Chasing the Muse: The Art of Finding Inspiration in Writing Short Stories

Discovering the writing process that works for you, especially when crafting a collection of short stories, can be both exhilarating and challenging. But where does inspiration—the seed—come from? The “seed of a story” is the initial spark, the foundational idea or image that grows into a complete narrative. 

(25 Ways to Start a Story.)

Just as a seed develops into a thriving plant, this initial concept can evolve into a rich, complex story when nurtured with imagination, characters, plot, and details. The seed might be anything—a single sentence, a character, a setting, or even a question that captivates your curiosity and propels you into the writing process. 

My goal is to discover the muse that ignites the fire. That is paramount for me. My process of writing a novel is vastly different from planning a short story. In a novel, there’s ample space to develop characters, plots, subplots, and layers of meaning. However, with short stories, every sentence, perhaps every word, carries more weight due to the limited space—often less than 5,000 words—to bring your characters and their world to life. 

When I wrote my novel The Book of Souls, I grappled with a complex plot and a teenage character who starts as a 47-year-old man. I had over 300 pages to delve into that story. However, when I worked on my new book, Christmas Stories Volume II, I found the process to be very different from writing a novel or even my first collection of Christmas stories many years ago. That first collection, Christmas Stories: 7 Original Short Stories, was a therapeutic exercise to help me cope with the loss of my older brother. 

Years later, when I was asked to write a short story to add to the original book—or better yet, to write a new collection—I had a theme to work with: Christmas. But anyone who read my first book knows I don’t write saccharine stories. For me, saccharine is not to be confused with heartwarming. While I enjoy writing and will include sweet tales, such as “The Ragtag Flyers,” I hope to create complex characters in intricate situations and facing difficult decisions. 

Christmas is a dichotomy: For many, it’s a joyous holiday filled with decorations, music, movies, and food. But it can also be a time of loneliness, sadness, and longing for family. I approach each story with all of that in mind as I search for a character and story. 

Inspiration can spring from anywhere—a person glimpsed through a window or a song. Sometimes, it begins with a name or the first line of a story. For instance, with “A Very Pink Christmas,” the seed was sown while I was on a plane, engrossed in a book. Someone walked past, leaving a delightful scent in their wake. The fragrance lingered, and I let my imagination take over because I didn’t see the person. 

As I sat there, I came up with a name and the first line of a story, even though I didn’t have a plot yet: “Harlow Harper parted the crowd of Christmas shoppers like Moses parting the Red Sea, leaving the smell of Chanel No. 5 in her wake.” Now, I had the start of something. I knew it was a Christmas story, so I needed to discover what Harlow wanted, what she needed, and how the Christmas season would play into her story. 

Sometimes, I only have a character’s name or the town or city they inhabit or pass through. Phineas Fitzgerald, Sebastian Clover, Jack Kelly—the town of Bridgeport just to name a few. With short stories, since I’m creating multiple narratives, I must come up with many different scenarios—some work, some don’t. 

In “Nowhere Falls,” which wasn’t the original title, I had the town’s name and the character, Dash Winters. Initially, I wrote a completely different story, but it didn’t work. I kept the character because I understood his inner struggle, and I kept the town’s name because it metaphorically represented his life. The new story clicked by approaching it from a different angle, fitting perfectly with the Christmas theme. 

Where do you find inspiration in your life? When you write, paint, or create anything? I love weaving spirituality into my stories, often mixing a gritty thriller like my upcoming Waking Sleeping Beauty with a touch of mysticism to balance life’s complex realities. This blend is present in all my writing, and I hope readers find it as enjoyable as I do trying to create it. We all need a splash of whimsy amid the everyday. At least I do… 

Check out Kevin Moore’s Christmas Stories: Volume II here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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