I keep a collection of images on my computer in a folder titled "everyfink", which I delve into when I need some kind of writing inspiration. Many of them are fantasy art, portraying scenes that find their way into my books in some form or another. I now bring you a sample, straight from the "everyfink" folder, which I should rename at some future time.
[creds: aixie on deviantart]
The idea of a young, unsure female Death led to my heroine Allegra Clancy. The image of Death was created by humanity, making Death more human than anything, and although it seems impossible Death must eventually die. Allegra's mother is taken by an old and decrepit Death, who then forces Allegra into his place. She has no idea what she's doing, which leads to a huge fiasco of ghosts, until Allegra has no choice but to get help. Unfortunately, no one can teach her except the Deaths themselves, and where does Death go when it dies?
"Allegra?"
"Yes?"
"Will things get better?"
I wiped blood out of my eye and tried to curl an arm around her shoulders. It went through her like a hot knife through butter. Nevertheless, I welcomed the few seconds to think as she re-formed from a mess of fog. I knew what she wanted to hear, and lies are not untruths, only ideas of a future that is less likely to happen.
"Yes, Caroline. Things will get better."
[creds: robthedoodler on deviantart]
Anne McCaffrey's vignette 'Pern Dragons' mentions a quote by John W. Campbell, who said that you have to have a reason for putting alien beasts in a book: they had to fit a niche in that ecology. I had a niche and I needed great big flying beasts to fit it. Dragons are cliché, and I had so much trouble coming up with a 'new' version of dragon that I switched to a completely different track. I wanted huge airborne beings that didn't resemble dragons. At all. In any way.
Then I stumbled upon concept art of a tremendous feathered flyer called an "owl griffin." Spelled the proper way, owl gryphons are now a high-flying feature in my novel Skylander.
"Third wing forward!"
The owl feathers in her hair whistling, Aradia urged Wick downward, sending him into a deep swoop. She was forced to duck as his plumed tail whipped past her head, buoyed by air currents. Pulling her goggles tighter over her face, she pressed her body to the griffin's neck as Wick flapped laboriously to ascend again.
"Sanghir! Dodge!"
A hoop was spun her way. Wick tucked in his paws and dove, Aradia clinging to the saddle. His tail caught the rim of the hoop and flicked it off in another direction, but they were already through and Aradia straightened. Her immediate instinct was to swerve and retrieve the hoop, but she knew Rule One: Always remain with your wing.
Then I stumbled upon concept art of a tremendous feathered flyer called an "owl griffin." Spelled the proper way, owl gryphons are now a high-flying feature in my novel Skylander.
"Third wing forward!"
The owl feathers in her hair whistling, Aradia urged Wick downward, sending him into a deep swoop. She was forced to duck as his plumed tail whipped past her head, buoyed by air currents. Pulling her goggles tighter over her face, she pressed her body to the griffin's neck as Wick flapped laboriously to ascend again.
"Sanghir! Dodge!"
A hoop was spun her way. Wick tucked in his paws and dove, Aradia clinging to the saddle. His tail caught the rim of the hoop and flicked it off in another direction, but they were already through and Aradia straightened. Her immediate instinct was to swerve and retrieve the hoop, but she knew Rule One: Always remain with your wing.
[creds: idk, probably Charlie Bowater?]
This steampunk image led to the design of one of my most beloved characters of all time, sassy, suspicious starship pilot Tara Hope. I thought, okay, goggles, bandana, gloves, military-looking jacket, she's a pilot. I was working on a sci-fi novel, Starship Peppermint, at the time, and I didn't have a pilot for the ship yet, so I shoved her in and locked the gate. After quite a lot of mental attempts at lock-picking and gate-breaking, she settled in and worked out wonderfully. Her character has evolved since then: she's no longer as lovely as this image, her eyes are grey instead of green, her hair isn't curly, but the coquettish expression and rather grubby clothes are quintessential Tara.
Tara blinked. “Sorry, what?”
“They’re asking us to break into the National Archives. Yeah.”
“You’re not going to take it, are you?" Tara suddenly remembered that this was Kimberly Nguyen she was talking to, and almost begging to be denied, she repeated, "Are you?"
Kim shrugged. “I dunno. We need the money. They’ll pay better than any job we’ve ever had.”
“Even the holographic noodle fiasco?”
“Yep.”
Tara whistled. “Wow. You’ve a point.”
“I have many points, and they are sharp and dangerous.” Kim turned back to her screen, fingers beginning to tap again across the keys, entering a lengthy string of numbers. “I get it, Tara, I do. You were raised to think anything like that was impossible. But it’s not and it pays. We’ve got a choice, but it isn’t much of one.”
Tara chewed her lip. “I trust you, Kim, and that’s a compliment from me. But I’ve got to think that this is too risky, even for us. There’s a whole lot of stuff in there that everyone wants, and the security they must have to compensate for that...” She trailed off, letting the point hang in the silence between them.
Tara blinked. “Sorry, what?”
“They’re asking us to break into the National Archives. Yeah.”
“You’re not going to take it, are you?" Tara suddenly remembered that this was Kimberly Nguyen she was talking to, and almost begging to be denied, she repeated, "Are you?"
Kim shrugged. “I dunno. We need the money. They’ll pay better than any job we’ve ever had.”
“Even the holographic noodle fiasco?”
“Yep.”
Tara whistled. “Wow. You’ve a point.”
“I have many points, and they are sharp and dangerous.” Kim turned back to her screen, fingers beginning to tap again across the keys, entering a lengthy string of numbers. “I get it, Tara, I do. You were raised to think anything like that was impossible. But it’s not and it pays. We’ve got a choice, but it isn’t much of one.”
Tara chewed her lip. “I trust you, Kim, and that’s a compliment from me. But I’ve got to think that this is too risky, even for us. There’s a whole lot of stuff in there that everyone wants, and the security they must have to compensate for that...” She trailed off, letting the point hang in the silence between them.
Tell me, dear reader! Do you keep inspiring images close at hand too?
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