This Fortifying Friday, author Andrea Boeshaar shares how personal events have spurred ideas for her books. As you move into your weekend - whether you spend time in front of the computer, or time re-energizing in various ways - let Andrea’s experiences inspire you to come up with fresh storylines of your own.Hey! I've Got an Idea!
“Where do you get your ideas?”
People ask me that all the time. Unfortunately, there’s no pat answer. Ideas for my stories come from many different sources. Sometimes a movie. Other times a newspaper or magazine article. Oftentimes a personal testimony from someone at church might ignite my muse. But frequently I get my ideas from personal experiences.
Take, for example, my novel Promise Me Forever (Barbour Publishing). I came up with the idea when my husband and I attended a wedding and the groom didn’t show up! No lie! That really happened!
As my husband Daniel and I climbed into our minivan we felt awful for the bride and speculated as to why the groom didn’t appear. As we talked, I started thinking…hmm…
Minutes later, I turned to Daniel, and said, “You know, this would make a really great story.”
In the weeks and months that followed, I filled in character sketches and began writing. The result was the birth of my book-baby called Promise Me Forever. Incidentally, writers can find a free character chart on my website: http://www.andreaboeshaar.com/
The inception of my novel The Haven of Rest (Barbour Publishing) occurred when my mother told me about the old gas station in the small town where she’d grown up. She remarked about how sad it was that the filling station now stood abandoned, along with the building the once housed a Laundromat and my great Uncle Edwin’s second floor apartment. I knew of the filling station, and a nostalgic chord was plucked somewhere deep inside of me. Again, I dreamed up characters and plotted a romance around the gas station and the tiny town of Tigerton, Wisconsin. It wasn’t long and The Haven of Rest was born into print.
Another of my novels Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky was actually titled How Far Is Heaven and one morning when I woke up I had the entire book’s characters and much of the plot in my head. You might say I dreamed it, although I like to think God gave me the idea while I slept.
Ideas for stories can come from just about anywhere and at anytime. So be alert. Be aware. Relax and take nothing that happens around you, and in your life, for granted. There’s probably a story lurking somewhere in your corner of the world.
In 1994, Andrea Boeshaar's first novel was published. Since then she's written numerous articles and devotionals. Andrea has also published inspiration romance novels, women's fiction, and novellas. In the year 2000, Andrea cofounded the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She served as its vice president and then, later, its CEO. In 2003, Andrea joined the Hartline Literary Agency and worked as a literary agent. She saw much success. But then in 2007, Andrea realized she was more of a teacher/encourager than a sales person. She left the agency and became a certified Christian life coach. Now, in addition to her writing, Andrea enjoys encouraging others to use their God-given talents and gifts to their fullest. Her next novel, Unwilling Warrior, will be released in May 2010. Find out more at http://www.andreaboeshaar.com/
