A Story's Conception

Where do my ideas for stories come from? The truth is I don’t really know, but from somewhere within my mind. Once an idea or character emerges, much thought takes place on how to tell the story. Are my stories part of me? Of course, I just hope they don’t expose too much of me.

I know my first character haunted my thoughts for a year before I ever started writing, but she didn’t actually appear until the third book in that series. She had to come from my imagination, but where does that start? Somehow when she showed up it made me think about telling a story, where it would take place, and what would happen. When I had that sorted out, she didn’t fit in the story, but other characters did.
Once completed, the first story gave me characters who led to other stories. Since then, I often think of situations and the character who will tell that story together, often while taking a walk myself. Walking lets me empty my mind from everyday distractions. Walking is where unexpected characters still show up.

Usually I like to thread a story around an issue existing in today’s world, but let the telling take place in ‘another place and time.’ Human life on Earth and their societies have very…interesting…practices, some quite bizarre, even despicable, to others living here. Many human practices from our history (love reading history) also often show up in my stories.

I believe writers write and readers read to learn about all the contrary and magnanimous aspects of human beings.

Please visit these author's to learn where their inspiration comes from:

Skye Taylor
A.J. Maguire
Connie Vines
Anne de Gruchy
Helena Fairfax
Margaret Fieland 
Dr. Bob Rich
Fiona McGier