Where Do I Get Ideas?

I am often asked where I get my inspiration, or where I get my ideas. Sometimes, amazingly, I see (usually negative) reviews claiming that what the character got up to was completely harebrained and in no way real.

Well, O Disbelieving Reviewer, that harebrained stuff probably is real. And I probably did it at one time. If not me, probably a friend of mine.

So where do I get my ideas?

Firstly, I get a whiff. Maybe I see a character on TV that sparks my interest for a male lead. Maybe I have a dream. Or maybe I just wish I was in another time and place. Maybe I need a little romance without the reality element. Whatever the reason, I design a story around a bit of escapism.

Usually, then, I'll pick at the threads of the story. I'll get a feel for the world as I daydream. I'll go for a run and watch the movie flicker through my head. I'll imagine what one character will say to another. If I am out and about, and a funny line occurs to me, I'll write it down for a future scene. I'm living in the world long before I write any of it down.

And then it comes time to flesh it out. That's the fun part.

I tend to write what I know. Some things I research, but mostly, I go off of what I've experienced.

Yes, you've read that right. I generally put my own experiences into a story.

Let's go for a stroll of harebrained activities that couldn't possibly be real, shall we?


Jessica Brodie Diaries-
I did actually ride a bull. I've learned some martial arts.I had a boyfriend that owned an arena and a bunch of bulls--he held practices.My friends and I loved to party--we experienced shenanigans in plenty.Jessica waking up crawling on the beach with no recollection how she got there? Happened to a little Irishmen newly in San Francisco. The poor kid was so distraught.Oh, and the Irish stuff? Yeah, I have a ton of that near me. Asia SF (the bar with transvestites)? That's a fun night out here.Jessica is probably the closest to my personality when I was 27ish than any of my characters. It was the first thing I ever wrote, and I did it as a means to escape. Solely. I never, ever thought I'd publish.



Growing Pains Series -
I lived in a similar area to Krista up until a year agoI ran that path by the beach all the time (still do)I took the cursed Muni in to workHarrington's is real, as are the hotels and bars she ate in. Harrington's has freaking awesome Guinness, but you do have to be careful about Guinness. If it isn't poured correctly or regularly, it'll taste like burnt ass. If you don't live with a good sized Irish population, be careful about drinking Guinness.Krista's fear of failure and need to overachieve? Me. I'm not as bad, but if you've read some of my blog posts, that came directly from me.Folsome Street fair...is real. I congratulated someone on their huge penis. I asked if a Prince Albert hurt (I'm not shy when in a party spirit)I admired a whip stand, but did not actually touch the merchandisePeople having orgies and jacking off all over the place--yup. It's as real as it is gross.I tried to get a guy in a collar with a leash attached to it to have some respect for himself and get up off the dirty street, man! His boyfriend (the guy holding the leash) laughed at me. I did not think it was funny.I said, fuck it, and stepped into the whipping booth (clothed!). It was hilarious, until it started to hurt. Ugh! I got tagged out by my dominatrix co-worked/friend (who is a girl). She was the one that dragged us all there in the first place.Labor--is real. My medicine wore off. My friends left when things were sublime. They came back when I was biting the metal bars of the bed in agony. That sucked.Not being as maternal as my husband? Real. I did not want to hold my baby right away because she started crying and I panicked! I didn't know what to do, or how to be. How to act. I'd never done it before and I got scared with a little human life. I did it anyway, but I was still scared and nervous.I struggle with parenting every day. I work on my patience and try to nurture as best I can. It is not easy for me, and I do not always excel at it, but I try. I wanted to represent that in the book, because I think that is more common than people think, and being as honest and straight forward as I am, I want to talk about it.



Skyline Series-
This is the first series that I started writing for story. I developed an idea of Josh, first. I had a lot of knowledge about Navy SEALs because my brother was obsessed with them, but I did actually research further.

Jenna was a product of Josh. She started out kind of dainty, but morphed into a power house to combat one hell of an alpha male. They are my favorite team because they each complement each other perfectly. You won't see that until you get deeper into the Skyline Series, though. You'll notice that their struggle for power just grinds them into each other, and something truly beautiful flowers from it.

Not as much of the Skyline series came directly from me, though. Just a couple-
I am a great shot with a gunI have eaten rabbit (and other such creatures)I took some training about knife fighting, but I would get killed if I tried it nowMy husband and his friends did drink a bar dry (in NY somewhere)I did know someone that was in a bar in Ireland when someone kicked the door open and opened fire. He left Ireland shortly thereafter.
 

Into the Darkness-
This is all story, I think. I'm not sure any of this is taken from me, except for the love of speed. I LOVE to go fast. I also think better on my feet. Oh, and I took a lot of anthropology, so explaining the 'vampires' came from that knowledge.

Yes, now you know where the crazy in my stories come from. Me.

I hate being bored or doing mundane things, so I often daydream while I am doing it. From those daydreams usually comes a story, or scenes in a story.

You know what I am doing right now? Air drying in my bath robe while writing a blog.

You're welcome for sharing...