Where do my ideas for stories come from? The truth is I don’t really know but from somewhere within my mind. Once an idea or character emerges, much thought takes place on how to tell the story. Are my stories part of me? Of course, I just hope they don’t expose too much of me.
I know my first character haunted my thoughts for a year before I ever started writing, but she didn’t actually appear until the third book in that series. She had to come from my imagination, but where does that start? Somehow when she showed up it made me think about telling a story, where it would take place, and what would happen. When I had that sorted out, she didn’t fit in the story, but other characters did.
Once completed, the first story gave me characters who led to other stories. Since then, I often think of situations and the character who will tell that story together, often while taking a walk myself. Walking lets me empty my mind from everyday distractions. Walking is where unexpected characters still show up.
Usually, I like to thread a story around an issue existing in today’s world, but let the telling take place in ‘another place and time.’ Human life on Earth and their societies have very…interesting…practices, some quite bizarre, even despicable, to others living here. Many human practices from our history (love reading history) also often show up in my stories.
I believe writers write and readers read to learn about all the contrary and magnanimous aspects of human beings.
Please visit these author's to learn where their inspiration comes from:
I know my first character haunted my thoughts for a year before I ever started writing, but she didn’t actually appear until the third book in that series. She had to come from my imagination, but where does that start? Somehow when she showed up it made me think about telling a story, where it would take place, and what would happen. When I had that sorted out, she didn’t fit in the story, but other characters did.
Once completed, the first story gave me characters who led to other stories. Since then, I often think of situations and the character who will tell that story together, often while taking a walk myself. Walking lets me empty my mind from everyday distractions. Walking is where unexpected characters still show up.
Usually, I like to thread a story around an issue existing in today’s world, but let the telling take place in ‘another place and time.’ Human life on Earth and their societies have very…interesting…practices, some quite bizarre, even despicable, to others living here. Many human practices from our history (love reading history) also often show up in my stories.
I believe writers write and readers read to learn about all the contrary and magnanimous aspects of human beings.
Please visit these author's to learn where their inspiration comes from:
Isn't is amazing how these "fictional" characters talk to us, urging us to explore their stories, or even telling us how to write the one we're working on now? I've had lengthy conversations with my characters while I'm out walking the beach and the ideas they come up with are some of the best. They've also convinced me to get out of bed and wake my computer up to get some of their ideas written before I forget them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've answered a few wake-up calls, too.
ReplyDeleteRhobin, I love the idea of taking an existing issue and making a story around it in a completely different world. It's a fascinating way to explore modern day problems. Thanks for organising the Round Robin. I've really enjoyed this topic!
ReplyDeleteThe vast panoply of human experience almost demands that we, as writers, explore it. And many issues we face are more easily exposed and dealt with in fictional novels. My opinion of sci-fi, my favorite genre to read (alas, not write), is that the authors take a current-day issue and extrapolate to a future time when things have moved to an extreme...the better to expose the foolishness we're dealing with now.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where the characters come from. I prefer to think of them as gifts from my "muse." Then, once they've taken up habitation in my brain, their stories spin around endlessly, until I have the time to write them down. And when that story is done, those characters are silent. Then they're replaced by the next group demanding their turn!
I enjoyedd reading your post
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