Question Of The Day, Wednesday, May 16, 2018

[Mamanyt1953]

Oh, my! I have been reading some of the best books lately! Somewhere inside me, there is a book wanting to come out, but I just don't quite trust my ability to write it!

How about you? Is there a book in there? What is it about?

Actually, there are several in my mind. I'd love to write a book about the amazing cats who have shared my life. LOL, Hekitty, alone, could have her own book! And the tom cat who grew up with me as a furry brother (along with Kimberly Anne, my doggie sister) could easily fill a book on his own, as well!

Also, I have an idea for a series of children's book, an introduction to the natural world. The first volume, "The Little Tree" would be about a tree living in the forest, and all of the things she sees. The rest of the books would branch (snicker) out from there...there would be a volume about "What the Stars Sang" (into do astronomy), "What the Winds Saw" (introduction to geography), "What the (insert one of several animals) Said" (introduction to zoology), all written for very young children, ages 3-5, perhaps.

 

[Katie M]

For some time, I've had a germ of an idea for a novel set during the Great Depression-a girl leaves her poverty-stricken family farm for Hollywood, meeting a hobo along the way. The problem is that the idea is totally cliche, and brought about by watching too many Depression-era films

 

[DreamerRose]

Yes, I have an idea, but can't get it all together. It would loosely based on the life of my great grandmother. She lived until 1907 and left us many stories about her life. She was born in southwestern Virginia and met her husband there, who was her second cousin. They then went to southeastern Tennessee for some reason, and then moved to northern Alabama before the land was ceded by the Indians. They were squatters, and she left many stories about encounters with the Indians and also of her travels back to Virginia to see her family. Her husband died before the Civil War, and she managed their plantation by herself. Her son was in the AL infantry during the war and fell ill with typhoid fever in Mobile. She went down there and brought him home. After he recovered, she bought him a war horse so he could enlist in the Mississippi cavalry. After the war, the land petered out, and she and her seven children sold the plantation and moved, along with a lot of their former slaves, to the west. She only went as far as Mississippi, where she lived with one of her daughters, but two of her sons went on to Arkansas and what was then Indian Territory.

She had an incredible life that would make a very interesting fictionalized novel.

 

[Margret]

The problem is that the idea is totally cliche

Have you notice how many books are being published now that are totally cliche? "Romance" apparently means one (or more) of the following:

• Poor but beautiful girl gets job working for billionaire as personal assistant (maid, housekeeper, nanny for the guy's kid), he notices what a wonderful person she is (never how gorgeous she is), and falls in love but has trouble overcoming her resistance because she's been traumatized before.
• "Shifter" (i.e. werewolf, weredragon, werelynx, werewhatever) must find his soulmate, who is a normal woman with a perfectly reasonable reluctance to marry into any kind of were-pack, but since she's his destined bride he has to kidnap her and overcome her reluctance.
• Alien must find his soulmate, who is a human woman with a perfectly reasonable reluctance to marry an alien, but since she's his destined bride he has to kidnap her and overcome her reluctance.

The "heroines" are all beautiful and plucky, but somehow perfectly willing to be convinced that none of this is rape, and he really has a heart of gold (or could have, with "the love of a good woman" to change him), so it's all okay. Yeah, right.

* * * * * *​

I'm a fairly good writer, but I've never come up with enough of an idea for an actual book. Not even enough for a good story, in fact. I have the germ of an idea for a funny short story of the science fictional persuasion, but I can't figure out how it ends and until/unless I do it won't get written. Perhaps I should just start it; developing a character or two might make the ending more obvious...

Margret

 

[Mamanyt1953]

then moved to northern Alabama before the land was ceded by the Indians. They were squatters, and she left many stories about encounters with the Indians and also of her travels back to Virginia to see her family. Her husband died before the Civil War, and she managed their plantation by herself.

PM me at some point...our families may have been neighbors, that northern Alabama thing intrigues me.

I have the germ of an idea for a funny short story of the science fictional persuasion, but I can't figure out how it ends and until/unless I do it won't get written. Perhaps I should just start it; developing a character or two might make the ending more obvious...

Maybe you should. I've read many things by authors who insist that the characters actually write the stories once they get things started!

 

[Katie M]

On the bus ride home, I couldn't stop thinking about my idea, and I suddenly had a title-The Hobo's Apprentice

 

[Mamanyt1953]

HAH! You are on your way, then! Just because an idea may seem cliche doesn't mean that the execution of it will be!

 

[Kat0121]

Have you notice how many books are being published now that are totally cliche? "Romance" apparently means one (or more) of the following:

• Poor but beautiful girl gets job working for billionaire as personal assistant (maid, housekeeper, nanny for the guy's kid), he notices what a wonderful person she is (never how gorgeous she is), and falls in love but has trouble overcoming her resistance because she's been traumatized before.
• "Shifter" (i.e. werewolf, weredragon, werelynx, werewhatever) must find his soulmate, who is a normal woman with a perfectly reasonable reluctance to marry into any kind of were-pack, but since she's his destined bride he has to kidnap her and overcome her reluctance.
• Alien must find his soulmate, who is a human woman with a perfectly reasonable reluctance to marry an alien, but since she's his destined bride he has to kidnap her and overcome her reluctance.

The "heroines" are all beautiful and plucky, but somehow perfectly willing to be convinced that none of this is rape, and he really has a heart of gold (or could have, with "the love of a good woman" to change him), so it's all okay. Yeah, right.

* * * * * *​

I'm a fairly good writer, but I've never come up with enough of an idea for an actual book. Not even enough for a good story, in fact. I have the germ of an idea for a funny short story of the science fictional persuasion, but I can't figure out how it ends and until/unless I do it won't get written. Perhaps I should just start it; developing a character or two might make the ending more obvious...

Margret

Or the "historicals". Girl is spunky, intelligent and of course stunning. Her uncaring/stupid/irresponsible father forces her to marry a man she cannot stand. Her new husband has a heart of gold despite his reputation as a rake. He does not want to marry her either because he has issues of his own and this is why he hides behind his reputation. She gets kidnapped, he has to rescue her and they of course, fall madly in love. The end.

 

[DreamerRose]

On the bus ride home, I couldn't stop thinking about my idea, and I suddenly had a title-The Hobo's Apprentice

Go for it, girl!

 

[Brian007]

I have had the most peculiar and varied life, and had many bizarre adventures right around the globe. I've also got the strangest family who could easily be drawn upon. I've had many very frightening, dangerous encounters and the weirdness I've witnessed, oh my, the weirdness; but also lots of "wow" and heart-melting moments too. So, anecdotes is my plan. They don't even need jazzing up but I suppose I could embellish for certain readerships. I've written a couple already, but not for about 10 years. I just need to be settled and then we'll see where my two finger typing takes me.

Obviously, cats would feature along the way as they always have.

Unfortunately, I don't have the imagination for fiction, I'm a tad envious of all you that have. JK Rowling is my number one role model, what a wealth of creative power! I'm ever so happy to live where she does, I rather hope she rubs off on me through the pavements and doorknobs we both touch.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

My dream is to be a full-time writer. I went to school for it, but it's a hard field to break into when I don't have a lot of experience. I'm slowly working on my memoir though. I always feel weird telling people that though. I'm (almost) 32 years old and to write my memoir feels...self-absorbed, and it is in some ways, but my desire behind it is because it involves mental illness and it is something that needs to be talked about.

My memoir would include the 7 years I was a selective mute as a child, then my decade-long depression and how I recovered from that, getting diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in my late teens, autism in my late 20s, and then dealing with an eating disorder on top of that.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Or the "historicals". Girl is spunky, intelligent and of course stunning. Her uncaring/stupid/irresponsible father forces her to marry a man she cannot stand. Her new husband has a heart of gold despite his reputation as a rake. He does not want to marry her either because he has issues of his own and this is why he hides behind his reputation. She gets kidnapped, he has to rescue her and they of course, fall madly in love. The end.

LOL, you've described every book Georgette Heyer ever wrote, and I have to admit, she's one of my favorite "light reading" authors!

My memoir would include the 7 years I was a selective mute as a child, then my decade-long depression and how I recovered from that, getting diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in my late teens, autism in my late 20s, and then dealing with an eating disorder on top of that.

That would make an amazing and incredibly helpful book! I'd buy it in a minute.

 

[neely]

That would make an amazing and incredibly helpful book! I'd buy it in a minute.

Add my name to the list.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I wrote one book. I don't have another one in me, not yet anyway.

 

[aliceneko]

I'm writing two books at the moment; both set after WWII. One is a sequel to the first book and is the story of one of the other main characters who is a concentration camp survivor.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

although i don't think i'll ever write a book (my abilities lie elsewhere ), i do very much enjoy reading books!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I wrote one book. I don't have another one in me, not yet anyway.

Published? If so, where can I find it? PM me if you'd prefer to keep it more private!

I'm writing two books at the moment; both set after WWII. One is a sequel to the first book and is the story of one of the other main characters who is a concentration camp survivor.

HAH! Another two books I'd love to read when they are published!