February 20, 2008
Where Do Your Ideas Come From?
I know this is a question that annoys most writers, but not me. Perhaps if I ever achieve Stephen King’s or Nora Roberts’ fame, I’ll change my mind. 
The truth is, I find the evolution of idea to full blown book fascinating. The whole process inspires a certain awe, especially when I’m standing with a completed manuscript in hand. I think back to the first kernel of an idea that might have occurred months or even years before sitting down to write, and I’m somewhat amazed at how this tiny idea morphed into a 400 page book.
On the other end of the spectrum is when I take that first stab at turning an idea into a story. After all, the idea is only the first step. I still have to find the right setting, create the right characters, back story, conflict, and then tie it all together. While exhilarating and exciting, it can be overwhelming and frustrating too.
That’s where I am today, that step right after brainstorming where the first hint of self doubt creeps in like a cool draft from previously unseen cracks. Is this idea big enough to build an entire book? Are my characters interesting? Are their back stories cliché, or so over the top a reader couldn’t relate to them? Are the scenes I’m visualizing too much? Or worse, are they predictable? Will I ever be able to tie it all together so it makes sense?
This is a very delicate point in giving birth to a new novel. It would be only too easy to say I couldn’t do it. But deep down I know I can. I’ve done it before. I’ll keep pushing and digging, and there will be a moment when it all clicks. The idea will no longer be just an idea I have for a story, but a story that I’m writing.
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