In August 2011, it was finally time for me to start another project. Another novel. I wanted to write about something totally new. It’s fun and exhilarating to think of a new story idea! I knew I wanted to write something that would especially appeal to women in midlife – my own age group. But what story?
I love to brainstorm, sometimes throwing the craziest ideas onto the page to see where they take me. I wanted my protagonist to experience situations totally out of her comfort zone, and I love the notions of time travel and reincarnation. So…
I decided to explore the idea of reincarnation. And to take it a step further, what if there were select people with the unique ability to visit the prior lives their souls had lived? How exciting, but at the same time, scary! The paranormal twist really appealed to me.
So what prior life would I write about? Again the brainstorming, trying to come up with a truly alluring and way-out-there idea. Of course, if we’re writing about reincarnation, it’s a given the story will be historical since we’re writing about a prior life. But what part of history? I had a lot of work to do, but I was energized!
Here is what I learned:
- Sometimes it’s really fun and energizing to begin a totally new project.
- Don’t limit your ideas – brainstorm to your heart’s content. Let the ideas flow.
- Don’t reject an idea just because it’s out of your comfort zone. Go for it!
- DO. NOT. QUIT.
More to come…
