As an author who writes primarily genre works, it’s probably no surprise that I’m a huge nerd. I grew up watching Star Trek: TOS, Dr. Who (Tom Baker was my favorite Doctor in childhood), playing video games, and watching anime. My dad started me out by introducing me, but I quickly developed other tastes. Where he enjoyed Battleship Yamato, I watched other titles beyond that. The Commodore 64 was his but the classic Nintendo was mine, along subsequent consoles.
I still watch anime. I still game. I still read fantasy and horror and science fiction. And it’s mostly from those things that I draw inspiration. A well written story always grabs my interest, but it’s not the only things that matter. Visuals in video games, fight scenes in anime, a well used word or phrase are all things that get filed away for later.
That’s not to say I rip things off wholesale. A lot of artists and writers are a sort of catch all for interesting moments that collectively get filed away for later use. Of course, the things I take notice of will be different than other artists of any media, but it’s the same general wellspring of creative thought. It’s the way the afternoon sunlight dapples through the trees. It’s the way people speak to and about each other. It’s the little things as well as the awe inspiring things, and everything in between. Writers, artists, poets all collect experiences such as those to use in our art later; to augment the emotions we’re trying to cope with and express in a way that people will enjoy.
Still, nerd culture is near and dear to me, and a lot of my inspiration comes from nerd things. It’s less the details and more the emotions that the medium in question evokes for me, but I can’t speak for everyone on this. There is also a little bit of mystery to it as well. I can list things that inspire me, but my takeaway after I’m done with it rarely resembles what I was inspired by. I can list specific things that have sparked that desire to create in me, but where it all comes from is really anyone’s guess.