Voices of Fiction - Where do you get your ideas - Part Two

Welcome to another edition of Voices of Fiction.

We continue our discussion with our group of authors on where they get their ideas.

Please welcome this week's guests.


Catrina Barton is a reader and writer of YA and Paranormal Romance, who enjoys being surrounded by the stark beauty of mother nature - whether it's a moon lit starry sky, or a picnic by a peaceful waterfall cascading from the mountain side. She is a proud member of Nano, RBRU, SheWrites and PNRWriters. She is an active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Blog, Facebook, Link




Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club. Links – Website, Blog, Facebook



Cindy Huefner Cromer, formally a New Jersey resident, now resides in Stuart, Florida, with her husband, son, and daughter. Cindy works as a laboratory scientist and executive. As the president of a laboratory network, she has written numerous laboratory procedures and research documents. Driven by a passion for suspense and mystery novels, she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her dream turned into reality with the release of her debut suspense novel, Desperate Measures. She is currently working on her second novel, Desperate Deceptions. Plans are in place for her third and fourth books.  Website, Link, Link



Children’s Picture Book author, Clara Bowman-Jahn, of “Annie’s Special Day” is living the life of her dreams an hour at a time. Link, Blog, Link




Ellen Spain is a retired Federal Investigator, now turned author, editor, and educator. She is active with EPIC, PennWriters, RWA, SCBWI, and the Pittsburgh East Writers. Ellen is also the Acquisitions Editor for eTreasures Publishing.
Website, Link, Link 


Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise 21, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity. Blog, Twitter, Link

Welcome Authors! It's wonderful to have you back.

Now the question is: Where do you get your ideas?

Catrina Barton: Most times it's wondering about how differently situations can affect people and mold them into who they've become. Sometimes I'll be listening to a song {doesn't matter which one} and a small bit of a scene or a character will float through my mind. Other times I watch my kids, just experiencing life and try to see it through their eyes and ideas jump up and smack me upside the head. Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time {usually when I'm not near my PC. Thank goodness for note books and ink pens.} In fact, most ideas come when I'm out enjoying nature or watching the kids enjoy nature.

Cherie Reich: Ideas can come from anywhere, such as dreams, television, an overheard conversation.

Cindy Cromer: This is a very good question but hard to answer. I love to joke around and sometimes I find a story just waiting to unfold. For example, last month I attended Mystery Writers of America Sleuthfest and was selected for a panel. One morning, heading to the lobby, the elevator start to shake for some unknown reason. The gentleman and woman in the car said, “Is this thing going to crash or what?” They looked at my badge and commented, “That would make an interesting story for your next mystery book.” I laughed but a plot did begin to form in my mind within seconds- ‘Tragedy strikes at a conference with many well established and best-selling authors, elevator crash kills them. Was it an accident or was some sinister devious plot in place? Some one hit wonder author tries to make a come-back and decides to take out the competition in the very competitive world of writing and publishing.’ My companions in the elevator laughed and said, “Yup! You’re definitely an author.” So to answer this question, a scene may come from an innocent encounter or it might take me days or weeks to tie the beginning to the end in a fluid story.

Clara Bowman-Jahn: I get my ideas mostly from reading other books. And often I think creatively in the mornings early, when dawn is happening. Seems like ideas just burst forth with the rising of the sun. Other times they fester and live in my subconscious only to rise when waking up in the morning. However it has happened with my current WIP that I knew what I wanted to write about as soon as I heard about it. And I knew it was going to be in first person, too. Then the research starts and the reading of books.

Ellen Spain: My ideas come to me at anytime like the images in vivid dreams, but when I am awake, the idea looks like a very big outline notepad with sub plots jumping into proper place on the paper. I can see the image on an invisible wall about a foot in front of my eyes. I remember the outline's image when I jot down my initial notes.

Aubrie Dionne:  Sometimes I get my ideas from listening to music. As a kid, I would sit in orchestra and make up stories to go along with the music when I had a long rest. Other times, I'll be doing the most mundane task; like laundry, or driving, and the ideas pop into my head. I let them simmer for about a month or so before I start planning a cohesive storyline.

Thank you all for joining us today and sharing where you find your ideas.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author)