With the success of websites like Pinterest more and more people are talking about boards, specifically visual ‘pin boards’ of things they love or find interesting. They’re surprisingly easy to create – you can ‘pin’ an image from just about any site, in effect saving it (and the link to its original site) to your very own digital bulletin board.
But did you know that writers (and other artists) have been using boards for years? Inspiration boards – or collections of images that help define or inspire a project. Before technology and the internet, inspiration boards used to look more like this:
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| Diane Von Furstenberg Inspiration Board |
Some still prefer this look. (I admit I would most likely be one of them if I had an office, as there’s just something about having a ‘physical’ board.) But more and more, inspiration boards are showing up online.
If you spend any time on Pinterest, and follow any authors, perhaps you’ve seen one or two inspiration boards – boards specific the author’s book. Even I have one (or three as the case may be). Unfortunately, the content on my boards is sparse. Why? Honestly, I’m not sure why.
My ‘real’ inspiration boards include…well, just about anything and everything that both ‘speaks to me’ and relates to the characters or plot of the book. Some of the things on my boards aren’t in the book – perhaps it is from a scene I deleted, or the character’s lives after the story ended. Yes, my ‘real’ inspiration boards contain things that happen to the hero and heroine AFTER the story ended. Hey, it’s my book. I’m allowed! :-)
I suppose the reason these are not included in my Pinterest boards is because I wonder if all of it would truly be of interest to someone who hasn’t read my books. I’m not sure. But since this question has been on my mind lately, I thought I would share with you some of the items on my ‘real’ inspiration boards. And hey, maybe you can help me decide whether I should add them to the boards I have on Pinterest.
Inspiration Board for After Midnight:
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Isabeau Montgomery
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| Noah Clark | Noah Clark |
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| Isabeau's Engagement Ring | Isabeau's Eternity Band |
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| Noah's House |
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| Recording Studio in | Noah's Basement |
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| Isabeau's Wedding Dress |
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| Lovers |
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| The heels I imagine Isabeau is wearing in Chapter Twelve. ;) |
Thanks for visiting with me today. If you are interested in following me on Pinterest, or even just checking out what Pinterest is all about, you can see my profile HERE.
8 comments:
I love this peek inside AM! Great idea and great job!
Thanks AJ! I had fun with this post.
I'm limited on space and often mobile. I have a clipboard I keep lots of notes on. I have a bio sheet for each key character with a picture. It helps me keep their personalities and voices consistent.
Sarah, good for you for finding lots of pics for inspiration. I always need a picture of the hero and heroine, but it's a good idea to go further, I agree. I don't get magazines nowadays, so that makes it tough. Which mag do you like best for ideas?
Sandra-
I don't normally do a bio sheet (sometimes I think I should), but I have a LOT of notes on my characters. :)
Rolynn, believe it or not, I never used to have pictures of my hero and heroine. In fact, when I wrote After Midnight I didn't have a single one. Then I realized readers like to see pictures so I went out and found some. Once that started, the rest followed. :)
I don't get magazines either. Typically I use the internet. If I decide I need a hard copy of the photo, I print it and add it to my notes.
Fun! Thanks for sharing, Sarah! I have wanted to create a board for years, but feel lost at just the thought of one. lol Love, love Isa's shoes!
Calisa! So glad you enjoyed Isa's shoes! LOL
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