For me, being creative is an implicit act of trust. I trust in the abundance of ideas, and that if I’m meant to write something, the inspiration will come at the right time and the right place.
If someone asks for technical advice, I always defer to Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, the psychological motivations (or lack thereof) that determine whether a character becomes a hero or a villain. What is the next logical step they need to take, how does that affect their internal thought process, and how does that reflect in their setting and narrative?
However, there’s an intangible element that I struggle to convey, one that seems to come from an intelligence underlying our unfolding lives. A snippet on a show, a glimpse of something during a walk, shower thoughts, a snapshot in my mind taken from an everyday errand…these can trigger a flood of narrative and inspired premises. Seemingly unrelated to whatever’s happening in my story, but in the end, they morph into crucial pieces of my novel.
I think that’s the part that separates an invigorating story from an academically constructed, checklist-born recounting of fictional events. One conveys literary theory and institutional consensus. The other conveys a transcendent energy that’s always present and always relevant.
In my opinion, anyways.
Explore the Worlds Behind the Stories
Kent Wayne’s ideas about storytelling, power, and human nature appear throughout his fiction.
If you’re curious how those ideas appear inside the stories, start with the Unbound Realm.
If you’re still exploring, follow the ideas:
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