Inspiration Comes in All Forms
In case you haven't heard me shouting from the rooftops announcing that my short story Paradise One is out now in Science Fiction Freedom then maybe I need to shout a little louder.
I'd like to take a moment to give people a tast of the atmosphere of my stories. Yes, stories, there is a Paradise Two.
What inspires me? Well, things I like of course.
This isn't true all the time, sometimes there are things that I would have liked if they were done differently but those are few and far inbetween. Let's look at where my inspiration is from.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Yes, the dark and eerie science fiction anime, NGE. I had no idea of what I was getting into when I picked up that box at the video store. Yes, kids, the video store. I thought it was going to be like an anime version of the Power Rangers. It was 1996, cut me some slack.
I am creeped out by this anime. I will always love it, but other times it makes my stomach churn. But what I absolutely admire is the mixture between myth and science.
Angels as aliens? Check
That's sort of one of the themes in Paradise One. Although their purpose, agendas, powers and physical appearance are completly different in my story.
2. Roswell
If you haven't been following the blog then you wouldn't know that I LOVE Roswell.
Lost aliens? Check.
Even though Roswell focused heavily on the relationships rather than the aliens and the science I still enjoyed the plot. I always wondered what the aliens were doing out in space during this...war while Max was deciding between his once upon a time wife Ava and his bride to be Liz.
3. Ivy / Zero 7
I was going to say that if you don't feel inspired by hearing an Ivy or a Zero 7 song. Don't ask me why I think of outerspace and beaches or some other remote location when I hear their songs. They're not even in the same genre. But whenever I don't know how to proceed with a story. I put one of these fantastic groups on.
4. Star Wars
Why not? You have the basics, love, honor, duty - which is Star Wars.
Both Star Wars and my story take place in a galaxy far, far away. The difference? There's also parallel dimensions, Atlantians, ancient astronaunt theories, teleportation...
5. Sliders / Dr. Who
Why have I put these two together? They're basically my first real understanding of what a dimensional vortex is. Which is 90% of my story. The majority of my characters travel through a dimensional vortex. I don't mess with time travel, there's no time travel in my stories. I'm not my buddy Kurt Vonnegut or Octavia Butler. Which, by the way, her time travel story is...it depressed me.
In my stories there isn't anything profound to it. I don't want to hurt your brain. She's my sister, she's my daughter...no. Just read the story and enjoy it.
Lastest inspiration...;)
6. Inception
(SPOILERS)
I wish I had come up with that idea. I know how people say this book should be a movie. Inception should be a book.
I think using the same rules of this universe in a book version would be terrific.
It's so limitless. On one hand, when you're dealing with outer space you have to have rules and stick to them, or I'll get mad. But Inception is a science fiction story with fantasy elements in it. The dream world is a fantasy. It is your fantasy, your mind, your dream, to have rules and hard facts in a dream is the opposite of a dream.
Now I know, there's someone who may take issue with the different levels in dreams and the whole idea of the kick. Why is that such a hard rule. A) It's not. I don't care what anyone says Cobb is playing with his kinds in real life. Okay? End. I don't want to discuss it anymore not with you or the people over at imdb. That's it. He's safe and at home.
Last but not least
7. The Canterbury Tales
I've purposely set up my SOME stories in a frame narrative. This is absolutely true for The Visions of Koto-Ryin. Why? Because I think it's just cool. I tried to incorporate the frame with the stories that are being told so that when the characters telling the story are now involved you are not only caught up with the past...you are also caught up with these 'new' characters, who aren't really new because you've been reading about them tell this story.
Sunday's Blog ----> Who am I writing about?
I'd like to take a moment to give people a tast of the atmosphere of my stories. Yes, stories, there is a Paradise Two.
What inspires me? Well, things I like of course.
This isn't true all the time, sometimes there are things that I would have liked if they were done differently but those are few and far inbetween. Let's look at where my inspiration is from.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Yes, the dark and eerie science fiction anime, NGE. I had no idea of what I was getting into when I picked up that box at the video store. Yes, kids, the video store. I thought it was going to be like an anime version of the Power Rangers. It was 1996, cut me some slack.
I am creeped out by this anime. I will always love it, but other times it makes my stomach churn. But what I absolutely admire is the mixture between myth and science.
Angels as aliens? Check
That's sort of one of the themes in Paradise One. Although their purpose, agendas, powers and physical appearance are completly different in my story.
2. Roswell
If you haven't been following the blog then you wouldn't know that I LOVE Roswell.
Lost aliens? Check.
Even though Roswell focused heavily on the relationships rather than the aliens and the science I still enjoyed the plot. I always wondered what the aliens were doing out in space during this...war while Max was deciding between his once upon a time wife Ava and his bride to be Liz.
3. Ivy / Zero 7
I was going to say that if you don't feel inspired by hearing an Ivy or a Zero 7 song. Don't ask me why I think of outerspace and beaches or some other remote location when I hear their songs. They're not even in the same genre. But whenever I don't know how to proceed with a story. I put one of these fantastic groups on.
4. Star Wars
Why not? You have the basics, love, honor, duty - which is Star Wars.
Both Star Wars and my story take place in a galaxy far, far away. The difference? There's also parallel dimensions, Atlantians, ancient astronaunt theories, teleportation...
5. Sliders / Dr. Who
Why have I put these two together? They're basically my first real understanding of what a dimensional vortex is. Which is 90% of my story. The majority of my characters travel through a dimensional vortex. I don't mess with time travel, there's no time travel in my stories. I'm not my buddy Kurt Vonnegut or Octavia Butler. Which, by the way, her time travel story is...it depressed me.
In my stories there isn't anything profound to it. I don't want to hurt your brain. She's my sister, she's my daughter...no. Just read the story and enjoy it.
Lastest inspiration...;)
6. Inception
(SPOILERS)
I wish I had come up with that idea. I know how people say this book should be a movie. Inception should be a book.
I think using the same rules of this universe in a book version would be terrific.
It's so limitless. On one hand, when you're dealing with outer space you have to have rules and stick to them, or I'll get mad. But Inception is a science fiction story with fantasy elements in it. The dream world is a fantasy. It is your fantasy, your mind, your dream, to have rules and hard facts in a dream is the opposite of a dream.
Now I know, there's someone who may take issue with the different levels in dreams and the whole idea of the kick. Why is that such a hard rule. A) It's not. I don't care what anyone says Cobb is playing with his kinds in real life. Okay? End. I don't want to discuss it anymore not with you or the people over at imdb. That's it. He's safe and at home.
Last but not least
7. The Canterbury Tales
I've purposely set up my SOME stories in a frame narrative. This is absolutely true for The Visions of Koto-Ryin. Why? Because I think it's just cool. I tried to incorporate the frame with the stories that are being told so that when the characters telling the story are now involved you are not only caught up with the past...you are also caught up with these 'new' characters, who aren't really new because you've been reading about them tell this story.
Sunday's Blog ----> Who am I writing about?
Interesting sources of inspiration. I love Neon Genesis... I didn't quite understand the ending, but I think I just need to re-watch it, is all. It's worth a 2nd viewing. Misato's one of my favorites from that.
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