What I'm Currently Reading...

Interview With the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles, #1)Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
I started reading these books when I was a kid but never really got into them. Time to give them another shot!



Death du Jour (Temperance Brennan, #2)Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Friday, July 29, 2011

What Inspires Me To Write? … Breathing! By Gerard de Marigny

Today is a special Friday treat for my readers. I've most recently had the pleasure of 'meeting' (online anway) author Gerard de Marigny, and was able to talk him into writing up a little something to grace the pages of my blog. Thankfully it didn't take too much coaxing otherwise you might not get the chance to read this little inspirational tidbit that follows...

What Inspires Me To Write? … Breathing!
By Gerard de Marigny

“I shut my eyes in order to see.”
Paul Gauguin (French painter, printmaker, and sculptor, 1848-1903)


Author Gerard de Marigny
Where does a writer find inspiration? It depends on the type of writer…

For journalists, they find inspiration in finding the next big headline. A journalist dreams of receiving an award for being the first to uncover a scandal or for exposing corruption. Journalists spend their professional lives in an endless attempt to be on the spot and/or in the know when something spectacular happens.

For non-fiction authors, their inspiration lies in their expertise and experience – aka their platform. Doctors write about new treatments; lawyers write about how they won their cases; baseball players write about their careers and winning the world series… or losing the world series; and politicians… oh, politicians write about all sorts of topics… some of which should be considered fiction!

Inspiration for fiction writers, though, comes from a different place. I'm a writer of fiction, as is Courtney Conant. Our inspiration comes from the undiscovered worlds that exist between our ears. These worlds are shaped by our individual lives, but like dreams, they're not exact interpretations. Some of our worlds are vivid and clear, while others are hazy and dark… and our worlds are filled with the most extraordinary characters, both righteous and evil.

A fiction writer is a world creator. If we apply our craft well, a fiction writer can paint a canvas that becomes a portal into the world we've created. As authors, we stand at the doorway of these portals and invite readers to enter… but we don't enter with them. Each reader's journey through our domain is theirs alone to take. Some readers decide to act as mere observers, watching our stories unfold from a distance, while other readers become sojourners temporarily residing in our worlds.
And then there is the special breed…

These special readers undergo a metamorphosis that can only take place in our fictional universes. In our worlds, this special breed finds that they have the power to become our characters… and not just one of our characters, unless they chose only one. These special readers can morph into any of our characters, jumping to and fro from hero to villain and from old woman to little boy. Even more thrilling, they find that they can adapt the skills and powers of our characters and do the things that our characters do! Suddenly, a teenage girl can kiss a prince in a far-away kingdom or an old soldier can once again pick up a weapon and defend his country.

What inspires me to write? Extraordinary characters that live in my mind, captivating stories that touch my soul, profound experiences that have shaped my life, shuttering fears that keep me awake at night and comforting prayers that let me sleep…

And dream!

In a word, what inspires me to write… breathing!


Author Bio
Gerard de Marigny is the author of the geopolitical thriller, _The Watchman of Ephraim_, Book 1 of THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM series. The sequel, _Signs of War_ is scheduled for release in September 2011.
Gerard de Marigny resides in the beautiful foothills of Las Vegas, NV with his wife Lisa and his four sons. When not bending an arm with friends at the local pub, he's putting to paper the stories and characters that are alive in his mind.

Author/Publisher Sites
Author's Website: www.GerarddeMarigny.com
Author's Blog: SelfPubber's Pub

Social Networking Sites

Buy Links
Barnes & Noble: Gerard de Marigny Books
Smashwords (all eBook formats): _The Watchman of Ephraim_
Personalized, signed copies are available at the author's website: www.GerarddeMarigny.com (all transactions secure via PayPal)

1 comment:

  1. Courtney! Thanks so much for the opportunity to stop by your great site and write a little something to share with your friends and followers!

    Hey all, Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly via email: g@GerarddeMarigny.com. Would love to hear from you! c",)

    Also if you'd like to make friends with this writer in Nevada, just link with me on Twitter, Facebook, &/or Goodreads.

    Oh, one more thing ... I've written an article on a topic that is very meaningful to me and others touched by the events of 9/11. It's called, "Inspiration from Tragedy: A Hero born from 9/11" (http:www.GerarddeMarigny.com) and I would really appreciate it if you'd give it a read. No worries, it's not long and it's free.

    If you like it, please hit the "Tweet" button at the bottom of it and/or the "Like" button. Again, it's here at my website: http://www.GerarddeMarigny.com

    You have my sincere gratitude in advance! Peace,
    Gerard de Marigny

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