Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

When a book idea strikes, I usually make note of it in my book ideas document. I jot down the key points in order to remember what the heck I was thinking was so great about the idea when I return to it later. And I do return to it. When I’m ready to start a new book, if there isn’t a story nagging at me, or if I’m not about to start the next in a series, then I open my book ideas document and skim the ideas to see which one stimulates my creativity. After I’ve chosen, I go about fashioning it into what I hope is a book length idea. Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for a great idea to only support a novella or short story length idea. That’s always very sad. How do I fashion a novel length idea out of a couple simple thoughts? Exaggeration. I take the average idea and see where exaggeration will add interest. In my newest book, I Am Me , I felt that putting people together from two completely different social standings added to the interest. Lola’s family is w...

I originally posted the following thoughts on my old Live Journal blog, back on February 4, 2010. I'm glad I ran across it again. Especially right now as I try to mine a new story idea that is playing hide and seek within my brain matter, but which I can already tell will be special. What is one of your defining moments? Here are a couple of mine. defining moment a point at which the essential nature or character of a person, group, etc., is revealed or identified. –noun   When I was 13, the family piled into the car and drove a couple hours to Chicago’s O’Hare airport where they waved enthusiastically as I boarded an airplane, by myself. Destination: Bordeaux, France. I was a shy, shy kid.    On the plane, I was seated next to a n older man who tried to make small talk, but I could only nod or shake my head in reply, wouldn’t make eye contact, and I’m sure my eyes were wide with fear and my breathing shallow.     He gave up shortly after ...

Beverly Stowe McClure invited me to participate in the My Writing Process blog hop. I'm so glad she did. I think it's fun for readers and other writers to learn about a writer's process. So, thank you Beverly for the invite and here goes:  Step 1: Acknowledge the person and the blog site that invited me to take part.  Please visit Beverly's blog and browse her expanding selection of middle grade and young adult books. She's a lovely writer:   http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com . While you are there, be sure to read about her writing process, from last week's post.  Step 2: Answer four questions about my writing process. Me writing (I was actually writing a letter to my bestie, but writing is writing, right?) 1)      What am I working on? I'm currently writing two young adult, romance novella's (the first from the girl's point of view and the second from the guys point of view) that I'm actually considering self-publ...