~Sanaya Roman
A non-writer friend of mine inquired that now I finished one book – how do I start another? Where do the ideas come from, how do I decide what I am going to write, what do I do next.
My answer was I don’t know. Everyone does it different.
Are you working on something new? she asked. And when I said yes, she asked how I got started on it. I swear she’s like a dog with a bone, LOL! I thought about it a moment and then told her I could only describe how it happened with this current story because the last one didn’t happen this way and the next may be even different.
A few weeks ago I was talking to Brenda (otherwise known as queenbee to us at Yellow Rose) and something said in that conversation sparked an idea for another story. It was just a tiny ember that just wouldn’t die. During the next week, I thought about it , stewed about it, perused it, pondered it, and even dreamed about it, until one day it grew into a wildfire. I called Brenda and said, “I’ve got it all figured out! Do you want to hear it?”
Brenda probably didn’t have a clue what I was talking about at that moment, but because she is such a dear friend and knows me well, she never asked what I was talking about, but just said ‘of course’ and I told her my new story idea.
After typing up a rough draft of a logline and a short premise and some random notes, I emailed writer friends Sandy S and Michelle and asked them if they would read something and tell me what they thought. Because they are dear friends, they never asked what I was talking about and just said ‘of course’. And I sent them my new story idea.
I called another good writer friend, Denise, and I asked her if she would listen to something and tell me what she thinks. Because she is a dear friend, she never asked what I was talking about and just said ‘of course’. And I will share my story idea.
I have been listing things I want to have happen in the book and filling in plot points and character arcs and thinking of themes and settings and such. I haven’t actually written the first word because the first line just hasn’t come to me yet. But it will.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. LOL!
I do want to say thanks to these wonderful friends who I can call up any time and, without any questions and because they are who they are, knowing I value their opinion, will listen to me and share their true opinions and root for me and pull for me and even kick my butt for me when it needs it.
And I appreciate GW who puts up with me forgetting things and who listens to me pitch my story ideas or work out a plot problem and he never thinks I am weird when he asks what I am thinking and I launch into a long tirade on my writing and somehow, someway, he understands me.
~Sandy
