REAL INSPIRATIONS
By Alex Ness
April 4, 2022
INSPIRED TO WRITE
I've been praying for healing and trying to heal physically just by time spent waiting. Since 2019 I have had a septic ankle joint, broken bones in my back, neck and tailbone, and had surgery upon my neck and shoulder. I kept writing during this, but going sleepless caused me to have to rewrite much of my own work (poetry and fiction prose) needlessly, as it is near impossible to write and say what you think, when you have oatmeal for brains. I lost my sister in January, and when it comes at a time of lengthy physical difficulties, it just feels like being kicked in the head. I loved Denise, even though I only knew her for a short time.
While my writing projects and writing life has become more difficult, it would not be true to say I'd quit writing. I haven't come to the end of my creative journey, but I am finding that what I do, why I do it, and who I do it for have all changed. I never cared about critical appraisal, nor have I cared about popularity. That kind of means, whatever I am doing is for my own reasons. Everyone, and I mean every creative person wants to make enough money to support themselves. But most of those I know personally are not interested in having their worth come down to how much money they make, or how popular their work makes them. But as it has been 3 long years without releasing a book, my aim is to put out things I like, rather than those I hope others like.
The article I wrote here recently about constructing my own fictional world and placing all my fiction prose and poetry upon that world, is being placed upon hiatus. I might do it, but it is more personal than most other works. I am guessing, but, at this point I believe my next four books will feature, Vikings, Faeries, Samurai and Cthulhu. News will be shared when it happens.
While my writing projects and writing life has become more difficult, it would not be true to say I'd quit writing. I haven't come to the end of my creative journey, but I am finding that what I do, why I do it, and who I do it for have all changed. I never cared about critical appraisal, nor have I cared about popularity. That kind of means, whatever I am doing is for my own reasons. Everyone, and I mean every creative person wants to make enough money to support themselves. But most of those I know personally are not interested in having their worth come down to how much money they make, or how popular their work makes them. But as it has been 3 long years without releasing a book, my aim is to put out things I like, rather than those I hope others like.
The article I wrote here recently about constructing my own fictional world and placing all my fiction prose and poetry upon that world, is being placed upon hiatus. I might do it, but it is more personal than most other works. I am guessing, but, at this point I believe my next four books will feature, Vikings, Faeries, Samurai and Cthulhu. News will be shared when it happens.
ART VERSUS ARCHITECTURE
I met someone who said the only important college degree is engineering or chemistry. He said that the creative arts do nothing but replay the same old crap, with new names, new ethnic faces, and the same old stories. They don't deserve to be remembered well, they just recreate the already created.
And to some small degree I agree that that there is nothing new under the sun. (For the specific quote and or reference: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiates 1.9) Some people have debated that nothing matters but human conversation. The music of the band The Talking Heads, for good or ill (and for me quite good), is said to be inspired by the concept, that the only thing worth remembering is done while people talk, and usually it is in the form of two talking heads in front of an audience. Almost everything else, gun fights, robbery, discovering a lost city, divine experiences, emergencies, are all rare, while the people talking is rarely depicted but happens every day. In media you can see that the human conversation is missing, as rare events are being offered as meat of the story of humanity. But is that truth? It is true to say people do amazing things, but on average? They wake up, go to work or school, or sit home, and they eat, and go back to bed. That might not have a lot of excitement about it, but it is the reality.
Reality might not inspire us, but whatever movies, music, books, poetry or games exist, all have sources from somewhere that inspired their creation. This isn't to say that they don't have originality, but they couldn't help but have inherit the roots of the work done many generations prior to our own. Not true you say? Just look at Science Fiction? One of the largest franchises in the realm of Science Fiction is Star Wars. George Lucas never hid the roots of it, as it was originally influenced by the many adventure/sci fic 1930-1950s black and white serials, Kurosawa's film Hidden Fortress, and anything else Lucas had watched, loved, and mentally kept. This isn't aimed as an insult to say it isn't good, because of the aspects of the story that were hybrid or homage, Star Wars is what it is, an entertaining franchise I like quite a great deal. I just think we should remember, that our world of entertainment, all media included, ends up flowing from the rivers that flowed, and the creative water flows beyond barriers. Creating unique stories is difficult, perhaps telling them in new ways helps, but ultimately I am fascinated by things that ring true, rather than new. And having said all that, I've been recently fascinated by the sources of inspiration for fictional characters from direct real life sources.
I met someone who said the only important college degree is engineering or chemistry. He said that the creative arts do nothing but replay the same old crap, with new names, new ethnic faces, and the same old stories. They don't deserve to be remembered well, they just recreate the already created.
And to some small degree I agree that that there is nothing new under the sun. (For the specific quote and or reference: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiates 1.9) Some people have debated that nothing matters but human conversation. The music of the band The Talking Heads, for good or ill (and for me quite good), is said to be inspired by the concept, that the only thing worth remembering is done while people talk, and usually it is in the form of two talking heads in front of an audience. Almost everything else, gun fights, robbery, discovering a lost city, divine experiences, emergencies, are all rare, while the people talking is rarely depicted but happens every day. In media you can see that the human conversation is missing, as rare events are being offered as meat of the story of humanity. But is that truth? It is true to say people do amazing things, but on average? They wake up, go to work or school, or sit home, and they eat, and go back to bed. That might not have a lot of excitement about it, but it is the reality.
Reality might not inspire us, but whatever movies, music, books, poetry or games exist, all have sources from somewhere that inspired their creation. This isn't to say that they don't have originality, but they couldn't help but have inherit the roots of the work done many generations prior to our own. Not true you say? Just look at Science Fiction? One of the largest franchises in the realm of Science Fiction is Star Wars. George Lucas never hid the roots of it, as it was originally influenced by the many adventure/sci fic 1930-1950s black and white serials, Kurosawa's film Hidden Fortress, and anything else Lucas had watched, loved, and mentally kept. This isn't aimed as an insult to say it isn't good, because of the aspects of the story that were hybrid or homage, Star Wars is what it is, an entertaining franchise I like quite a great deal. I just think we should remember, that our world of entertainment, all media included, ends up flowing from the rivers that flowed, and the creative water flows beyond barriers. Creating unique stories is difficult, perhaps telling them in new ways helps, but ultimately I am fascinated by things that ring true, rather than new. And having said all that, I've been recently fascinated by the sources of inspiration for fictional characters from direct real life sources.
In OMEGA MAN The newsman and leader of the cannibal clan, Matthias was meant to look like Joe Pyne, and sound like his over the top pronouncements upon the fate of the human race. In SEVEN DAYS OF MAY General Edwin Walker and perhaps many other military strong men is presented in the form of Burt Lancaster, acting as a general who wanted far more power than he was allowed as the head of the military. PSYCHO had numerous influences, but Ed Gein was the most obvious and original influence for the writer of it, Robert Bloch. Gein killed, ate and wore the flesh of numerous people. INDIANA JONES was based upon a number of men, who sought to discover ruins, and make names for themselves, Hiram Bingam was the primary source. He found the magnificent Machu Picchu. ZORRO was a brave man who fought injustice and forces of evil, wearing black and a mask. In reality he was a man who sought revenge but was also an outlaw himself, and not for his kind and noble acts, by the name of Joaquin Murrieta.
In CITIZEN KANE Orson Welles played a character based upon the powerful publisher William Randolph Hearst. It was so powerful a depiction and so obvious in aim, that the publisher tried to prevent its release. Bartender Moe Szyslak from the Simpsons is famously pranked by Bart and others, and in this he was based upon bartender Louis "Red" Duetsch of the Tube Bar in New Jersey who was recorded over a period of time being pranked by callers, responding with threats of violence. US patriotic posters had a character named Uncle Sam, the elder voice of patriot response to threats of war and tyranny. He is said to be based upon a real man, Sam Wilson who was a meat packer, who shipped product for troops, among the many suppliers. Shrek's look is based upon Frenchman Maurice Tillet, a wrestler who had the genetic disorder acromegaly. Milhouse from the Simpsons is said to be based upon the appearance and second banana status of Josh Saviano, Fred Savage's best friend on the Wonder Years.
I am a wee bit disappointed to show the women who inspired, as they aren't serious, not murderers or saints, they are cartoons. Ursula from the Little Mermaid was inspired by gender bending actor Divine (who I acknowledge was a trans person, but was born male.) Betty Boop was based upon the character created or portrayed by an actress by the name of Helen Kane or perhaps Esther Lee Jones. There is a debate regarding it, and I honestly don't know. Arial of the aforementioned Little Mermaid's face was based upon Alyssa Milano. Miss Piggy was originally called Miss Piggy Lee and directly based on singer Peggy Lee, until Peggy Lee threatened to sue or actually sued. Alice in Wonderland's Alice was indeed based upon a real person, Alice Pleasance Liddell. The writer of Alice in Wonderland was so taken with Alice he wrote his tales featuring her. I honestly tried to find more characters based upon real women, but it was difficult.
CLUB 27
Many have heard of the 27 Club, but no one truly wants to be a member. It is a list of musicians who died at the age of 27. There are far more people than shown (27 for symbolic reasons), and since musicians are relatively rare, as is dying before reaching your 50s, the combination makes for a shocking, and disturbing collection of people. We've lost many and I am not going to name those shown, since the well known are no more dead than the less known, and the popular are no more important in how or why they died, than the less popular. I thought on an article showing lists of people, this would be a list no one wants to be upon.
ABOUT GETTING REVIEWS FROM ME
First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that. It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
MY LINKS:
My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Amazon Page amazon.com/author/alexness
Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted
Persist like the weed crawling through and breaking concrete. Refuse to let the world crush you.
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