Ever finished reading a page-turner of a book and marveled at the power of the creative process? Or wondered about what it takes to develop such a gripping plot and vivid characters? Surprisingly, some of the most imaginatively rich stories in children's literature are rooted in reality - inspired by incidents, experiences or encounters in the authors' lives.

1. Firing Up Your Imagination August 26,
2011
Ever finished reading a page-turner of a book and marveled at the power of the creative process? Or
wondered about what it takes to develop such a gripping plot and vivid characters? Surprisingly,
some of the most imaginatively rich stories in children's literature are rooted in reality - inspired by
incidents, experiences or encounters in the authors' lives. Consider these examples:
• As a child, Roald Dahl could hardly wait to grab one of the Cadbury's chocolate bars that the
company occasionally sent his school for taste testing by the students. This early obsession
with the dark velvety treat served as fodder for the rollicking tale of Charlie and his
adventures in Willie Wonka's chocolate factory.
• "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is the original fantasy fiction novel - written well
before that genre became as dominant as it is today. The idea for the story first came to C.
S. Lewis when he was sixteen, with a mental image of a faun carrying an umbrella and
parcels in a snowy wood. He waited until he was in his 40s before sketching this out and
developing it into a series of stories set in the magical world of Narnia.
• Much has been written about how JK Rowling conjured up the Harry Potter stories on a train
ride from Manchester to London. In interviews, the best-selling author has revealed that
several of her characters were also loosely based on people she knew. The main character
was reportedly inspired by a childhood neighbor, ill-tempered Aunt Marge by a grandparent
who preferred "dogs to human relatives" and the enigmatic Professor Snape by a school
teacher whose name Rowling has declined to reveal.
Each of these authors used a spark of an idea to fire up their imagination and create stories that are
now forever installed in the halls of literary fame.
Have you written a story recently? What was the source of your creative spark?
Source: http://www.hpwriteandread.com/firing-up-your-imagination.php
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