Myself and my partner (I normally call her my better half…!) have a tradition that I have begun to call Cop Show Sunday. Every Sunday night, starting at 8pm, there’s 3 American cop shows that we’ve both previously (and I suppose, still are) been invested in. What I didn’t realize, is that these shows could be quite inspirational for the book that I’m writing.
MacGyver:
MacGyver is a show about Angus MacGyver, a scientist and ‘detective’ for the fictional organization ‘Phoenix Foundation’ – many people will have heard of the concept of ‘MacGyvering’ something. This is because the main hook of the show is that MacGyver is able to take common every day items, and turn them into tools to get them out of the situation the characters find themselves in. I’ve seen boomboxes as fire extinguishers, cranes used as large magnets, and much more. This is something that my main characters are going to need to do a lot. In my story, the elements of every world are against them, and they’ll have to use their wits and prolific scientific knowledge in order to succeed in their goals.
Hawaii Five-O:
Hawaii Five-O is a show that follows the detective activities and action of the second level police force on Hawaii. Steve McGarrett, a former USA Navy Officer, leads the team. What’s inspirational for me about Hawaii Five-O is that although the book is set in an ‘Infinite’ space, it’s contained in 3 planets. In the sort of setting I’m writing in, this is the equivalent of being contained to a space like Hawaii. It gives me the opportunity to explore how people think in these confined spaces.
NCIS: Los Angeles:
NCIS was one of my fathers favourite series, and was watched frequently as I grew up. We watched it together for a few years, as my mother always worked night shifts at job. Allowing me to be in that headspace where I feel young (although I am far from old!) and creative, means that I feel inspired to write more. Although there are no narrative elements for me to pull from, it still has a nice effect on the soul.