Okay. This sounds completely insane, considering everything else I have going on right now, but while I was showering this morning, I worked out a song, starting with the line, “Don’t ever look at me like I’m the answer to your prayer…”
Worked through most of the lyrics in the shower, realized it was from the point of view of the pivot character in The Longview, (a Cadence Drake spinoff) — the six-novelette series I’m going to write as a demo on putting together a complete series for How To Write A Series.
And weirder, as I was drying my hair, I figured out what that final story has to be, and why, and how it ties the whole thing together. When I realized I was standing there with tears rolling down my cheeks I knew I had it.
Wrote the song down, got a GREAT twist in the bridge…
AND I got the Sentence for the story, which already had the tentative title The Monster Trial:
The Longview owner sends away her captain because he loves her, and he kills a killer on a no-death world in order to be executed on her deathship.
Not what I’d planned for this morning, and not exactly my BWBO, but it sure counts.
That’s awesome Holly! Congrats! Almost all my ideas occur during my morning shower, whether it is related to writing, my “regular job”, or a fix-it repair job I need to do around the house. I read somewhere once that this is common for many folks and is a result of the subconscious mind – the muse – working things out overnight, giving you some organized thoughts about the topic-at-hand that seem to pop out of nowhere:) Happy for you. Can’t wait to read that spinoff series!
Yup, showers are wonderful for finding/expanding ideas. My kids are used to me racing out of the bathroom with my hair still wet and scribbling something down. I put it down to doing something mindless with a constant noise in the background.
That’s amazing Holly! I want to thank you again for everything including this website. It’s a constant inspiration to me. When I was in high school looking up how to start a novel, I never thought I’d be coming to this website almost ten years later. Thanks!
Showers are great for inspiration.
One of the most powerful experiences comes for me when about two-thirds into the writing deep connections start forming, leaving me stunned by things that make perfect sense that I hadn’t even realized before. Your Sentence hits me that way. Conceptually, a simple idea, but very rich in possibilities. I’m guessing this is going to be one of the stories you’re most proud of.
Ooooh that sounds fantastic! I love when you get inspiration for fiction. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on it. I love showers. With two small kids, showers are my only quiet time to really think.