When people find out that I am a writer, it’s often the same
questions I hear… You mean you write stories? Can I actually buy your books?
Can I be in one of your books? I’d love to write a story; how do you find the
time? – As a writer, we’ve heard them all, you may have even been guilty of
asking one or two of them before, but my personal favourite is still; Where do
you get your ideas?
Now it can't be the same for us all, for the simple reason
that everyone is inspired differently. I’m also not sure that how a person is
inspired equals where their ideas come from. For example, I often feel inspired
when I'm out and about in the fresh air, surrounded by nature; I feel like I
want to sit down and write. But I don’t necessarily know what to write about.
Therefore, I don’t believe that my ideas come from nature. If I'm totally
honest, I'm not actually sure where my ideas come from, only that they tend to
come to me at inappropriate times – like when I'm at work, or trying to fall
asleep. I have a notebook and pen by my bed for such occasions, and have
numerous notes on my phone where I've jotted down ideas when I'm out shopping
etc. If I had to pin down where I got my ideas from, I'd say that they're made
up from things I've seen and heard around me, whether that be real life experiences
or things I've read and watched. I pull little things from different places to
make up a new idea that is my own.
The part I do know, is that all my stories have started out
as a character. It’s the characters that speak to me. The characters that I
create and start to write about, before they find their story. The four Hidden
World Novels all started out that way. In some cases, I didn’t even know who
they were going to be. Anna-Marie from The Love That Binds Us, started out as a
first-person piece about standing in the corner of the room and having no one
notice you. About feeling like you were invisible to the people around you. At
the time of writing the piece, it felt very lonely and kinda depressing, yet
when her story developed, it became clear that the reason that no one was
noticing her was because she was a ghost. If you’ve read The Love That Binds Us
then this will be making more sense to you than those of you who haven’t. But
stripped back, the story is about twin girls who are ripped apart when one of
them dies, and follows their journey to reconnecting with each other across the
dimensions of the world, hence the ghost!
I’m not a huge planner when it comes to writing, I'm what is
known to the writing community as a ‘pantser’ – someone who ‘flies by the seat
of their pants’ – I tend to have a very basic idea in my head of where the
story is going, and then I start writing and let my characters guide me. By the
time I am ready to start writing their story, they have been talking to me for
some time, and I know who they are, so writing them is easy for me. There are
often several pieces of the story already written from musings about the
character, and then I piece them together and make a story. I don’t write
chronologically, which can be a pain when it gets around to the first edits, as
there are often gaping plot holes, but it means that I don’t very often end up
with writer’s block.
I have a relaxed way of writing where I try not to put too
much pressure on myself, which means that I rarely suffer with periods of times
when I can't write anything. On the days where I don’t feel inspired, or can't
seem to find the words, I simply do something else. I take a break, maybe do
something related, like edit another piece, or connect on social media, or even
get out of the house completely and go on an adventure. Then when I get back, I
feel fresh and ready to write. I think the longest I have gone without writing
since deciding to make something of my stories is a couple of days!
But anyway, back to my ideas… When I talk to family about my
ideas, they all remember one in particular! Back in my university days when I
was studying English Literature, I took a course in Creative Writing, which of
course was my favourite, but even that had its moments when I found the class a
little dull. This one particular day, it was because we were learning about how
to write a script, and script writing just wasn’t my thing; still isn’t. I
digress, while listening, I was doodling on the back of a worksheet, and ended
up writing this short passage.
Most little
girls, when tucked up in bed at night, dream of princesses, ponies and
everything pink. Serena however, was no ordinary little girl, her dreams were
much darker, more dangerous and full of an excitement that little girls
shouldn’t understand.
This passage went on to inspire my first full length written
novel, one that will be a five-book series when I am through with it. Though
currently unpublished, the first of The Cursed Novels, will make its appearance
in summer 2019, and I plan to bring it in with a bang.
The same goes every time though – it always starts with the
character. Anna-Marie and then her sister, Lily. Luna as a mermaid wanting to
spend her time on land rather than in the water. Izzy being bitten and having
to survive in a world she’d thought was all fictional as she becomes a
werewolf. Eloise discovering that she is as a witch, and that her mother had
been one too. The others that I have in the bank awaiting their time; Nel, a
vampire, Lara the human detective that ends up wrapped up in their world,
Slayer, Jason, Tucker, Kelly the Valkyrie. The list goes on. Some of them have
stories attached to them that are just waiting to be written. Some of them are
still floating around as ideas. And then amongst them is one that is different
from all the rest. I have one that is a story without a character yet. I know
who she needs to be – but she hasn’t spoken to me yet!
So, when I am asked where I get my ideas from, my most common
answer is ‘Where don’t I get it from.’ But my favourite answer, for those
people that I know well enough to understand my sense of humour, is that the
voices tell them to me! Let’s hope that none of them ever call the men in white
coats to come and get me…
Next up we have ones linked to my job - Your Zodiac Soul is one I had a personal interest in, but was then tugged to the top of my list when I found out that John Wadsworth was coming to do a signing in our shop!! I have several proofs, a two of which (not pictured) were my last reads, both children's fiction, which I am quickly learning is one of my favourite genres! Plus I have some teen novels to read for an event that I am going to in London next month where I get to meet the authors - it's only right that I have read their books...
