing about them, and once I get out into the woods nearby, I can stay for hours, just walking and taking in the natural beauty. Then I come into the house, sit by the fire and stare into the flames as I reflect on the things that inspire me.

But right now, I am at my computer, with magical images in my head, and plenty on my camera. I just have to find the time to start writing about them before I go out again!