Pages

Friday, October 21, 2011

how to write a story - part four

   This is pretty much how I come up with all my ideas: I play 'what if?'
   It's Stephen King's favorite game, too, and I imagine a lot of writers play it. Sometimes you don't even have to try. You'll just be driving along somewhere, like maybe to work, and your thoughts are all scattered because it's early and you're not a morning person and you're still kind of thinking about a book you read about a man who buys a magic kingdom cheap (it needs some work), which you enjoyed. The sun is out and it's early spring and you've got the windows open a crack in your old blue Bonneville. And as you come around the curve and pass Duck Puddle Pond you think, what if someone inherited a magic kingdom, except, it's not the nice kingdom of her dreams, it's the other one, the evil one everyone else would like to get rid of. What would she do?
   That's how The Way to Dendara was born.
   That's how all my stories are born. I play the game.
   What if...

11 comments:

  1. Is that related to the game of "How the heck?" Because some of my stories were born with a historical fact or legend and grew out of my question: "Now, how the heck did that happen?"

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this game. I think I tried it with my new project.

    The Way to Dendara sounds really cool based on your description here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a fun creative game! Yay for you!

    Love your blog header pic too! Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great game. Your pic immediately puts me in the mood to go trick or treating and watch horror movies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I started doing just that, trying to come up with an idea for my next book!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It sounds like a great way to invent things. Love your header photo!

    ReplyDelete
  7. i love that game! it's esp good when i get my mc stuck. i make a flowchart of choices & possibilities (you may say nerd)
    have a great wknd!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ps, love your happy halloween header!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love your blog header! I'm going to have to try the what if game with my next project. Thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great blog header! Yep, what if. Two magical words! Gave you a shout out on my blog the other day. I am so enjoying visiting here...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dianne, two sides of a coin, I think.

    Thanks, Stina :) I hope it will be once I finish editing/revising.

    Thank you Old kittty; it's last year's pic but we haven't carved our pumpkins yet...

    Isis, I love a good spooky movie :)

    Alex, can't wait to hear what you come up with.

    Thank you Pat :)You've got some nice pics on your blog, too.

    Tara, I ask questions, questions get me answers tho not always the ones I expected. Which often gets me unstuck.

    You're welcome Jamie :)

    Liza, thank you and yours, too. It looks amazingly peaceful, reminds me of the North River.

    ReplyDelete

If you're interested in my blog I'm interested in your comments.