Writers Recommend is an online exclusive at Poets & Writers that asks authors:
“What Inspires You?”
For Heather Sellers, author of “You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know” (Riverhead Books, 2010), it’s a bath, a pile of magazines, lavender oil, and as much time as she needs.
Aimee Bender, author of “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake” (Doubleday, 2010) says, “Rules. I’m a big believer in structure, and the idea that creativity loosens up when constrained a bit.”
Stuart O’Nan, author of 14 novels, reads pages from his favorite book.
With responses from more than 100 authors, the answers are as varied as these three examples, yet there are a lot of similarities, too. To read all the responses, and find some inspiration of your own, read Writers Recommend from Poets & Writers.
Away with Words 