Thursday, September 13, 2012

Too many ideas, too little time

I've written quite a few books (25 or so at last count), and the ideas just keep coming. Here are where some of those past ideas came from...

Autographs, Abductions & A-List Authors: I was standing in line at a book signing at RWA National Conference and I thought, "could I kill off an author here?" Lo and behold, yes, I came up with a good idea for that.

That led to an entire series of books. The second book is Sun, Surf, and Sandy Strangulation, about a writing conference in Florida. The third book is Marriage, Mayhem, and Murderous Mystery Manuscripts, about a writing conference in Northern Minnesota.
Candy, Corpses & Classified Ads: I know someone who was jilted by the love of her life. She went on to make a new life for herself, but I wondered ... what would happen if he came back into her life? And what would happen if a supposedly vanished ex-husband turned up dead?

I had similar ideas for another series (my Gypsy books). PhDs, Pornography, and Premeditated Murder; Homicide, Hostages, and Hot Rod Restorations; Ex-Wives, Extortion and Erotic First Editions.

Brownies, Bodies & Breaking the Code: How many times have you had a company potluck and you just blithely eat whatever is out there. What if somebody wanted to poison someone?

Mist: I saw a "Missing" poster on a bulletin board, faded with time. What would happen if the Missing girl escaped ... and got her revenge on her abductor?

If Not For You: What if you got a letter meant for someone else? And you call that person and you start to realize that someone is trying to bring you two together? Why?



Well, you get the idea! I've got a lot of stories, and they all seem to be triggered by something I see, something I hear....

Later this month I'll tell you about my science fiction stories ... now *those* are some interesting tales to tell!



6 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

What a treasure trove of ideas. What if indeed!

Anonymous said...

So many great ideas, so many great books. Looks like my TBR pile is going to be growing :)

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Great post, full of neat ideas. Those who don't write, can't possibly understand how our minds are constantly sifting through "what-if's."

Jannine Gallant said...

Mist struck me. I like the idea of a victim getting revenge. Keep the ideas coming, JL.

Barbara Edwards said...

Gosh, I thought I was the only one who has all these ideas. And not enough time.

Anonymous said...

Not finding ideas is the downfall of many writers. For me, it's not a problem. I have scads of ideas. Many of them came from vivid dreams.