When reading a book, I often wonder how the author got the idea for the story. My new series is very unique. There aren't many (or any?) time travel / romantic suspense novels in the Christian sector. The plot itself is very complex and interwoven. As a reader, pay attention to every detail, because it will matter in some way! So, how did I develop such a story? Though published later, YESTERDAY was the very first book I wrote. It actually all began very simply, and I wanted to share a little of the story behind the story.
The Idea:
I wanted to do something special for my sister's birthday. She loves to read, but tends to be very picky. I'd always wanted to be an author, so I decided I would write her the first couple chapters of one of the many ideas I had for novels. I mentioned my plan to my mom, but she thought I should just write a short story that my sister could read from beginning to end in one sitting. But I didn't have any ideas for short stories. And that drove me crazy. When I was driving home, I was suddenly hit by a thought. What if you were driving along and when you stopped you were in a different time from when you started? No sensation that you had time travelled--just a drive that landed you at your destination, but in the wrong time. And that was the kernel from which the plot began.
I originally wrote the first two chapters of YESTERDAY as a short story. I ended it minus the cliffhanger, of course. I let my other sister read it, and she really liked it. But she said she wanted more. She liked the characters and wanted the story to keep going. She thought I should turn it into a book. I was adamant. This was a short story. I had no idea how to turn it into a full novel. And that drove me crazy.As I thought about it, I began weaving a complex plot around that original short story. Then I began writing it. Many late nights later, I was talking to my mom and stated emphatically that, although I developed the short story into a novel, it was not going to be a series. I had no idea how to turn it into a series. And that drove me crazy.
If I did want to turn it into a series, . . . how would I do it?So, now I have very detailed plans for a series of six books, with the plot so interwoven that seemingly minor details from the first book have great significance in the later books. YESTERDAY and THE LOCKET are the first two books in this series. So, that's it: six books, no more. And no, THAT won't drive me crazy. Well . . . maybe just a little.
