Friday Features
We talk about
Ideas for our stories.
People frequently ask how and where we got our ideas to write one story let alone a series. Honestly, sometimes it’s not easy, almost like ramming your head into a huge cement abutment. Yet thankfully, storylines and scenes magically appear in our minds. Sometimes more than we want.
Every book demands who, what, where, and why. The plotline. From time to time that necessity confuses those images into a gnarled mess but, we work through it.
So how do we find ideas that allow our imaginations to run rampant? Magazines, movie credits and old telephone books are marvelous for coming up with character names. Be sure to follow the mix and match theory. That means do not use the full name of any one person or you might find you have a lawsuit in the making.
We love to travel and a billboard often sparks our imaginations or other people on the road, even pit stops offer fodder for a new story. Those diners and rest stops are a wealth of fodder to an author.
The grocery store is another great place to gain ideas. For example – the next time you’re in the store take a good look at the lady scanning your purchases or maybe it’s the bagger who draws your attention. Maybe on this trip you notice something different about one or the other. Maybe something different in her dark brown eyes as if they’re hiding a secret. Of course, you can’t ask, so you allow your imagination to take over. What if she’s a crime stopper by night? After a hard day on her feet, she shrugs out of her sweat-filled uniform then into black jeans, a black turtleneck, and low-heeled boots. She shakes out her chocolate brown hair from its topknot and it cascades to her shoulders…You get the idea.
As writing partners, we bounce ideas off each other with the C in C.D. Hersh writing notes as we drive down the road. After a few days or so we revisit C’s list and start the occasionally wonderful, but more often heart wrenching, practice of elimination. After all, what writer doesn’t love his/her words? We do our best not to judge or tick off each other too much since we’re married. Besides, we love each other and seeing one another happy makes us happy.
Here is a little about our shapeshifter series on Amazon. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we did writing them.
TITLE: The Turning Stone Chronicles
GENRE: Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual
Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone ring that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world?
Find out in our paranormal romance series The Turning Stone Chronicles available on Amazon.
You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
C.D. Hersh 