IWSG: What Turns on the Story Light?
IWSG: What Turns on the Story Light?
Our Insecure Writers’ Support Group question for May is totally open ended where I’m concerned:
When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
My answer: Anything and everything but hopefully not nothing!!
I’ve taken inspiration from Fortune Cookies, cloud shapes, TV commercials, and random conversations in the grocery store. Inspiration is that unexpected tug that turns the on imagination light bulb.
It can be anything: A line of dialog that flips character dynamics on his/her ear. That one tiny quirk that perfectly (though not irreparably) mars the hero. The snippet of a backstory clue that defines the villain’s motives. Any of those things can, and has, totally rewritten a story ending. But that’s the challenge and the fun of writing, isn’t it? Even with the best outline, you never know what’s going stir a sudden “Ah-HA!” that ups the stakes and changes all your hard work into a quick scramble of rewriting.
And in my writing life, I’ve had more than a few of those moments. When an editor suddenly asked if I’d consider writing a vampire romance (HECK yeah! Eight of them!) or when my agent asked how long it would take me to come up with an idea for a new line of contemporary romances one of my publishers was going to be opening. (Answer: Pitched it that evening to the head of the romance line at a mixer and was fine tuning four books for my editor when I got home.
When opportunity knocks, in any of its mysterious and unexpected forms, be ready. Yank that door open, invite the project in and have a looooong sit down discussion of where you can take each other in your publishing future.
And that pitch at a conference to my editor . . . this is one of the four books that was sold in the 1990’s years ago then found renewed shelf life with another house twenty-two years later! LOVE’S OWN REWARD is on S*A*L*E for only $0.99 through May 15th!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo BooksPublished: May 27, 2014Length: 190 PagesAdd to Goodreads TBR→
Off to find out about YOUR lightbulb moments!
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the May 3rd posting of the IWSG will be Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
Click Here →
To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group
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Our Insecure Writers’ Support Group question for May is totally open ended where I’m concerned:
When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
My answer: Anything and everything but hopefully not nothing!!
I’ve taken inspiration from Fortune Cookies, cloud shapes, TV commercials, and random conversations in the grocery store. Inspiration is that unexpected tug that turns the on imagination light bulb.
It can be anything: A line of dialog that flips character dynamics on his/her ear. That one tiny quirk that perfectly (though not irreparably) mars the hero. The snippet of a backstory clue that defines the villain’s motives. Any of those things can, and has, totally rewritten a story ending. But that’s the challenge and the fun of writing, isn’t it? Even with the best outline, you never know what’s going stir a sudden “Ah-HA!” that ups the stakes and changes all your hard work into a quick scramble of rewriting.And in my writing life, I’ve had more than a few of those moments. When an editor suddenly asked if I’d consider writing a vampire romance (HECK yeah! Eight of them!) or when my agent asked how long it would take me to come up with an idea for a new line of contemporary romances one of my publishers was going to be opening. (Answer: Pitched it that evening to the head of the romance line at a mixer and was fine tuning four books for my editor when I got home.
When opportunity knocks, in any of its mysterious and unexpected forms, be ready. Yank that door open, invite the project in and have a looooong sit down discussion of where you can take each other in your publishing future.
And that pitch at a conference to my editor . . . this is one of the four books that was sold in the 1990’s years ago then found renewed shelf life with another house twenty-two years later! LOVE’S OWN REWARD is on S*A*L*E for only $0.99 through May 15th!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo BooksPublished: May 27, 2014Length: 190 PagesAdd to Goodreads TBR→Off to find out about YOUR lightbulb moments!
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the May 3rd posting of the IWSG will be Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
Click Here →
To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
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