by Katherine Reay, @Katherine_Reay
I’m in the midst of line-editing my novel and that means that it’s almost time to begin the next. That is an exciting moment, but a daunting one as well – especially as I am not a writer with notebooks full of ideas.
I am one idea at a time kinda writer.
So brainstorming begins…
Writers draw their ideas from as many endless sources as there are stories to write. And no two of us will look at the same event in the same way, but how can one set out to be inspired? Get the “grey cells” churning in a brilliant brainstorming session? Here are a few tips…
- Talk to friends. I go to two friends at the beginning of a book and we simply talk books, characters, emotions and what we have loved recently. Don’t feel you need to talk about specifics, just let your imagine roam with others who also love stories and the world of books. You might be surprised at how many ideas lie right beneath the surface.
- Look at what you’re reading. What excites you? What is new and different in what you’ve read? What questions have you asked while reading? My first four books all stemmed from questions I pondered while reading C.S. Lewis books. If you follow those questions, you may find a story to pursue or a fresh character in need of exploration.
- Think back to what you’ve written. I often find that an ancillary character in one of my stories holds as aspect of his or her personality I want to explore further. I don’t write series so that particular character doesn’t live beyond the one book, but an aspect of him or her can be examined through a new character. Can something new be said about this need or trait or pursuit? And once you have a need – a whole world of possibilities opens.
- I prefer long hand for this, with lots of colored pens – but that’s just me. Write out dialogue, scenes, draw arcs and plot events on them… Simply have fun with what bubbles in your imagination. None of this is to keep – unless that gem pops up. And you’ll know if it does. If it doesn’t, you will still have had a wonderful time and I expect some of those ideas will find their way into your eventual story.
- Have fun! Yes, I know… I end with this all the time, but that’s because it’s so important. It’s important to enjoy the privilege of this calling. It’s not all sunshine and unicorns, but it is an honor, a calling, and a joy.
Thanks for spending time with me today. If you have any brainstorming ideas, please share them in the comments. As I said, I’m starting a new story and would love any ideas your willing to share.
Katherine
Mary Davies finds safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues – particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary’s estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.
But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen’s Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of a Regency lady, attended by other costume-clad guests, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.
Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.
Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy & Jane, The Bronte Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, and The Austen Escape. Her next novel, The Printed Letter Bookshop, will release May 2019. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. She has also just signed a contract for a nonfiction work to be published in February 2020. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL. You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay or Instagram: @katherinereay.