Quite obviously, the Unicron Trilogy is one of my main sources of inspiration. Every act shows Optimus’ growth as a person, from an isolationist struggling to accept the aid of others, to someone grappling with the idea of prophecy and his own worth, all the way back to an individual that simply wants peace. He’s tired, he’s scared and frustrated, but he keeps going. I draw from his past and his future, hoping to piece together the fragments that we’re given in canon into a character that is coherent and believable, and can fit as well as possible into who he was meant to be. 

     There’s also the obvious answers; music (Trapt, The Killers, F+TM, and The National are some of his faves, though there are many more), games and TV shows (John-117 from the Halo franchise [the books specifically] is a big inspiration, as is Commander Zavala from Destiny, and the muse works very well when I’m writing to the soundtracks to both series. And don’t even get me started on how @matrixbearer introduced him to sci-fi tv shows/movies, cuz that happened), past world leaders, and, well, plotting with other people--especially those in the same continuity as him. I don’t know if my muse would be as vibrant and vocal as he is without the antagonizing tactics of @mastermegatron, for example, or @ask-scattorshot, @redhandedmedic, and @starboundshuttle‘s constant companionship. That’s not to say those outside of Trilogy RP haven’t shaped how I write him (because I could go on for days about how every interaction I’ve had has made him grow), but yeah. The people he sees on a daily basis have a pretty big impact on him.

     I’d say my desire to overcome the stigma of RPing an OP in general inspires me as well. There’s a particular portion of fandom that’s hellbent on painting all Optimi as insidious, tyrannical warmongers, and I ain’t about that. I want to show Optimus’ unbreakable dedication to his people, how he truly loves them and will do whatever it takes for his future. He would never put his personal interests before Cybertron. He wouldn’t go out and let people suffer on purpose--he HATES the idea of that happening, it’s one of his greatest fears. He slips up, he makes mistakes, but he never backs down, even when nothing is going right, and the universe is literally falling apart around him. And he just... wants things to be okay, for everyone. He can be angry, he can be hurt, he can feel things. It just makes him feel that much more real, and I love that about him. He’s not perfect. That’s... that.

     Finally, just wanting to write a good story keeps me going. I love this truck so much, and I love that he’s become one of my strongest muses. I love that I have so many wonderful partners who want to see him grow and have him help their own muses move forward (OR BACK IN SOME WILD CASES), and that people genuinely enjoy my writing. It keeps me coming back to this blog even when I don’t think things are worth it, and makes me want to keep improving.