Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Free Doesn't Come Easy

I’ve been kicking around an idea for a free Valentine read. It’s actually a prequel to another story that came to me one day. I thought that this would be a great way to give back to readers and set up some of the world building needed for this other story.

Some of the ideas I’ve come up with actually lend this idea out to being a series. I know, I just can’t help myself when it comes to series. I love to read them and I like the worlds I build so much, I’m just not ready to leave. Hopefully, readers feel the same.

One of the major cornerstones of not only this story, but the world building itself, has really had me stumped. I need to have a certain rule in place and I've been trying to figure out why it had to be that way. I wouldn’t buy ‘just because’ so why should anyone else.

I’ve been noodling it since Sunday and last night, I caught a glimmer. I need to think about it some more, kind of push and pull on it and see if it works.

The free read would need to be up by Feb. 13 so, you know, no pressure. Although, as counterintuitive as it sounds, I tend to do some of my best work when my back is up against the wall and a deadline is breathing down my neck.

So I’ll keep poking at my idea and see if it gels. I won’t lie, though. It’s fun coming up with new worlds, so while I do want to figure it out, I’m enjoying the journey.

What kinds of things do you do when you’re trying to flesh out an idea?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

JOURNAL! JOURNAL! JOURNAL! Don't think it's a waste of time. I journal every day, but it's particularly helpful when I'm stuck IN something or ON something. Journaling gives me perspective because I can say anything I want in the journal and it helps me work past the yuck to the yum! Check out my Tuesday Tickle blog yesterday 1/25 to see what I mean. www.writerwellness.wordpress.com
Feel free to leave a comment and subscribe your email for updates. Be well, write well.
Joy Held
Writer Wellness, A Writer's Path to Health and Creativity
Who Dares Wins Publishing
www.whodareswinspublishing.com

Caroline Clemmons said...

Riley, lovely blog site. You've changed it since I was here last, I think. Sigh, my memory is like a sieve. LOL Like you, I love series. I offer a free read for my newsletter subscribers and that keeps my busy. I think your idea to offer a Valentine free read is very thoughtful.

Shawna Thomas said...

Hi Riley,

Sometimes, for me, it pays to just start writing. Sometimes I start out with a single scene and it blossoms into something more. If I have a concept, I try to pin down a scene and go from there.

Good luck!

Riley Quinn said...

Good advice, ladies. I think I will just sit and write. Tomorrow after my daily word count, I can write a couple of scenes that are already gelling in my head. Once I do that, I'm sure the rest will come, especially since I feel like it's on the tip of my brain. :)

Mariposa Cruz said...

Hi Riley,

Whenever I get stuck writing, it seems like fresh ideas come to mind as soon as I get up from the computer and do something else.

Good idea for a free read for Valentines--pleasure without the calories!

Dooley Girls said...

When something is stuck on the tips of my fingers I do a couple of things:
1) go to a dive with a friend of mine and we see just how many ways we can torture a character (or what makes him/her so tortured)
2) pull out the yellow pages and open to a random page (amazing the kinds of stuff you can see advertised there and there might be a tiny nugget)
3) start scribbling and see if anything works - because it is scribbling it doesn't count so it can't be wrong.

Good luck - and we ALL love the free bits that tantalize!

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