One of the questions writers are most asked is, where did that idea come from. So, I'd like to answer that question. Ideas usually come from three places: the writer's life, watching the world around them or pure fantasy. Every once and a while something completely unexpected or strange happens in a writer's life. That event might really weigh on the writer's mind until they can't help but share it. Let's say they were in a severe car accident and ended up in the hospital for an expended period of time. That writer's next book just might be about a patient in intensive care.

Or, just for example, let's say the writer was a smoker and went through the long hard process to quit. Their next hero or heroin might be working to stop smoking just so the writer can get the idea out that it was one of the hardest things in their own life.

Now what if the theme of a book came to a writer from watching the world around them. One way could be simply through people watching. Another way could be by the life events of family, friends or even friends of a friends friend. You get the idea. Maybe cousin Jane's friend Monica is going through a nasty divorce and has hired a detective to help her out. Then during the court process Monica ends up falling in love with her married attorney. That would give any writer a lot to think about.

Now for the third way a writer could come up with the next best selling novel. That would have to be fantasy, imagination or even just dumb luck. What do I mean?

Fantasy could be just taking an old idea and expanding on it. Let's say you take something like Snow White and use it for example. Snow White could be some normal high school girl from the country. Her step mother could just be insane and the man of her dreams could be a football player she meets after running away to join the circus. Just take a little imagination and let your mind run free where it wills. You never know you just might have a bit of dumb luck and let your mind wonder right into the story of a lifetime. So, next time you wish you knew where a writer came up with a character or a storyline, just take a look around your own part of the world. I bet you'll get a pretty good idea of what might have been on the mind of your favorite author.

Bio: Debra Soles is a romance writer, mostly historical and at present is editing the last little bit of her MS to send to a publisher. She also helps her husband with a gift shop. Debra lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four-year-old son, however, she was born and raised in North Carolina."

Debra A. Soles can be contacted at the following web link: www.geocities.com/debdebss/ or e-mail at dodjeman11@cox

My Life My Mind Archive 2004

My Life My Mind Archive 2003