It was a brief interaction with a young girl one summer that seeded the beginnings of "Mel Tulley's" character. In the weeks that followed I wrote this poem. During the writing of A Tinfoil Sky I would occasionally revisit this poem, and by doing this I would find that I was able to rekindle the emotion that I felt that day. Both the name of the girl and the street are fictional. Composing a poem response to a novel is one of the suggestions in my novel study for A Tinfoil Sky. I'd love to read the poems you come up with!
Inspiration poem for the character of Mel Tulley
I am often asked where I get my ideas from, or where I get my inspiration, or how I came up with a character or the plot in the story.
Last night I had the pleasure of having dinner with two octogenarians. They had recently traveled to Nelson from Toronto to visit their daughter, one of my dearest friends. I couldn't help but notice how both of them were so full of life. Here they were, their third day in Nelson, after flying more than halfway across the country to Kelowna where they rented a car, drove over at least one mountain pass, walked to and from their hotel to her house numerous times, attended a film premier, watched at least one soccer practice, and it was 10 pm and they were still completely engaged in our lengthy dinner party conversation, with enough energy to make plans for the next day's adventures. Ah, to be eighty plus years old and so alive! That has always been a dream of mine. As my own energy dwindled I just couldn't stop myself from asking: What was their secret? Their answer was really quite simple. They have remained curious.
Same goes for writing and I suppose the same goes for life!
Cyndi