When in the midst of creating a new narrative, inspiration boards, whether physical or digital, can help immerse us in a particular time period, allow us to ‘see’ our characters, and are a great aid to making the story come alive. This board will evolve over time as ideas, images, quotes, magazine and newspaper clippings, photos, found objects, handwritten quotes, font samples, buttons and badges etc. influence our writing.
There are options for an inspiration board:
- A full wall
- A large poster
- A notebook
- A digital folder of images
- A Pinterest board
- A collage
Find an option that works best for you and that can be arranged and rearranged easily. As you delve into the narrative new characters may form or there is a twist in the plot that takes the story somewhere unexpected – change the board accordingly. Physically moving papers, photos, objects, and ephemera triggers different parts of our brains than moving digital information…and that can help us create new connections and come up with even more fresh ideas.
There are options for the type of board you create but all of them should allow change as the story develops.
- Book Cover Board – what images appeal?
- Character Board – what do they look like?
- World Board – where are they?
- History Board – what events have taken place?
- Problem Board – what is the protagonist’s problem?
- Quote Board – which evoke the story?
As I am writing a steampunk novel currently, my boards are filled with physical and digital images. There is a plethora of images available so that has made it easy to some extent but also difficult as too much input can detract from my focus. Here are some examples.
Physical:
Digital
What does your current inspiration board look like?
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 