Tom Goss
I interpret this question two ways: Where do I get my ideas and what makes me sit down and write?
My inspirations are as varied as the stories I tell. Sometimes it's a local news story that gets me thinking (Specter of Grief), sometimes it's an idea like the colonization of Mars (Throwback), and sometimes it's just a challenge I set for myself--like writing a sci-fi version of The Hobbit (Menace in the Goldilocks Zone).
As for what makes me sit down and write, it used to be excitement about a particular idea--but as any writer knows, that excitement ebbs with the hard work of putting the right words in the right order on paper. So it did with me for many years. I would start something with great enthusiasm and get discouraged by the work. These days, while the work is often still hard, I look forward to it. Indeed, it is something I need to do.
My inspirations are as varied as the stories I tell. Sometimes it's a local news story that gets me thinking (Specter of Grief), sometimes it's an idea like the colonization of Mars (Throwback), and sometimes it's just a challenge I set for myself--like writing a sci-fi version of The Hobbit (Menace in the Goldilocks Zone).
As for what makes me sit down and write, it used to be excitement about a particular idea--but as any writer knows, that excitement ebbs with the hard work of putting the right words in the right order on paper. So it did with me for many years. I would start something with great enthusiasm and get discouraged by the work. These days, while the work is often still hard, I look forward to it. Indeed, it is something I need to do.
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