by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

Every book begins with an idea. How we treat our ideas when they first appear determines the very possibility of a book ever being written.

I was emailing with another writer discussing – what else? – writing. We’d tossed around several topics, when she said this: “… when I have an idea … I immediately become hypercritical and think it’s all wrong.”

Being hypercritical of an idea strangles the creativity right out of it.

When we’re at the beginning of our writing process – starting a new story, mulling over our what if? – let’s think like a gardener.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a gardener. I’m sticking with the anyone-knows-this basics for this blog post. 

The beginning of a book idea is like the delicate first shoot of a plant appearing above the ground. A plant needs four basics things to grow:

1. Sunlight
2. Water
3. Soil
4. Nutrients

How do these four elements translate to writing a book? I’m glad you asked.

1. Sunlight: Plants harness energy from the sun. (Remember the term “photosynthesis” from your high school science classes?) As writers, we need to give our story ideas time to grow, instead of overshadowing them right from the start with our doubts about all the things that could be wrong with them.
2.  Water: Plants need to be watered regularly so they don’t wilt, and it’s especially important to ensure plants are well-watered in the early stages of growth. Mulling is a wonderful part of watering our new idea. Consider all the possible ways the story could play out. Imagine different characters, including heroes and heroines and antagonists. Entertain any and all plot twists.
3. Nutrients: Certain nutrients like nitrogen and potassium help plants grow and thrive. (And yes, I looked this information up.) What helps our little baby ideas thrive? Consider reading a craft book, possibly focusing on an area you want to improve on when you start writing your manuscript. Or brainstorm your idea with a mentor or craft partner. WARNING: Don’t talk your idea to death with a dozen different people. Keep the “I’ve got this great idea” chatting to a minimum and be careful to avoid people who might block out the sunlight. (See #1.)
4. Soil: Plants need proper soil to grow – healthy soil. I’m going to keep this simple: You are the soil for your story idea. Yes, you need to take care of your new idea, and to do so, you need to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Think:
   1. Resting and exercising
   2. Reading for pleasure and continuing to improve your craft
   3. Encouraging others and investing in healthy relationships 
   4. Strengthening your faith with encouraging community and worship

Let’s think like a gardener and be gentle with our new story ideas, giving them the sun, water, nutrients, and soil they need to grow into full-fledged books.

 

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The Best We’ve Been

How can you choose what is right for you when your decision will break the heart of someone you love? Having abandoned her childhood dream years ago, Johanna Thatcher knows what she wants from life. Discovering that her fiancé was cheating on her only convinces Johanna it’s best to maintain control and protect her heart.

Despite years of distance and friction, Johanna and her sisters, Jillian and Payton, have moved from a truce toward a fragile friendship. But then Johanna reveals she has the one thing Jillian wants most and may never have—and Johanna doesn’t want it. As Johanna wrestles with a choice that will change her life and her relationships with her sisters forever, the cracks in Jillian’s marriage and faith deepen. Through it all, the Thatcher sisters must decide once and for all what it means to be family.

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” The Best We’ve Been, the final book in Beth’s Thatcher Sisters Series with Tyndale House Publishers, releases May 2020. Other books in the series include Things I Never Told You, which one the 2019 AWSA Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year, and Moments We Forget.  

 Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.   

  An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.