Story Ideas Abound - - Even in a Surgeon’s Office By Patti Jo Moore

This past Monday morning, I had skin cancer surgery on my face. ☹ Since the area was very close to my right eye, I was a bit nervous, but had been assured this particular surgeon was top-notch (which he was). After having the cancerous place removed, I returned to the waiting room sporting a puffy bandage along with a puffy eye, to sit until the results of my biopsy were back. Since I’d been told this could take a while (two hours), I’d come prepared with a devotional book, my trusty word-search book, and paper and pen. My husband was with me, patiently playing Solitaire on his Kindle as he waited. 😉

After reading devotions and solving word puzzles, I took out my paper and pen. I glanced around the large waiting room at the various people seated around me—all ages of men and women. A teen-aged boy sat beside his mom, a middle-aged man sat nearby, a young woman who appeared close to twenty sat near me, and a sweet, elderly couple sat about ten feet away from me. I didn’t know any of these people, but I knew they all have stories. My writer’s imagination took off, and I began scribbling notes on my paper. My husband even paused during his Solitaire game to see what I was doing.

Before I knew it, a nurse stepped into the waiting area to summon me back to the surgical area again. The surgeon congratulated me and said he’d gotten all the cancer cells in the first cutting, and grinned as he added, “You must be living right.” I quickly told him I’d had lots of wonderful people praying for me, so I was certain that’s why my surgery had a good outcome. When he responded that “having that higher connection” must’ve helped, my writer’s brain again took off. So, as he put a zillion tiny stitches in my face, my mind whirled with thoughts about the surgeon and his life. Was he a believer? What had inspired him to become a surgeon? Listening to the nurse’s comments also prompted story ideas, so when I left the surgeon’s office a while later, I had a plethora of ideas tucked away in my mind.

As writers, we know that story ideas are everywhere. But sometimes—even when we’re in a tense situation and not really focused on our writing—we can still be presented with ideas and characters for future stories. Not to mention that when we’re focused on others, our minds cannot dwell on our own situation and conjuring up worst-case scenarios (especially in a doctor’s office). I left my surgeon’s office feeling relieved (although in pain) and thankful for all the characters I’d “met” that day!

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thess. 5:18

In Tune With Romance 

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Meg Mills is thankful she relocated to Coastal Breeze after becoming widowed two years earlier. As she makes plans to achieve her dream of owning a small bookstore, she begins doubting herself after being harassed by her late husband’s stepmother. She’s also confused at her strong attraction to the shy, lanky piano tuner who arrives for an appointment one day. Todd Davis is grateful for his aunt’s encouragement to move to Coastal Breeze after a painful divorce, and is soon captivated by an outgoing piano tuning client. But he’s an introvert, and feels certain the pretty widow wouldn’t be interested in him. When Todd is hired as the local church’s choir director, he hopes this will help him get to know the attractive widow better—if he can come out of his shell. When the cousin who bullied Todd as a youth unexpectedly arrives in Coastal Breeze, Todd must confront his greatest fear, while getting past the pain of his memories. Meg worries that her exuberant personality has driven Todd away—until she learns the truth Amazon Buy Linkabout his past. Can two people who are polar opposites help each other & find romance in the process?

Patti Jo Moore writes “Sweet, Southern Stories” and has lived in Georgia all her life. Her very first series, Emerald Coast Romances, is published by Forget-Me-Not Romances and is set on the Florida panhandle. Each book is a stand-alone, and Patti Jo hopes her readers enjoy “visiting” her fictional town of Coastal Breeze. The third book is In Tune With Romance and features Meg, an outgoing widow who wants to start her own business, and Todd, an introverted piano-tuner who must confront his greatest fear. Can two people who are polar opposites help each other and find romance in the process?

Patti Jo loves Jesus, her family, cats, and coffee. She loves connecting with other readers and authors. You can visit her on Facebook at Author Patti Jo Moore, or her personal blog at http://catmomscorner.blogspot.com   

Have Some Pie! By Patti Jo Moore

Happy PI Day! When I realized my blogging day would fall on March 14, I knew I wanted to somehow mention “PI Day” - - another name for 3/14. For anyone who’s forgotten your math classes (or might prefer to forget them), PI is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and in its simplest version is 3.14. Thanks to math enthusiasts, this day now receives more recognition, with some folks celebrating by baking pies and even participating in walking and running events. Several years ago, my daughters enjoyed running in the “PI Mile” race at Georgia Tech. 😊

 

 In case you’re asking what this “PI” talk has to do with writing, I’m glad you asked. 😉 Many books have been written with holiday themes, which I personally love. Christmas-themed books have been popular with many readers, in addition to romance tales set close to Valentine’s Day. 

 

But even a lesser-known “holiday” such as PI Day can be inspiration for a story. As I recently thought about this, my writer’s brain took off! I imagined a math professor, obsessed with his numerical equations and formulas, and a lady who wants to capture his attention. So, of course she bakes a pie for him on PI Day. At first, he fails to see the humor, but in her lighthearted manner she finally convinces the professor to “lighten up” and not be quite so serious. Obviously, there would be much more to the story than that, but any day can be an inspiration for a story centered around it. 😊 With some imagination and creativity, writers have endless possibilities. 

 

Author Tina Radcliffe’s excellent post last week was titled, “Eat Your Vegetables” - - so today I’m encouraging you to use your imagination, and then enjoy dessert. My suggestion is pie - - any kind! Now, I think I’ll go whip up my favorite - - butterscotch pie. Yum!  Happy writing, and Happy PI (Pie) Day!

 

An Unexpected Romance

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Gracie Norton loves her life on Florida’s gulf coast. When a handsome widower with adorable twins moves in next door, Gracie’s life soon changes. As Gracie helps her neighbor during a crisis, she must face her biggest fear. Could young twins be the matchmakers for an unexpected romance? 

 

Patti Jo Moore is a former kindergarten teacher who now writes full-time. Her “Sweet, Southern Stories” feature characters who face realistic struggles and challenging situations but always have a happily-ever-after ending. 

 

Patti Jo loves Jesus, her family, cats, and coffee. When not writing, she loves spending time with her family—especially her precious grandbaby. She enjoys connecting with readers and can be found on Facebook at Author Patti Jo Moore. You can also visit her blog at http://catmomscorner.blogspot.com 

 

She has two books with Forget-Me-Not Romances, with a third book coming out in March. 

EMERALD COAST ROMANCES series by Patti Jo Moore:

                                    A Seaside Romance

                                    An Unexpected Romance

                                    In Tune with Romance (due out in late March)

 

There’s No Place Like Home by Christina Lorenzen

For writers, the perfect story idea is their lifeblood. Oftentimes, writers are faced with two battles at the complete opposite ends. There’s the battle where one can’t seem to come up with a good idea. Similar to writer’s block, where the words just won’t come, those are the trying times when you just can’t come up with a good idea for your next story. It just seems like everything has been done before. Then there’s the battle of having too many ideas and you can’t decide which one to choose. Usually, most writers fear going with the wrong idea and spending countless days writing only to hit a wall. Too quickly that right idea is all wrong.

When you’re searching for the next great story idea to write, sometimes, like the old saying goes, ‘there’s no place like home’. Last night I was flipping through my writer’s notebook. I started keeping a writer’s notebook several years ago when I saw another author mention it on her blog. This small notebook fits in my purse and goes everywhere I go. You never know when you might come up with a spark of an idea, a great sentence or character. Chances are if you don’t write it down right away you won’t remember it when you want to. While thumbing through my notebook, I noticed some of my notes for my newest releases, Healings Seas and The Silvershell Beach Inn (to be released late August). Though my chicken scratch makes me wonder if I couldn’t have entered the medical field, I was able to make out something that stopped me in my tracks. I had written down two things – Grandma Dorothea’s favorite movie and Nana’s famous Canja soup. Those were both distinct things I remembered about two very special grandmothers in my family.

While many times we’re looking for the next one of a kind, unique, never been done before story, the stories that sometimes click are the ones closest to our hearts. Like Dorothy found out in the classic story, The Wizard of Oz, sometimes what we’re looking for is in our own backyards. When I remembered how much my husband’s  grandmother loved the movie the Titanic, an event that happened the year she was born, the idea for Healing Seas, my first historical romance, was born. When my cousin and I were reminiscing about summers on the beach and our grandmother’s Canja soup (a Portuguese dish) in Marion, Massachusetts, the idea for The Silvershell Beach Inn nearly wrote itself. Because these two stories were born from my own memories, the words flowed and there was no wall to hit. And because they came from my own life, I knew they had never been done before.

There really is no place like home. What sweet memories might make the perfect story for you to write? 

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Christina started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head.

Rapunzel’s Lighthouse is Christina’s sixth book. Her next release, The Silvershell Beach Inn, will be released August 2017 from Forget Me Not Romances. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.

Chasing Down Ideas by Courtney Walsh

I used to think I had to wait for inspiration to strike in order to sit down and start writing, but when you get your first deadline, that all goes out the window.

Ideas are out there, but they don’t always ping like a light bulb over your head. Sometimes you have to work for them. You can stare at your computer screen, waiting for that jolt of creative electricity…or you can try these five tried and true ways to spark creativity and get the ideas flowing.

1. Do something mundane. When your brain is actively engaged, focused on one thing, it can overload and become nearly impossible to have a breakthrough. If you clean a toilet, do some laundry or perform any other mundane task, your mind can disengage, allowing new ideas to filter in. 

2. Do a little role-play. If your characters aren’t cooperating, have a conversation with them. Or make them have a conversation with each other. Out loud. There’s something about speaking the words aloud that help you hear how the dialogue will really sound. If you let yourself act the scene out, you’ll stumble upon natural reactions and it can help your story take off. (They might even surprise you!) 

3. Brainstorm with a buddy. Nobody said you had to come up with all the ideas on your own! Find a friend who loves to read or a fellow writer and take an afternoon to help each other brainstorm. Think of the three most obvious paths your story could take and throw them away. Think of three more and throw those away. Eventually, you’ll stumble upon an idea that resonates and you’ll be off and running, healthy dose of inspiration in hand. 

4. Change your view. I write in the same chair almost every single day. I love it. It’s cozy. I know where to put my coffee. However, there are many times when it’s just too much, and I feel like the walls are closing in on me. If I pick up my laptop and head to my local Barnes and Noble or coffee shop, instantly, my attitude shifts. There’s something about getting out in the world that makes ideas more accessible. It’s hard to be creative staring at the same four walls every day. 

5. Forget about it for a little while. It’s so tempting to sit there and force an idea, but creativity isn’t something that can be forced. It needs to be coaxed. And sometimes the best way to do that is to forget about it all together. Pretend you don’t have that nagging reminder echoing in your mind telling you to hurry up and figure it out. Go for a walk. Have lunch with a friend. Go window shopping or maybe read a book by an author you love. Creativity is a little like love that way…it comes along when you least expect it, aren’t looking for it and aren’t sure you completely recognize it.

Next time you’re stumped, give one of these ideas a try. They’re bound to shake loose the ideas that are already in your mind, just waiting to be discovered. 

Have you tried any of these ideas in the past? Which one do you think would work best for you?

~~~~~

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Just Look Up is her sixth novel and is, as she says, "her most personal." Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well two books in the Paper Hearts series, two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.