At book signings, festivals, and – yes, even the grocery store – readers always ask an author “Where Do You Get Your Ideas?”
The question always puzzles me because ideas are everywhere! They can come from memories, fleeting observations, even dreams. Remember when Proust sampled that madelaine? It triggered one memory and launched an entire literary style!
My own writing has been launched by a quirky assortment of random ideas. I got the idea for KATHY’S HATS: A STORY OF HOPE when daydreaming at a red light. I got the idea for SPITE FENCES after recalling my young experiences of drinking from the ‘colored’ water fountain in a department store in the Jim Crow South. I got the idea for ON THE MARCH, my forthcoming novel, by actually attending the Women’s March on Washington.
So I thought asking published writers where they got THEIR ideas might intrigue readers and aspiring writers as well. In that spirit, let me introduce JULIE GALLAGHER and her new book, EYES-CLOSED BEDTIME STORIES: EASING PRESCHOOLERS INTO SLEEP.
Where did Julie get her ideas? “When my two boys were small, I learned the power of promising ‘one last story’…after they were tucked in bed. They would do anyting to keep the stories coming, including closing their eyes!” As a kindergarten teacher, Julie promised stories as an incentive for nap time. She would create stories to “engage children without overstimulating them.” Those stories involved pixie shoes, blue eggs, the smell of banana cinnamon pancakes.
Where did Julie get her ideas? From her own experiences! The result is a new book – EYES-CLOSED BEDTIME STORIES. Available at Amazon.
Best of luck, Julie!
