Tag Archive for: Story

Where Do We Get Our Ideas?

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by Sparkle Abbey

People often ask authors where their ideas for particular books come from. And though it’s quite different from author to author, one thing we’ve discovered from hanging out with other authors is that most have no problem coming up with ideas for stories. In fact, most of us have far more ideas than we’ll ever have the time to write. Story ideas are everywhere.

Writers are innately curious and so a news story, a magazine article, even an obituary can spark a thought that turns into a possibility. The writer imagination is off and running and wondering what if. The news of the day may be a big fire at a local business. It could have been faulty electrical wiring, but the writer wonders what if it wasn’t. What if there’s more to the story? What if the fire was actually a cover-up?

Also writers are by nature observers. Yes, that’s us sitting quietly in the corner of the room or the park. That couple holding hands while their body language says there’s something else going on. What’s their story? The three girls in a whispered conversation whose foreheads are almost touching. What secrets are they sharing? The elderly woman with her purse clutched tightly on her lap who keeps checking her watch. Who is she waiting for? And the guy in a dark suit that looks oddly out of place. He’s too quiet. Is he an undercover cop? Perhaps a spy?

Or wait maybe the elderly woman is the spy. Would that be a great twist? The guy in the dark suit could be headed to a job interview. We imagine the three teen-aged girls in ten years. Will they still be friends? Still sharing secrets? What if they lose touch with each other? What if they don’t?

See how it works? There is drama everywhere, and secrets, and stories. As writers we are sponges for the bit and pieces that are story sparks. We get to bring those stories to life and give them twists and change them around. Ideas are everywhere. 

Now that you know how it works, the only thing to remember is when you’re having a conversation with a writer, and they get that far-away look, that there is a good chance they have spotted a potential story across the room and they’re already coming up with ideas. Or the other possibility is that something you’ve said has been the spark, and you’re the story idea.

Writers, is this how it works for you? Have you come across an interesting story spark that you’ve yet to write? Readers, how about you? Have you come across an idea that you thought would make a great story?

Do tell…


Sparkle
Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods aka Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write
the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends
as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder.
(But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found
on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. 


Their most recent book is The Dogfather, the tenth book in the Pampered Pets series.


Also, if you want to make sure you
get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Mindful Daydreaming to Discover Your Story

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By Kimberly Jayne
As an author, I use many tools to coax my stories onto the
page. One of my favorites is mindful daydreaming, a sort of self-guided meditation that breaks through mental blocks. I equate this activity to excavating the gray matter, digging past the idea mantle, and settling into the planning and
plotting layers where scenes and sequences are born, and where I mine for story nuggets that will elevate my work to its highest form.

Last week, I needed to mindful daydream a couple of story sequences that were only partially done, and I really wanted to brighten them up with unique details that would boost the tension and the emotions, exacerbate the conflicts, and improve the flow from one scene to the next. And while I didn’t exactly have the ideal place to do it, I did have a few hours in which I was doing nothing: sitting in the center seat on a flight from Austin to Phoenix. 
It worked far better than I’d have guessed, because in less than 15 minutes, I had about five explicit scenes and sequences drawn in my mind—some entirely new. I couldn’t wait to land and get them down on paper.
Want to try it?
Here’s how I do it:
First, I find a quiet place, get my body into a relaxed
position (preferably lying down), and close my eyes. Then I pull out a file
from my psyche—at least, that’s how it feels. In this file are the fragments of
a scene, an unfinished scene that might be giving me trouble, or a scene I want
to enrich. And then I let my imagination run wild. 

Like directing a movie, I visualize character movements, hear dialogue, taste flavors, touch objects, and
generally feel sensations as my character or as an observer of my
character. I spend anywhere from five to twenty minutes in this state,
sometimes replaying the scenes and adding or modifying as I go. At the end of
the session, I quickly write down the new scenes I’ve created so I can flesh them out
as time permits. 

You can see why being surrounded by strangers and squished in an airplane seat may not be the optimal environment for mindful daydreaming, but my experience proves that the more you do it, the better you get at it, and the faster your results no matter where you are. I personally never leave a mindful daydreaming session without new and exciting elements to add to my story. 

Mindful daydreaming has the added benefit of leaving me
feeling refreshed and rejuvenated afterward—and psyched to get back to my
story. Also? Mindful daydreaming helps you work through real-life problems, as you dig to find your personal truths and solutions you might not have been able to see before. 

Try it, why don’t you, and let me know how it works for you.
Kimberly Jayne is the author of romantic comedy and dark fantasy. You can find more about her and her novels at “Read Kimberly Jayne” (http://readkimberly.com). 

Take My Husband, Please! By Kimberly Jayne


After Sophie files for divorce from Will, his unexpected financial apocalypse brings him back under her roof. Awkward! And if that’s not bad enough, Sophie’s new guy—a sexy and successful entrepreneur—is not keen on dating her without proof that Will is truly out of the picture. Sophie and her best friend concoct a brilliant bet to keep Will “occupied,” but things take a surprise turn for the crazy when Sophie gets roped into sending her ex on five blind dates! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you won’t want this story to end.

Also by Kimberly
Jayne: