Where does an author get ideas for a fiction novel?
Some authors include personal experiences. Some writers base their characters on friends, relatives or next-door neighbors. An idea for a novel can be gleaned from a newspaper article or a gossip column. Some authors come up with a rough idea for a plot and characters, and then let the characters tell their own story.
Years ago, my parents told me I used to bury my toys in the sand and then my dad had to dig them up. Aha! What if someone dug up something a toddler buried years ago and it became the clue to solving a murder?
With that concept, I started writing my first novel, Black Cat’s Legacy. Before I knew it, Black Cat (Thumper) jumped into the tale, took over and became the catalyst of the story. Having his ancestors’ memories, he tries to help Kimberlee solve her father’s murder. Something buried by the toddler years before played into the plot, but only in a very minor way. Who knew? From little acorns, mighty oaks grow.
So, a whole novel can begin with the kernel of an idea. When I begin to write, the characters often highjack the story. I follow their lead until the scene plays out. When this happens, they can take it in surprising and unplanned directions. This can be good or bad depending on the temperament of my characters. Most unnerving is when one of them makes an unpredictable move and I have to ask, “What the heck just happened? How do I get him out of this?”
That’s usually when the mischievous character decides to take a vacation and leaves me trying to resolve the muddle they just created. And my mind is blank, and I’ve got nothin’.
What does an author do when they get writer’s block? Again, there are as many answers as there are authors. But here is the best one I’ve ever heard.
What’s the worst thing that can happen? Using that concept, I conjure up several alternatives, pick one and run with it.
Here’s an example: My character is frying bacon and the skillet catches fire. What’s the worst thing that can happen?
She pulls the fire extinguisher off the wall. It’s empty! What’s the worst thing that can happen?
She grabs her cellphone to call the fire department. Dead battery. What’s the worst thing that can happen?
She yanks open the front door, screaming, “Fire, fire.” A religious zealot on the doorstep, says, “You tell it, sister. Hell fire is for eternity!”
You get the idea. See how easily my imagined skillet fire scene just got away from me? I had planned she would grab a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. I hadn’t planned anyone at the door... But, as usual, my 30-second example character took control and finished the scene better than I had planned. With my characters, I’m used to them being in control. I’m sort of just along for the ride.
You can find my novels at Amazon in paperback and e-book. For a fun read, I recommend any of my 13 novels. Check them all at Amazon.
