Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

My recent post over at Blogging In Black got me to thinking more about the creative process, and mine in particular.

Just about every author I know has probably been asked this question a gazillion times. After so many years of going blank I finally came up with the short, perfect answer for me, "From life". It is just hard for me to explain how I write. Frankly, every time I do in no time I make myself out a liar. Case in point- For at least my first three books I didn't do actual outlines. By that I mean I didn't write down the major plot, the subplots, the character motivations, etc. In fact, for two books I just jotted down notes for the next scene once I finished writing for the day. This is what some call "seat of the pants" writing. But for me that got old. Why? Because I signed back to back contracts to write two books with options for a third project. With all those deadlines I needed to get organized. Just hoping something would come to me wasn't going to keep cutting it. No, ma'am. You see I had a job and wrote at night. Now I don't know about you, but my brain gets numb after so many hours of firing on all cylinders. To expect that I could continue day after day to write, let alone write well, after only maybe an hour of rest once I got home from work was just crazy talk!

Enter the outline. Yes, the writer who said she needed to be free of those contrictions suddenly thought, "Hmm, that outlining thing is looking real good to me."

So it's hard to explain to non-writers how and why we create. Actually it's hard to explain to readers why it's not as simple as: readers want = writer writes it. Yes, I know it's good to understand that readers are our customers in a sense and we should listen to them. But I maintain that writing is complex, creative and so different for each writer. Some writers can and do shape their books based on reader feedback. For other writers, raising my hand here, we have certain stories to tell and we can't create that way. Now it's not that we care about readers any less or don't respect their desires. Of course we do. But honestly I just can't explain it. I have to "feel" the characters and the story line in order to write it.

What's probably more confusing for these readers is the writers who can't simply write a sequel as requested or a new book featuring secondary characters you love from a previous book aren't "wrong". We're not being snooty and uppity, implying that readers don't know what they're talking about. We're not being prima donnas acting like the "grande artiste". And writers who shape future books based on reader feedback aren't doing it wrong either. They're not violating some high artistic standard by not following their muse. You see, there is no right or wrong way.

So please don't get offended if your favorite writer ends a series, doesn't write a sequel or follow some other request you made. It's just complicated. Oh the heck with it. Let me break down in simple terms. We're writers therefore we're crazy. Better? Good.

Some Writers Deserve To Starve

Ouch! That sounds harsh, but read this post at Blogging In Black for a bit of insight into what the author of this the book Some Writers Deserve To Starve has to say.

Now I can't review the book. Haven't read it yet. But I will pick up a copy. I must confess that the message seems to be "Do your homework. Please." To which I can say, "Amen". Not that this is a guarantee that you'll get published, or even stay published once you do get a contract. Still you need to get informed. Join a writers group, one that has a newsletter and meetings that tend to both the business side of being a writer and the creative side. Read trade magazines like The Writer, Writer's Digest, Publishers Lunch, etc. Get moving and get informed!

Sometimes I am asked for advice that is readily available with just a little bit of effort to research (can you say Google?). So let me give aspiring writers some advice- there are so many resources at your fingertips, literally. Most published authors are really busy. So don't spend valuable time asking them basic questions you could get answers to elsewhere. Instead get the basics elsewhere and use the time a published author is generous enough to share with you to get insights that are best obtained from a firsthand experience.

What do I mean by "the basics?" Well, manuscript format for one. Asking "What's a proposal?" or "What's a query letter?" "What should I expect from my agent?" You can find this stuff on the Internet so easy. In fact, you can find this on my website Get The FAQS page. Questions that go to the heart of getting inside scoop? Okay, just a couple of examples: "Which conferences do you recommend based on your experience?" "What are some of your favorite writing tools?" "I'm going to attend a conference mixer with agents and editors. Any tips on how to approach them?" In other words think about asking "What are the 7 habits of effective and successful authors?" Notice this probably eliminates a lot of "What size font should I use?" type questions.