Novel Ideas
Susan Vreeland, in her article in the November issue of The Writer Magazine, writes about where the ideas come for novels. Much commercial fiction, she contends, begins as a story idea or plot, and then characters are invented and shaped (or misshaped and stretched) to fit the story.
My story ideas just about always start with the characters. It works something like this: there's a lonely, brooding hero. Or a strong, sexy hero with some flaws. (It just about always starts with the hero.) Then I start asking, 'What if...?' and 'Why?'
What if the hero is isolated by choice? Why? Well, what if he's a werewolf? And he doesn't trust himself to be around people without hurting them.
Okay. So, along comes the heroine, who's sassy and spunky and has a takes-no-prisoners attitude (which, okay, pretty much describes all my heroines. Who wants to read about a prissy, sissy girl who sits in a corner sobbing?) What if the heroine needs the hero to help her? Why? Because she has a werewolf after her and the hero is an acknowledged "expert" on werewolves.
Of course, the heroine has no idea that the hero is a werewolf, too. She only knows that she doesn't want to be one. Bam! Conflict.
(This is my story that's in a MAJOR revision for submission to Ellora's Cave. When I get back to it. I got stuck about 21,000 words in, so it's percolating while I do my NaNo thing. Come December 1st, I'm back to my wolfie story with a vengeance.)
So... where do your ideas come from?
2 comments:
I have three books I got the inspiration for while walking in Saguaro National Monument (before it was made a Natl Park) written and published on my books page. I am writing a story based on what life brought me one day at the new coffee shop. I have one more book I got because I was driving around town and got to thinking of this character...and I had to have a place to put him.
The three books I got from the desert are Artesia - which started out in the desert and ended up in Texas, Choices - which started out in Tucson and ended up in Detroit, and Last Train To Tucson, a romance that is in Arizona.
And there are another three, four or five books in the wings, waiting on me to get to them. No, nothing written for someone, these are all for me - I write for myself.
So the inspiration is from me, for me. Interesting way to look at it, which I didn't before.
Thanks for the wonderful writing tips. Because of you I've ordered The Writer. I know it'll stand me in good stead.
I, too, write for me. That I can get a story published and let others read about the characters I've fallen in love with is pure bonus.
I'm glad I've been able to help. I know you'll find The Writer very helpful.
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