Monday, April 13, 2009

Hello? Ideas? I'm waiting for you!

We've talked a lot about various aspects of our writing, but I don't think we've ever discussed where we get our ideas.  

Mine come from a variety of places.  The idea for Ghost Mountain came from the fact I often wonder where to stash bodies and Devils Tower seemed an ideal location.  

The sequel, tentatively titled Let Sleeping Bears Lay, takes place at Bear Butte (another 
Lakota Holy Site in the Black Hills).  The idea for thi
s one came from a few real life events.  First, for 
those who don't know the Biker Culture, Western South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming have more than 50,000 visitors in one week every August.  The Sturgis Rally is HUGE and crime always goes up during it.  (Hey, if your town of 6,700 people suddenly boomed that much in a week, crime would go up there, too!)

Second, last year there was a shooting during the rally.  No, that doesn't actually happen very often.  (The crime surge usually involves things like "Drunk and Disorderly," "Indecent Exposure," "Driving Under the Influence"  -- basically petty stuff as far as crime goes.)

So, with some creative license on my part, the idea for  Let Sleeping Bears Lay will come from the news.  From real-life events.  

Not all of our stories are like that.  Many of my short stories are under the "what if" category.  Others are (as my Dad would say) "pure BS."

Tom Clancy is quoted as saying:  “The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.”  Even in our paranormal worlds, there needs to be a level of believability, right?

Which stories do you enjoy more?  Ones where you can say "yeah, that could happen?" Or the ones that take you so far from your day-to-day that you know it's fiction?  I'd like to know!

Blessings!
Nichole

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