One aspect of writing that people often ask about is inspiration. Since Pandemic was officially released as a paperback this month (hooray!), I'm revisiting that question.
Pandemic's Inspiration
I had many sources of inspiration for Pandemic, including:
- The Spanish Flu of 1918
- My own fears and worries
- An overactive imagination regarding those fears and worries
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- The Swine Flu of 2009
- Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter
- Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
- A morbid fascination with emerging infectious diseases
An anecdote: At one point during the Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemic in 2009, the vaccine became available in my suburban town. Public health officers organized its free distribution at the local middle school after school hours. They were only vaccinating the children, if I remember correctly, and not the parents. The line extended for blocks. I waited with a mom who had a son the same age as mine. The boys ran off to play nearby while we chatted.
At first, it was a relatively pleasant afternoon. But at some point, they announced that there wasn't enough vaccine for all of the children waiting. Kids with asthma (or other health conditions that would make the flu more dangerous) were to be vaccinated first, and the families at the end of the line were told that they should go home.
Well.
Hell hath no fury like a woman protecting her young. The whole mood of the crowd changed. I had gotten there absurdly early (if you know me, you're not at all surprised by this) and we were within the cutoff to receive the vaccine. I watched as unhappy parents verbally accosted the public health officials who stood outside, trying to keep order. It was definitely chaotic. And--keep in mind--the swine flu, although highly contagious, was not any more deadly than regular seasonal influenza.
Later on, I couldn’t help thinking. What if? What if it was highly contagious and lethal? How would people act then? The fear and the emotion would be that much higher. What struggles would people face to survive?
There are no lines of people waiting for the vaccine in Pandemic; it’s too early in the disease timeline to have one available. But the Swine Flu pandemic was certainly a source of inspiration.
At first, it was a relatively pleasant afternoon. But at some point, they announced that there wasn't enough vaccine for all of the children waiting. Kids with asthma (or other health conditions that would make the flu more dangerous) were to be vaccinated first, and the families at the end of the line were told that they should go home.
Well.
Hell hath no fury like a woman protecting her young. The whole mood of the crowd changed. I had gotten there absurdly early (if you know me, you're not at all surprised by this) and we were within the cutoff to receive the vaccine. I watched as unhappy parents verbally accosted the public health officials who stood outside, trying to keep order. It was definitely chaotic. And--keep in mind--the swine flu, although highly contagious, was not any more deadly than regular seasonal influenza.
Later on, I couldn’t help thinking. What if? What if it was highly contagious and lethal? How would people act then? The fear and the emotion would be that much higher. What struggles would people face to survive?
There are no lines of people waiting for the vaccine in Pandemic; it’s too early in the disease timeline to have one available. But the Swine Flu pandemic was certainly a source of inspiration.
Pandemic links: Indiebound | Amazon | B&N | Books A Million | Book Depository | AmazonUK | Goodreads
Creative Inspiration for You
In the 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge, I blogged about writing inspiration with twenty-six posts corresponding to the letters A to Z. All my alphabetic posts are linked together on a Writing Inspiration Pinterest Board, but I’m listing a few here individually in case you’re in need of creative inspiration.
B is for Butt in Chair, J is for Jealousy, K is for King, Q is for Quotations, R is for Routine, X is for Xenocryst, Z is for Zig Ziglar
B is for Butt in Chair, J is for Jealousy, K is for King, Q is for Quotations, R is for Routine, X is for Xenocryst, Z is for Zig Ziglar
Writers: What inspires you to write? Is the news a source of story ideas?
Readers: Do you like books that relate to the news or current events?
Readers: Do you like books that relate to the news or current events?
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