Need inspiration? Try writing from pictures.

If you're looking for a source of inspiration, try writing from pictures.

Numerous well-known authors have found this to be a useful technique, including Kenneth Oppel, author of the Silverwing series and many other popular books. I had the privilege to hear Kenneth Oppel speak about his writing at the University of Winnipeg in 2014. During his talk, he described how he likes to take the reader through different geographical spaces, which he sometimes bases on photos of real places. He showed us a powerpoint photo of the real lighthouse on which the one in Silverwing is based. He also clicked through to an image of a cityscape on a starry night, which I think inspired the city scenes.

J. R. R. Tolkien is another famous author who drew ideas from pictures. The character of Gandalf was inspired by this postcard he purchased on holiday in Switzerland:

On the back of his postcard, Tolkien wrote, "The origin of Gandalf."

The painting on the postcard is titled Der Berggeist, which is German for "the mountain spirit." You can certainly see a resemblance between the white-bearded woodsman in the painting, and Tolkien's final image of Gandalf. Isn't it exciting to think that Tolkien once looked at this piece of art, and his thoughts read: magic?