Writers Block & the never ending flow of ideas

   

     As I write this, all I can think about is the fact, this is the first thing I've written in months. Ideas have been abundant. I've got them scrawled on bits and pieces of paper, jotted down in files in my computer and bouncing around my brain like a loose bag of high-bounce rubber balls. But to actually sit and have the creative juices flow into legible paragraphs that someone would want to read, that has eluded me.
     Ideas are abundant thanks to my recent trip cross country with a few of my Sizzling Scribe Sisters.
We laughed, chatted and discussed books, interests, the state of the publishing industry and more books along with possible future story lines. We spent hours laughing, which was something I desperately needed.
     I think my problem (this writer's block) is caused by thinking too much on the current state of the publishing industry.
     There's a flood of books on the market leading to too much supply overwhelming the demand of the readers. How do I stand out in this market? It's difficult. So many freebies and .99 specials that readers don't buy books when they can get them for free. Yet, they complain about the lack of quality in what they've downloaded. It's the old adage, you get what you pay for.
     In the last few months alone, several good small presses have closed their doors because of the damage this has caused in the publishing industry. Not everyone out there has the professional attitude to become an author. Sure you've written a story, but that doesn't mean it's publishable material. There are steps that must be followed before that upload button should be pushed. First drafts should never be published and if you don't know what that is, then you're not an author ready for being published. Please take the time to learn the craft before you hit send.
     It is my hope that the industry will make a turn around in favor of publishing houses once again. Until then, I'm hopeful that my brain will engage and my fingers will meet the keyboard to create at least one of the ideas looming in the dark recesses of my mind.

Is there a rainbow at the end of my writer's block syndrome? I truly hope so.

I was invited to participate in this wonderful collection of stories. 

I'm forever grateful for this opportunity. 

Available @

http://amzn.to/1WdUI1o

My contribution to this collection is titled:

Breath of Luck

When the two most notorious ghosts of the Excelsior take a liking to you, 

it only takes a breath of luck and a roll of the dice to win at the game of love.

Car Rides, Vacations, Dreams - Book Ideas Spring from Just About Anywhere!

I love spring. The temperatures warm up and things start to come to life again. This month's topic couldn't be more appropriate, because when ideas spring forward, new books are born.

For me, story ideas spring up from just about everywhere or anywhere. One day I was listening to the lyrics of the Carrie Underwood song, "American Girl." My mind took the image of a football player falling hard for a cheerleader and then wrapped around the birth of their baby girl. That was where the idea for Jesse, Nikki and Kathy from "Every Grain of Sand" sprung from.

My "Summers at the Shore" series was pretty much "written" in my head during a three-hour drive home from a day at the beach on the Jersey Shore. It began with the idea of telling a story as someone was traveling, then having the next book follow the pattern from the other main character's point of view...all still leading up to the present day. By the time I came home, I had names and locations and basic characters. I started writing all my ideas that night.

I have also been inspired by places. For "Strong Armed", I knew I wanted to write a story based in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and wanted a heroine who believed the Big Apple to be the center of the universe. I initially wanted a bit of a spoiled, rich girl, but then wanted to give her depth and secrets and experiences that no one would ever dream of; and Ella was born.

Another spot that screamed out as the setting for a story is Savannah. I stopped there on vacation last summer and while driving around and looking at mansions, I knew I needed a story set inside one of those grand old homes. By the time I went to bed that night, I had an outline and hope to release the stand-alone book as part of a trilogy later this year.

Speaking of bed, I'd be lying if I didn't say some stories have come from dreams. I am currently working on a new series, "The Chosen," which is inspired by a dream. I woke up with the question "suppose you fell in love with a great guy and learned he was the biological son of Satan?" I have had a great time creating a whole new set of rules that combines the laws of nature with the unexplained happenings of the supernatural. Right now "The Chosen" is slated to publish around Memorial Day as a three-book series, all available simultaneously.

Dreams are also a great way for me to overcome writer's block. When I don't know where a story is headed next, I re-read parts of it and go to sleep with the characters on my mind. A good percentage of the time, I wake up knowing where they are headed next.

So, where do your ideas spring from?

Book Ideas are Springing Up All Over

If you read Heather’s post last week, you know that Mother Nature’s been taking her own sweet time moving spring into the Warwick Valley.

While the snow melted fairly quickly, the temperatures aren’t moving in the right direction. We’re all hoping spring will make an appearance before too much longer. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait on Mother Nature for my book ideas!

The truth is I get ideas for stories everywhere—books, movies, song lyrics, television shows, people watching, dreams. It’s amazing how one tiny thought can spark the idea for an entire book or series.

My problem isn’t getting ideas. My problem is deciding which ones to turn into books, and once I’ve decided, sticking with the project until the end. I tend to suffer from shiny object syndrome. I’ll start working on one project and then…squirrel!!

Some other couple is begging me to drop everything and tell their story. It’s hard telling them no, but I’ve learned from experience that if I start a new story every time a fresh idea springs to mind, I’d never finish anything.

The good news for my readers is that this means I’ll have plenty of books in the works for years to come!

And speaking of good news…if you haven’t had a chance to grab Christmas with the Billionaire, the first book in my Holiday Encounters series, you’re in luck! It'll be free on Amazon from April 12-16. 

Find it here: Christmas with the Billionaire

Happy Reading!
Amy Lamont

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April at WVRA = Where do our ideas Spring from? #Romance

A question that writers hear a lot is, "Where do all your ideas come from?"

Like each writer asked, the answer will be completely unique.

***

Spring has sprung, yet Mother Nature is still pulling an April Fool's Day prank.

It's snowing in New York.

Thinking back on my childhood, I was very lucky.

I didn't listen to just one kind of music, I listened to many.

I didn't watch one type of TV show or movie, I watched everything I could.

And, I didn't read only one genre of book. I read them all.

Being exposed to so many wonderful songs and stories I think helped my imagination soar.

At times it soars too much. My imagination runs pretty much 24/7/365.

But, for storytelling, it's awesome. I can hear the lyrics from a song, see a photograph, or read a magazine article, and make up stories.

In my head, I've re-written movie endings and book story lines, if I thought I could do it better.

The entire fictional town and family of Maguire's Corner was created after I saw a road sign on my way home.

And, since inspiration can spring from just about anywhere at anytime, I carry a notebook and pen with me everywhere I go.

Where do your ideas Spring from?

Heather M. Gardner
The Waiting is the Hardest Part 
Heather Writes Romance