Michael T. Hare

My inspiration as a writer comes mainly from the things I can’t see rather than the things I can. I take what I know from a distant standpoint and imagine from there—say I’m standing in a large field rimmed by thick, dense trees, or perhaps I’m in Yellowstone National Park and watching the moon rise over the silhouetted pines as they sway between snow-capped mountains. My inspiration doesn’t come from that alone; it comes from what may lay beyond it or what dwells within. Consequently, the author in me hates any landscape that allows an unobstructed view.

The rampant wilderness of Yellowstone National Park was an excellent way for me to reunite with my inspiration. With all its beauty, the landscape was a rich source of adventure and mystery, and it spoke directly to the author in me, bringing me back in time to those early moments when I wrote on a big box computer, piecing together a giant war among Decepticons, Autobots, Vikings, and dragons.

If you’re a writer like me, please leave your source of inspiration in the comments. I’d love to hear what gets you in the mood to create and why exactly that is. As my brother says, inspiration can come from anywhere.

P.S. My trip included a cool cave known as the Dragon’s Mouth—I won’t pretend, I may just be writing a story based on it soon. The ground shook as though a dragon were breathing within, periodically spewing smoke at visitors.

Best wishes,

Michael