I really enjoy the “Aha!” moments in life — those flashes of inspiration that come when you least expect them. They are moments of brilliance and joy, testament to the magic that we call human creativity.
Inspiration cannot be coerced or scheduled. Sir William Rowing Hamilton offers a famous example with his discovery of quarternions. He and his wife were strolling along the Royal Canal in Dublin, Ireland on 16 October 1843 when his flash of inspiration came. Without means to write down the key formulae, he used his penknife to carve them into stone of the Broome Bridge (or Brougham Bridge).
These “eureka” moments make for great story telling. Which is more memorable to you: Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation from high school physics, or the grade school story of the apple hitting Newton on the head? Science reporting appeals to our natural fascination with discovery. Interviews of writers, painters, poets, and composers routinely explore the creative process for the same reason.
Our characters should have moments of inspiration too. It happens in every Pixar movie, right at the end of the second act. The protagonists’ initial plans have failed and the challenges are overwhelming. They are ready to give up and may even have a sidekick consoling them that they tried their best. Then in a flash of inspiration, they try one more time. On to Act 3! Readers want to know about the apple on the head, or the brilliant astronomy professor who chips away at stone with his penknife, or his wife watching impatiently as he commits vandalism. When it comes to inspiration, we are all epiphany junkies.