Where do stories come from?

When I sit down to write I usually have only a rough idea of what I want the story to be. As I type along - I am very fast at the keyboard - the first draft sortof stumbles out onto the screen. I have done the Book in a Week and Book in a Month and in both cases I found that if I carved out the time and sat down to write, the story would come. I go back later and add in layers of description, make sure dialog is fresh, examine point of view and make sure it is deep and interesting. I sometimes move scenes around a little because in those writing marathons I'm not making the manuscript pretty, and besides each publishing house has its own formatting guidelines.

Writing has always been a fairly solitary activity as well. While I have had critique partners, for the most part only my ideas drove the story, and I didn't discuss the book with anyone until I was done. (In the early days that was years and years because I kept playing and polishing and failing to submit it to anyone.)

With my Augustt 21 release, Animal Instinct, I had a completely different experience.

First, this is a collaborative effort. Tami Dee and I have discussed the concept together, and we came up with the framework together.  It is different and really fun to discuss the story with another writer, a co-author. Someone else cares about my characters. Knows them. Is wondering right along with me exactly how they are going to get through the dilemnas and troubles and find true love. When I talk about Allison and Sean, there is someone else who knows who they are!

Secondly, the concept came out of my realization that I wasn't writing my favorite kind of book. This is a little tricky, because I read and usually love absolutely everything. I have always been drawn to books that have a fantasy or science fiction element, however, and my first book and the one coming out in October are great stories, but are real-to-life, current ones.

Animal Instinct is definately a fantasy, with ancestoral memories and magic stirred into the mix. It has evolved out of conversations as well was typing and seeing what happens.

Tami, on the other hand, let me know that she dreamed the entire story line for the next book in the Time after Time Series.  How cool is that! When we start interviews on this blog - soon - she will be the first and you can learn all about it!