Every writer loves their particular genre. We live for it, breathe it, eat it up like a nice juicy steak. It's always nice to read and study within our own borders. But there are whole untouched universes out there to explore and add into our bag of tools. I'm not talking about galaxies far far away. I'm talking about the myriad of things to explore and glean from all around us in reading material. Some things are at the touch of those crisp...or dog eared pages of books. Other things are at the speed of digital light on the internet. point is that exploration can give new insight and new ideas from all around us. Even a walk around your neighborhood can be enlightening just by watching people.
Personally, history is my favorite. Personalities throughout history give interesting prospective for different personalities. This morning I was watching the movie Frida, as portrayed by Salma Hayek. what an interesting character this artist was. It got me wanting to know the real artist vs Hollywood's. With a bit of searching I got to know Frida not just as the very interesting artist, but as a woman who struggled throughout her life physically as well as emotionally.
In a time of turmoil and very radical ideas for politics pitting the very poor against the very rich, a brilliant story arose in its chaos. The geo political things happening were a back drop that enriched Frida's story. Now, I'll be honest with you. I'm not a big fan of Communism in any shape or form. I understand it's idealism from the working class poor. I understand it's intentions. But ultimately it's a failure and can never work. Why? Human nature. Greed, corruption, someone always wants to be on top of the pile. It's the truth. Not sure you agree? Check out how well it worked for the Soviet Union or Argentina, or many different little countries. Ok, why all this? Because I watched impassioned people WANT to believe in something that gave them hope. Isn't that what all stories are about?
Given all that, I loved Frida as a very strong female lead. As portrayed she embodied perseverance, creativity and a deep strength that perhaps many of her time would cower from. Even though she suffered hurt from her artist love/future husband, she never gave up and did what she loved most. She painted. The suffering and challenges ultimately came from around her. Physical trauma time and time again attacked her. Failed love relationships and yet she never stopped her quest as an artist. Pretty cool stuff.
My point is that you can glean ideas from what you see across the board. You can also see how adversity affects characters as you breathe life in them. So, hat's off to you Frida, your politics were a bit to idealist but you stood a long battle in a short life. Thanks for letting me get a peek into your life, it was worth it.
So what characters OUTSIDE your genre of choice have given you inspiration?
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