Where Do You Get Your Inspiration In Writing?

This weekend I decided I needed a little inspiration, so I thought of what has inspired me as a writer, and I want each of you (Yes, that means you MARK=) to tell me what has inspired you.

For me, one of the most impactful speaches in history is found in Shakespeare's play Taming of the Shew. It is the speach given by Katharina at the very end of the play where she chastises the widow and her sister for not respecting their husbands. Partly, I admit, this is because I really love the topic of this speach (Yes, I love my husband =), but also it is just very powerfully written.

I know there are probably a million other speaches, plays or books that have inspired me and others, but this has definitely been one of them.

Now for the inspiration behind writing YA Fiction. If you are like me, you read read read as a child, teen and adult. The moment I knew I wanted to write Teen Fiction was when I was a teen. I had read my hundredth or so book and wanted to begin creating worlds of my own. I moved around (a lot!) as a teen and after flitting between groups of friends (not really deciding who I liked, because let's face it, I didn't like making friends if I was just going to move again...why get my heart broken every time?) I would spend a lot of time on my own.

Notebook in hand, I would write story after story, usually the inspiration of which came from my many strange and exciting dreams.  I never finished these books, because I didn't know how they ended, but I have since come back to some of the ideas and incorperated them in my current YA Series, FATE.

Here is a list of some of the Teen Ficiton I read that made me want to write (please share yours as well!)...

WILD MAGIC by Tamora Peirce

I LOVED this book, though I admit I wasn't quite as inthralled with the rest of the series, not that they were bad, but perhaps because my expectations were set for something totally different. But this first book is great!

LJ Smith is another author I read A LOT from. These are just a few of her series that I read. She is a truly gifted writer and kept me turning the page time and time again. In fact, these book covers that I have displayed aren't the originals. This is a newer reprint. The Vampire Diaries Series has also been made into a WB series.

Anyway, this is just the tip of the iceberg for me, but these are definitely worth checking out. Another new favorite that I just read was James Dashner's The Maze Runner.

Great read! If you like the series LOST, then you will like this book. It is like a teen version =).

Now, GO TO, and READ! (And post, really, tell me what inpsires you!)

PS. I totally think I found out a way to save my first chapters!!! Yea!!!