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

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 our guests.


Jade Varden is the author of the Deck of Lies series, a collection of YA mystery books that show what happens when dark family secrets are exposed. Jade also provides professional writing tips to other indie authors on her blog. Blog, Twitter



Jared Gullage, an English Language Arts teacher in Alabama, is the author of Drinna, The Dustfinders, and The Afterknight. Through his father's introduction to books like The Hobbit, Great Expectations, and works by Ray Bradbury, Jared discovered a universe within his own imagination. Jared put his vision to work through role-play games and then storytelling. Following his father's words, "paint pictures with words", this compulsive writer plans to leave his mark upon the writing world, one dent at a time.



Joylene Butler is the author of Dead Witness and Broken But Not Dead. Links – Website, Blog





 Karina Kantas is the author of five titles, including Huntress which is published by MMP. She originates from the UK but now lives in Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Website



 
Terry W. Ervin II is an English and Science teacher who enjoys writing. He’s an editor for the speculative fiction magazine MindFlights and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen anthologies, magazines and ezines. The genres range from science fiction and fantasy to horror and inspirational.
In 2009 Gryphonwood Press published Terry’s debut fantasy novel FLANK HAWK, and released BLOOD SWORD in 2011. He is busy working on the third novel in the First Civilization’s Legacy series. Website, Blog


Vicki Batman likes to kick back with a diet Coke and write crazy things for her characters. She has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories. She is a member of RWA, and the DARA, Elements, and RWA-WF chapters. In 2004, she joined DARA and has served in many capacities, including 2009 President. DARA awarded her the Robin Teer Memorial Service Award in 2010. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking "What if??" Blog, Blog, Link



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

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

Jade Varden: Everywhere. Sometimes I’ll see something on TV or hear something in a song or even play a game that suddenly inspires me. I’ll start thinking “what if…” and if I come up with a “what if” that I just can’t let go, I know I might have a book on my hands.

Jared Gullage: Many of my ideas for fantasy come from role playing and childhood fantasy my friends and I acted out. I invented a world and have been spending time attempting to people it and draw from it interesting stories. The world I invented is called Trithofar, and I have been working hard to solidify out the stories from there for a broader audience than just the people I know.

Joylene Butler: From everywhere. Conversations. Movies. Television. Books. I hear something and a question will pop into my head. What if…? What if my protagonist dies and there's no body, would her brother, a PI, have the resources to find the truth? If a Metis woman, an English professor, who had spent her life trying to better herself, was stalked by a deranged killer, could she commit the ultimate act and kill him?

Karina Kantas: My ideas mostly come from my warped dreams mixed with TV, films and books :)

T.W. Ervin: My ideas come from paying attention while reading or watching television or participating in discussions with family, friends and co-workers. I never know where an idea will come from, but normally it’s taking an event or situation, and combining it with another I’d encountered and stored away, and then asking, “What if?”

For example, one of my SF short stories, “Accelerated Justice” was sparked through a conversation about crime, punishment and recidivism combined with some research I’d done on chromosomes and telomeres, especially their influence on aging vs. longevity. I wondered: What if scientific knowledge along those lines was brought into the Criminal Justice System? How might it affect and benefit society—and how might it detrimentally affect someone wrongly convicted of a crime? Thus, the nucleus of the story was formed.

Vicki Batman: Authors will say ideas can be found anywhere. Honestly, my story ideas come from the oddest places. I wrote a Christmas story just from a passing glance at Handsome's ties. Or one based upon him saying "bug guts...everywhere." A young man once said, "I have a theory about love." I could hardly concentrate on what he said because my fingers itched to write. I've also put down topics and written stories. I participated in a short fiction class once, and we were given the assignment to write something based on a picture the teacher provided. I was clueless how to start. The teacher said write anything. So I studied the photo and began to let anything flow on the page. After the class, I cleaned it up and sold that story. Who knew!


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)