Ideas

I have had several people ask me where my story ideas come from, both for new books, and for while I am writing my current stories, to keep them going…and that answer if very easy for me.

Dreams. They come from my dreams. Both sleeping and awake, but mostly sleeping.

this is the usual process…

I dream. Unless the dream is in color (which is a rarity for me that it is not in color), I do not take note of it. At least for a story. But I usually don’t take too close of note of the dream for potential story use if it occurs just once. oh no. there has to be a lot more to it than this. No, the first time I dream, it is purely for entertainment (and informational purposes from my subconscious).

If I dream the dream again, regardless if it is the same exact dream or not, no matter what form it is in, this is where I really start paying closer attention for potential use. Even if it is in black and white and shades of grey. If it has the same theme, I take note.

Why would I take note even if it is not in color? Because it is building on the original dream. Sometimes it is the same exact dream repeating itself, letting me know that I need to pay attention, that more information will be coming. Sometimes it jumps right into continuing the dream, or going into a new segment of the same theme. This is when I start becoming aware that there is more to it.

then comes the part that is even more fun than "”watching” the dreams unfold” (which I don’t take any action with the dreams to creating anything from them yet). there is still one more test to go through before I know these dreams are leading to a idea that will bear the test from just being entertaining dreams to becoming short stories (that will probably never see the light of day *snicker*) to actual books.

I start creating “mind movies” with them. I put the potential characters through potential scenes in my head (usually while I am lying in bed waiting for sleep to come and the house is quiet around me).

If the characters play in the scenes without any problems, or they actually take off in the scenes with little direction from me, I know that the idea is going to be one that I will be able to complete…regardless how much time it takes.

However, if the characters are stiff, if it takes everything in me to get them to do what I want, then it has failed the final test and I know, that while the dreams were fun, the idea won’t fly, and I stop playing with them to make way for another dream, another idea, to come to me.

For a story idea (other than the odd short story, which I admit I don’t write too many of…I have issues with short writing LOL) to come from the dream stages to a workable idea for me, it can sometimes take several months. that is not counting actually building the actual story from the information I gathered in the dream/mind movie stage. It has been a rare story idea that has been born spontaneously.

This *is* a valid way to get ideas, there is a lot of psychological meaning behind it, the symbols that come out in it alone would let a dreamologist have a heyday. And I *do* interpret the dreams along with using them as story ideas, but man, I love the ideas they create…and no, don’t bother trying to figure out my dreams from the stories, LOL, they change so much from the original dream as the characters take on a life of their own that the original dream gets lost in the mix ;)

I caved…

… and I don’t mean I went caving in a dark dank hole in the earth…I mean I caved to my characters and created them each a twitter account. Missy, Rita and Dominick can blabber about Twitter to their hearts content now…just one more place—or rather, 3 more places—that I am going to have to try to censor them from revealing too much *snicker*

yes, some days I think my characters have too much control over me… especially when it doesn’t look like they are actually making that much progress in the actual story. sheesh. come on guys. I gave you what you wanted…  now give me what I want… actual page progress… can we do that? here’s hoping.

Next thing you know, Reis and Iakonna from The Prank are going to want Twitter accounts too. After all, I gave my Ancient Lemurian’s Twitter pages, why not my Anicient Greek’s… LOL but so far, they haven’t demanded anything related to modern technology. I think they know better LOL.

anyway, back to Missy, Rita and Dominick… their Twitter accounts are: @Vaimpir_Missy, @VampireDominick and @WitchyRita. And already they are at it. of course… LOL.

I also have started the interaction of Allorana and Shashanna on their twitter accounts today as well… hopefully this is going to work out for all of these characters and doesn’t become too much for me… I may have to get my oldest niece and sister-in-law involved here… **possible evil plotting ensues…** ;)

A very strange start to the new year.

A very strange start to the new year.

Yes a very strange one. I had vowed -- no, not vowed, I had decided that I was not going to make any New Year's resolutions, I don't keep them anyway, but I had decided that I was going to take things more as they come. There are too many things going on in my life that I cannot control for me to stress about the little things. Mainly mine and my family's health. The rainbow I saw on New Year's Day told me I made the right decision, but everything else hasn't been as accommodating. I am writing a little more than I had been -- which in the past few weeks has been pretty much nonexistent -- but the electronics are not cooperating. My CDRW drive won't record and my TreadClimber, as of last night, refuses to turn on... and my monitor gave me a few fits this morning when I cleaned my desk. Yeah, I can safely say it has been a strange start to the new year.

I am behind on Mu Mysteries. I might have it done by this weekend, or the start of next week, but at this rate, I'm not holding my breath. I'm also way behind on The Prank and Underhill, and honestly, as much as I would love to put Mu Mysteries out for you this month, with as slow as I'm writing right now, I would much rather put my efforts into The Prank and Underhill then Mu, wouldn't you? If I have my way, you will have all three -- or rather I'll have a three, you'll have Mu, for now.

In the meantime I'm going to try to have Allorana ( @allorana ) and Shashanna (@prstssshashanna ) more active on their Twitter accounts, not only about posting about their blogs, but about other things as well. I think I'm also going to go ahead and create accounts for Missy, Dominick, and Rita from Into the Forest /Underhill. (I will let you know what their accounts will be when I get them made...)

I was also planning on having the newsletter done by now and having it done twice a year... but I decided I will start as a mean to go on. Since I can't seem to be pinned to a schedule -- or rather my own schedule -- the newsletters will be released when they're released. As close to January and June as I can get them, but... yeah.