It’s been a while since I wrote about inspiration behind the writing, so I thought this would be the perfect time to go into the inspiration behind my novel ‘Last Days of the Dinosaur’. This is the perfect example of a situation where your inspiration may ignite the fuel behind your story, but not actually play a significant role in the fire.
Now I’ve never done any real spelunking. Like most of you, my experiences with caves have been limited to the well-known and heavily traveled natural caverns spotted throughout the Midwest. But one particular cave has always caught my attention - the ‘Cave of the Swallows’ or Sotano de las Golondrinas in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This “cave” is a vertical pit over a thousand feet deep. It’s the cave you see in commercials that base-jumpers are parachuting into. This natural phenomenon is simply incredible. Note - I’ve never actually been there, and would probably mess my drawers if I ever looked over the edge – but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate it.
Now that you know the inspiration, here’s the story. A plague wipes out nearly all species that depended on hemoglobin for the transport of oxygen. The few who survive, and I do mean few, must find a way to maintain hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The story focuses on the struggle of one man in his quest to realize his destiny.
Okay…how does that tie into a cave? The cave, or actually the creation of a similar cave after an earthquake, unearths a virus that had remained dormant since the dinosaurs (you guessed it – it’s what actually killed the dinosaurs). That’s it. The cave inspired the start of the story – nothing more. And that’s okay. After all isn’t that all that inspiration is intended to do?
By the way you can read the first chapter to this story on my website: www.jonathonwise.com Just go to the ‘Books’ tab and you’ll find it about a third of the way down highlighted in yellow. Read, enjoy and then let me know what you think.
Until next time, look for the subtle things that spark your imagination. J/W
