What inspires you?

[WarpGirl]

Dominic Keating saying "Bloody Hell" inspires me!

[Aquarius]

Regarding some of the discussion on the previous page: there *is* a finite number of plot ideas. When you boil everything down to the one-or-two line TV Guide-type description, there's nothing new under the sun. What you *do* with it is what sets you apart.

I find a lot of inspiration in music. But it's not that the song causes the plot bunny...more like the song provides the head-space I need to be in in order to write the plot bunny. I have different playlists for each 'ship I write, and sometimes little sub-lists for different fics. All different of genres of music, too; but each of them has a kernel of something that reminds me of the relationship or at least one character in the story. This more helps with the essence of what I'm trying to capture, versus the specifics of plot.

[WarpGirl]

I find music doesn't have to remind me of my story or the characters at all. Otherwise Miley Cyrus wouldn't be my most popular writing music. Sometimes I just need sheer adrenaline. Yeah I listen to miley, but not because its brilliant music, just because the beat is racy and I need energy.

[honeybee]

I think the old adage goes that there are only 52 plots - although I've never personally counted.

Some of the most fun/interesting trek episodes borrowed heavily from other sources - but set the plot in the future on a starship or spacestation and it feels fresh.

When I first saw Stratagem, which is a pretty underrated ENT episode, I did not connect it with the film Eastern Promises because the plot unfolds so differently and the aesthetics are so different. But it's the same idea. (No nude shower fight, though, which I'm sure was just an oversight. ) Future Tense's big on the inside spaceship owes a little something to the Tardis - although it's used in a totally different way.

I think what you do with an idea or a concept - or how you but a bunch of ideas and concepts together - is what makes anything good.

[WarpGirl]

I concur. I was just trying to be funny with the Shakespere. I should know by now that in type I'm just not funny. Oh Well...

[Silverbullet]

Honeybee, you are right. the writers of entrprise dipped into some very old movie plots for a few of their episodes.

In Harbinger the dust up between Hayes and Malcom was an old chstnut from the late 30's early 40's of a raw recruit and old Sgt rubbing each other the wrong way. Big fight between them. They become buddies after the fight. Last scene was of the two staggering out of a bar dead drunk arms around one another.

Home was a very old tired Plot from the late 30's it was used so much that it had a gray beard running out of the door. The plot was Slilver Haired Mother has a Ranch also a MOrtgage, Evil banker holds the Mortgate. His Gang ahs been rustling Mom's catle so she cannot sell them to meet Mortgage payments. Evil banker says he will tear up the Mortgage if Daughter marries him. Daughter who is in love with male love iinterst sacrifices herself to save Silver haired Mothers Ranch and keep Mom off the streets. Love interest manfully stands aside so daughter can make sacrifice for Silver Haired Mother. Wedding is starting and Hero (rarely the male love interest) bursts in with sherrif/Marshal with proof that Evil Banker's gang has been rustling Cattle so Mom cannot selll them to meet Mortgage payment. Evil Banker is hauled off to Jail, Mortgage is torn up, Daughter and Male Love interst decide not to waste the wedding so they get married. I was Watching Home and recognized the plot and really thught that somehow someone would stop the marriage and T-Pol would go off with Trip. didn't happen so the writers cheated on the Plot.

Sim too was based on a very old movie Plot. Only there wsn't a clone in it. But the male Love interst is laid low. Handsome Stranger comes into town, Female Love interest is drawn to him (this is platonic because of the rigid censorship of the day) Handsome stranger does something Heroic, Female love interest and handsome Stranger share a brief platonic Kiss. Two possible endings. Handsome Stanger is killed or he leaves town because he knows female belongs with male love interest.

Anyway, there were a couple of other bits that I recognized from old movie plots of the late 30's. If you watch TCM you mmay see and recognize one of them that had been used in Enterprise.

[Aquarius]

Hate to tell ya but those plots are even older than the movies.

[WarpGirl]

About 5000 years older!

[panyasan]

Movies and old literature inspires me. Today even the lego of my kids inspired me. We were at a toy museum and my daughter ask hubs to build her a robot of lego. I couldn't stay behind and when we were finished we both said at the same time "'Destory family Robinson" (Lost in [/i[i]]space) and I went on with Exterminate - exterminate (Favorite saying of robot-Darleks from doctor Who). That same minute an idea popped into my head :"what if T'Pol was going to meet the darleks".
Absurd idea, so I let it go, but this strange scene popped into my head:

Enterprise is faced with a strange spacial sight: red clouds and thunder in the midst of space.

Archer: "What is that thing?"

T'Pol (calm as ever)"It's a spacial destortion. A crack in time and universe so to speak. Behind there is a different universe."

Lots of muffled noices and cracks. Archer: "I think they are trying to communicate. This is captain Jonathan Archer of the Earth ship Enterprise. . We are on a mission of peaceful exploration."

Hoshi: "Incoming message, sir."

Archer: "Put it through."

Message: "Exterminate. Exterminate."

T'Pol: "We have a visual of the aliens of the other universe." On screen a Darlak is to be seen.

Archer: "What is that?"

Trip (on the com - speaking from Engineering) "Captain, what is going on. There is a big one-eyed octopus in Engineering, trying to eat the warp core."

Before Archer can answer, a young man with a long coat and wearing sneakers apppears on the brigde. Archer: "Who are you?"

Man: "I am the doctor."

Reed: "Finally some one who speaks proper English. From the London area, aren't you?"

Man: "I am the doctor and I am looking for my companion." Looking to T'Pol. "And I think I have found her."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx8H7nezeGw&translated=1

[Distracted]

Heh. I don't see T'Pol as a Dr. Who sidekick. Hoshi, maybe... with Malcolm as the doctor.

[Silverbullet]

Plots may have been old but I rremember their overuse in the Westerns of the late 30's. When I saw it Home I assumed that something would happen to stop the marriage and restore Moms position withot Koss or his Father's help. Wrong

[honeybee]

Oh - I've read about the screenwriting factories of the silent film and studio eras - they used to have stacks of stuff in their offices - old dime novels, classic works of literature, greek dramas - anything and everything to give the screenwriters "inspiration". Some writers would write the same movie - but set it say - in Victorian England, the old west and on the lower east side - changing the names, jobs and ethnicities of the characters as appropriate.

The film Clueless is an update of Jane Austen's Emma.

Some would say nearly every romantic comedy owes something to Jane Austen - and every gothic romance to The Brontes.

Nosferatu, classic German Expressionist film, inspired a lawsuit by the family of Bram Stoker. But that wasn't just a plot lift but an everything but the names lift - wherever the line was - they crossed it.

I wish I could find it, but a few weeks back, a scathing review of the film "Wolfman" appeared on line written by a teenage Twilight fan. She was outraged, just outraged at the blatant rip off of the character Jacob.

[WarpGirl]

Heh. I don't see T'Pol as a Dr. Who sidekick. Hoshi, maybe... with Malcolm as the doctor.

Good Golly Miss Molly you' could write that!

Heck how many versions of Romeo and Juliet are there... Three words West Side Story...

[honeybee]

As I said in the upthread - Romeo & Juliet was the first version of the story! Just the best version. And I think West Side Story is probably the best musical of all time - the score is an absolute masterpiece. I heard a symphony play it once and it was as good as anything I had heard them play. So, that says everything about Shakespeare.

Did anyone ever see the early Reese Witherspoon movie Freeway? Little Red Riding Hood updated.

[Silverbullet]

There was one Horror Movie (before slice and dice, 30's) scene called "The Car won't start" It was beat to death. If one went to horror films of the day it would appear every so often. As soon as the beginnng sequence started one could go ot the Lobby, use the facilities, buy some Popcorn and a coke and sit out the scene. It was the same in every film. Like many of thee things once it appeared and was succesful it was copied to deth.

How often did you see a chase between two cars and you knew that sometime aTruck was gi g to pull out and block the good guys car. It became a standard plot device.