Story Ideas
Lisa C. asked me yesterday about where I come up with my story ideas. The very simple answer is life. I know. It’s the answer most authors will tell you. But it’s true. If you’re a writer and your mind is open enough, you can find a story in everything…even something as plain and simple as an empty diet Coke can lying in the street. There’s a person behind that can and a reason why he left it in the street instead of throwing it away or recycling it.
For No Going Home, I wanted to combine two of my favorite sports, show jumping and rodeo. I wondered how would a man (Les) react after being injured in a riding accident and no longer able to perform at what he loved most? Could another man (Randy) find the courage to step away from his less than perfect life to accept love and support from such a man? Along with a few other questions, I created their story.
Here Be Dragons started with a simple question. What if snakes returned to Ireland? That question morphed into a different one. What if they weren’t snakes? What if they were dragons? Throw in a geeky herpetologist, a sexy scientist/spy, a gorgeous elf and a legendary knight, you have all the components for an interesting urban fantasy.
So, I find inspiration from every thought and dream I might have. It might start with an object like in Stealing Life or a single scene like Angel’s Evolution. I have a series of stories I’m slowly working on that was inspired by a single lyric from a Bon Jovi song.
The Vanguard was inspired by the Sacred Band of Thebes. I loved the concept of lovers fighting together in a military unit. Who do you fight the hardest for? The one you love. I took the idea, threw in some magic and romance, creating Rathian and Stakel, plus all the men in Rathian’s command.
I hope you’ve found this post interesting. Have a great day.
Seduce my mind and you can have my body.
Find my soul and I’m yours forever.
-Anonymous
For No Going Home, I wanted to combine two of my favorite sports, show jumping and rodeo. I wondered how would a man (Les) react after being injured in a riding accident and no longer able to perform at what he loved most? Could another man (Randy) find the courage to step away from his less than perfect life to accept love and support from such a man? Along with a few other questions, I created their story.
Here Be Dragons started with a simple question. What if snakes returned to Ireland? That question morphed into a different one. What if they weren’t snakes? What if they were dragons? Throw in a geeky herpetologist, a sexy scientist/spy, a gorgeous elf and a legendary knight, you have all the components for an interesting urban fantasy.
So, I find inspiration from every thought and dream I might have. It might start with an object like in Stealing Life or a single scene like Angel’s Evolution. I have a series of stories I’m slowly working on that was inspired by a single lyric from a Bon Jovi song.
The Vanguard was inspired by the Sacred Band of Thebes. I loved the concept of lovers fighting together in a military unit. Who do you fight the hardest for? The one you love. I took the idea, threw in some magic and romance, creating Rathian and Stakel, plus all the men in Rathian’s command.
I hope you’ve found this post interesting. Have a great day.
Seduce my mind and you can have my body.
Find my soul and I’m yours forever.
-Anonymous
4 Responses “Story Ideas”
Good evening Carol,
He is rather yummy, isn’t he? 🙂
thanks for your kind words. when I hear/read comments like that, it makes me feel like I’m doing something right.
Mighty fine picture there. Only one of the reason I check your blog daily. Thank you for sharing how you are inspired to write your beautiful stories. You have the amazing talent of expressing great emotions–you “feel” all those emotions with your characters when your read.
Thank you, Lisa, both for finding my post interesting and for buying all my books. 🙂
I get ideas from everything and if I took the time to write each one down, I’d never get an actual book written…lol.
I hope my books are always at least a little different from each other because I find books that are all the same boring. *I got the 2nd draft of Stealing Life’s cover…wow is all I’m going to say*
That Mr. Chase was fascinating. I never would have guessed literally anything would spark a new story. I suspose that’s another quality a good writer needs besides command and use of words – a very creative imagination (your books are always very different from each other.) I for one am glad you “think” the way you do! FYI – you are the only m/m author I have ALL their books and I’m impatiently awaiting Stealing Life. Thank you for the insight!
Lisa C.