Sizzling Story Ideas by Lauren Clark
When I was a little girl, I always wondered how authors came
up with book ideas. How did Madeleine L'Engle dream up The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe? What made Frank Oz write
about Dorothy, a tornado, and a yellow brick road? Why did Margaret Mitchell
decide to describe Scarlett O'Hara as a willful, headstrong, young Southern
belle?
A perfect world might include a 'Red Box' for Writers. I
image that such an invention would be very popular--just stop by the
neighborhood store, find the machine, and feed it a few dollars. Punch in your
interests (drama, romance, thriller?), a setting, and basic description of your
main character, and BAM! out comes a brand-new, fabulous story idea.
In reality, the process is much simpler, and doesn't involve
money or touch screens. For me, story ideas are best-captured two ways: Listening and Asking Questions.
Listening:
Whether you're at a party, in the workplace, or walking through the
grocery store, unless it's midnight, someone's always having a conversation.
Does your neighbor like to chat? Do your kids tell you funny stories about
school or their new teacher? Did something strange happen when you ran into an
old friend? All great story ideas!!!
I came up with the idea for Stay Tuned after hearing a true story about a fistfight between two
news anchors in a local television station parking lot. Both were fired, and
the incident stirred up all sorts of controversy for months. And people still
talked about it years later!! It had all of the right ingredients for a
dramatic story: Conflict, Suspense, and
Action.
For Dancing Naked in
Dixie, I had come up with a basic storyline--I wanted to follow the journey
of a travel writer from New York City to small-town Alabama--but I was still searching
for the "right" location. I kept hearing about a nearby town that
hosted a "Pilgrimage" every April. This event involved mansions,
period costume from the 1800's, music, and historic landmarks. Intrigued, I
visited Eufaula and fell in love with the area's charm and beauty. It was the
perfect location for Dixie.
Asking Questions:
When you find an idea that stays with you, a notion that you can't get
out of your mind, you can easily test out the concept. Here's what works for me,
and I'll use my third novel, The Pie Lab (Feb,
2013), as an example.
My husband and I visited Greensboro, Alabama several years
ago. While looking for a place to grab coffee and a snack, we stumbled on The
Pie Lab, a local restaurant. It's a funky little place on the main street of
Greensboro with rustic decor and huge, sliding wooden doors.
I immediately thought that The Pie Lab would make a
wonderful setting for a novel, and started researching the location. Who owned
the restaurant? Who worked there? Why did they decide on serving pie? Is the
food any good? (Delicious, by the way...) Why did the name include the word
"Lab?"
What I discovered was better than I'd hoped. The Pie Lab is
a homespun project that serves a dual purpose:
(1) Offering employment and training skills, and (2) Providing a forum
for discussing and solving community problems.
While not every idea will end up a bestselling novel,
listening and asking questions will generate a LOT of possibilities! You'll
also learn so many interesting things about people and places while you're at
it!
What do you think? What are some of the best stories you've
read? What makes them special or different?
Lauren Clark is the author of Stay Tuned and Dancing Naked
in Dixie. She writes contemporary novels set in the Deep South; stories
sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets.
A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored
coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her
big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends. Check out
her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.
Find more about Lauren here:
Dominique ~ Thank you so very much for hosting Dixie on your blog today! It was so much fun to talk about story ideas ... My big worry is having LOTS of fun story ideas and not having enough time to develop them all into novels! GOOD problem to have, right?
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy the post!
All the best,
Lauren
Lauren has a terrific imagination. No shortage of creative ideas there!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Pj!!!!
ReplyDelete