When I am writing I draw inspiration from a great many things. Sometimes inspiration comes from scenes in my life but I do not recall using something that happened exactly Tue way it did in a story. I have used numerous things my kids have said. I remember during edits if Love Overcomes coming across a several notes from my editor that a four year old wouldn’t say that, to which my response was ‘but my 4 year old did say that’. I have little things they have said tucked away for future use.
Love Overcomes actually came to be because if a walk with my sister. She was writing her first children’s book and we decided to take the dog for a walk. While we were walking around the track with the dog we started talking about what if. What if her story did well. It could become a bestseller then get optioned for a movie. Wouldn’t it be amazing to consult on the script? What if they could use her dog. She informed me that I would be doing any public readings for her because she doesn’t do public speaking. About four years after that initial conversation I wrote Love Overcomes.
I have used pieces of conversations or traditions in my work. Whenever my mom reads something I wrote she will call just to point out what she noticed.
Have you ever been inspired by a conversation or event that happened in your life?
Angela Schroeder
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I think it’s cool that you mom reads your books… and that she reads them closely enough to notice those bit of comment or incident which she recognizes has come from real life.
As for editors — hmmm. Some of them seem so dogmatic that so-and-so could not possible exist simply because they’ve never observed or experienced it. Glad you set her/him straight.
I had a contest judge one time jump on me because my character referred to her mother as “Mama”. This judge said nobody calls their maternal parent that. Really?
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Oh wow! I wonder where that judge grew up that he hasn’t heard anyone call their mother mama.
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exactly. And how smug she/he seemed to be in painting the rest of America with such a broad brush.
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or maybe it was “momma” … which I believe is nearly as widely used
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WOW. We called our mother “Mama” until we got into our teens and it became “Mom”, or even “Mother”.
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I have many situations that I think would make or have made good scenes, Angie.
I find it interesting that your sister would want you to take over personal appearances! I think she just might have risen to the occasion because I used to feel the same way. Now, even best-selling authors don’t get sent on book-tours very often and those that do are cut way back. It’s almost all done on the internet these days.
It is unfortunate that so few books become movies and so very many fewer authors get to consult on movies/ shows based on their works. It must be really frustrating…but the checks are nice!
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I had someone tell me the same thing about one of my child characters and it was almost word for word something my younger child said. Of course, my child is probably brilliant… 🙂
Did you end up doing appearances for your sister?
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Unfortunately the publisher she had signed with at the time ended up being sued and closing its doors. She is currently looking for an agent.
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I had a character call her grandparents Nana and Papa, which is what several kids in my family do. But I had to change it because I was told that this would confuse people who call use Papa to refer to their father. I was asked to change it to Papaw – but that I’ve never heard anyone in Michigan use that name. I went with Grandpa.
I’ve had a few conversations that have made it into scenes, especially those between parents and kids.
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