Originally posted on my now-suspended Substack on Sep 08, 2025
A personal reflection
It’s a funny thing, inspiration. But it’s not the only funny thing about writing. Far from it.
Relationships can also be funny things, particularly online. One second you’re building a close friendship with someone, the next something happens (like the recent unjustified purging of accounts on the Meta platforms) and you lose all contact. This has happened more times than I care to think about over my time online. And of course the pain of losing a friend or loved one can be devastating, particularly when it seems far too early for them to be taken from the world.
So why the Enid Blyton style title? Well, for one, I liked the alliteration, but for another, I was thinking about how someone might no longer be in your personal circle, but the impact and the memory sticks with you. You can still use that as fuel for your creativity. Whether it’s a burgeoning friendship cut short by circumstance, or the sudden passing of a dear friend, savour their memory in your heart, and use it.
My muse isn’t in my life anymore. My main source of theological inspiration was taken away nearly a decade ago. My grandparents, huge sources of good life vibes, have all passed. And having moved country twice, there’s large numbers of friends whose impact continues to be felt, even if interaction is sparse. But our memories can keep these people alive in our life. I encourage everyone to base their characters on someone. This was a mistake I feel I made in A Spring Awakening… Dominic was a person, but the other characters weren’t. This is something I’m looking to redress as I expand it into something much greater.
So if you’ve ever been inspired by anyone, use that inspiration. Maybe you need to change that character so they’re not too recognisable, but I think it can really help to add depth to your writing. And as I explore my writing journey, this is certainly something I’m looking to delve deeper into.
