Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Blessed Are the Friends


You’ve heard the ubiquitous question, “where do your stories/ideas come from?”
Invariably the sweeping answer is, “everywhere.


But a truer answer is that different people tend to get ideas in idiosyncratic ways, specific to them.


I know writers who get a lot of stories for fiction novels from newspaper accounts of real life stories.


I know writers who get story ideas while walking and looking at houses, imagining the families who live there.


I know writers who get ideas for fiction from reading others’ fiction, and imagining how much more they’d have done with those stories.



About a year ago, I realized many of my longer stories got their themes or protagonists from a friend of mine. One specific friend. We have our regular walk & talk, and I’d be telling her something I had experienced way back, when she’d say, “why don’t you write your next story about it?”


She is not a writer, but an excellent reader. I owe the last five MG novel themes to her.



11 comments:

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

A thoughtful post, for sure. I do think that friends make such a difference in a writer's life. Both for encouragement and for inspiration. I agree, too, that different people get their story ideas or story characters from different sources. I have a writer friend who has become a successful mystery author, and he draws a lot of his material from cameo stories in the newspaper. I've never been able to do that, but I applaud his ability to do so.

Vijaya said...

This is so wonderful! I hope you will enjoy walking and talking with her a long, long time.

Mirka Breen said...

My friend is a great reader, (in addition to being a good listener) and I second and third your wish for our future.

Mirka Breen said...

Speaking of writing mysteries, my next door neighbor is working on a murder mystery, (for adults, mercifully) which she says is situated on our block presumably with all of us as characters. I can only hope I'm not the victim or the perpetrator ;)

Evelyn said...

What a wonderful way to get story ideas! I'm so glad you have your friend to encourage and inspire you.

Mirka Breen said...

And I'm glad I have a friend like you to be a beta reader of these stories, Ev.

Barbara Etlin said...

Lucky you! So far, I haven't been inspired by my friends for source material, but it's a good idea.

Mirka Breen said...

All my friends inspire me in different ways. But this one friend has a great feel for what would make a good story.

Kelly Hashway said...

The mystery I'm currently writing was inspired by a news story I saw over the summer. Ideas are everywhere.

Mirka Breen said...

Mysteries and crime stories are particularly suitable for inspiration right out of the news. Even nonfiction crime stories are now being written in a novelistic way. I know you have added mysteries for adults to your many writing genres, Kelly. May this be a good adventure.

Marcia Strykowski said...

Great to have a thoughtful walking buddy. Here's to many new ideas!