Gleaning Plot Ideas by Elizabeth Maddrey

I don’t get a lot of people asking me questions about what it’s like to be a writer. I suspect some of that is because I don’t tend to tell a whole bunch of people that I am one. It’s not that I’m embarrassed; it just never seems to come up…probably because most of the time I’m surrounded by two adorable little boys who steal all my limelight.  Regardless, I have lots of conversations with imaginary people in my head, and sometimes I’ll be at an imaginary book signing and a lovely imaginary person will come up and gush delightedly to me about how much she enjoyed my books and then ask the question that I’m told authors have learned to dread: where do you get your ideas?

For me, my ideas seem to come from life as it happens around me – most often conversations with friends, family, acquaintances, and…random imaginary people. In the case of my first book (Wisdom to Know), the plot idea came from the many women I worked with when I worked and volunteered at a Pregnancy Resource Center. Book 2, Courage to Change, came out of conversations I had with secondary characters while I was writing book 1. But then came book 3…deadline looming and plot ideas fizzling. So I took the night off and we went out to dinner with friends.

We have a good friend who’s thirty and single and would love to find a Godly wife…and he’s struggling. More than that, talking to him as he navigates the dating waters, it’s interesting to hear how quickly he realizes the “mate potential” of his dates – and how he’s trying to ensure that he doesn’t prolong a relationship that has no future. One of these conversations with him got me thinking. I remember growing up our high school youth pastor frequently quoted the idea that “every date is a potential mate.” And like most high schoolers (or at least those that I knew) I remember rolling my eyes. But as I got older, and the idea of finding a mate and settling down started to really root itself in my mind, I realized the essence of wisdom in the cliché. I’m grateful that God brought me together with my husband while we were still in college. But what happens when that doesn’t work out, like with our friend? The gears started to whirl and out of that came the basis for the plot of Serenity to Accept.

In Serenity to Accept (Book 3 of the Grant Us Grace series), we meet Dr. Jason Garcia. He’s a long-time believer who is determined to date only Christian women – but he finds himself attracted to Karin Reid, who starts out somewhat antagonistic to the idea of Christianity. Jason begins to struggle with the lines he’s drawn in his mind – is it okay to date Karin even though he knows he shouldn’t be willing to be unequally yoked? How much does attraction and chemistry factor into a relationship? Karin, on the other end of things, isn’t really sure how to be in a relationship that’s bound by Christian morals. She’s also struggling with understanding how anyone can look at the evil in the world and still believe in God. Both Jason and Karin have to figure out what God’s will is for them – and come to terms with the fact that the other may not be part of that plan.

Though there are a number of spiritual themes in Serenity to Accept, I hope the overarching takeaway—as with my other two novels—is one of grace. God’s grace gets us through the high and low points of our lives and helps us experience Him. 

Read More

Research, The Engine for Story by Author Colleen Coble

Research is a super important part of the writing process. I always want to make sure I get the details right. Seems simple, right? Just ask the right people. Ahem. My first experience of how challenging this might be was when I needed to find out how to down a small plane. Now ordinarily this shouldn’t have been difficult. A friend of my husband owned a small plane. But here was the problem: it was the week after the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. No one wanted to answer such a question, not even Dave’s friend. I finally found a plane forum and explained what I needed. I listed my website and assured them it was for a book. Finally, one brave soul told me what I needed to know, and I was ready to bow down and kiss his feet.  

My next major foray into this research was for Alaska Twilight. One of the pharmacists at my local Walgreens had been a good source for me so I went to see her. I asked what drug would leave my victim unable to fight if someone threw her into the water. As my friend was giving me the information, the other pharmacist on duty came flying around the shelves with a horrified expression on her face. I held up my hands and assured her it was for a book. I’m not completely sure she believed me!

My newest book, Rosemary Cottage, was no exception, but I had to research something that was a little out of my comfort zone—cold water surfing. A little background first. I’m a health nut. I’d been hearing about the benefits of cold thermogenesis. That’s immersion in cold water for those who don’t know.  And bonus! I’d heard it would help sculpt your body, so I tried getting in my daughter’s pool in the winter to see if it would help me lose weight in my thighs. Oh what we women will do for vanity! Now before you faint, let me assure you this was Arizona so the water temperature was about forty-five to fifty, not freezing. But it was still mighty cold. After a few minutes, it was rather comfortable though. 

Unfortunately it didn’t work for weight loss. LOL But that health research led me to an article about cold water surfing. Like at Lake Superior in the winter (wrote about that in Rock Harbor Search and Rescue too) and in Maine in the winter. Now that’s cold! I got a book about cold water surfing, and I decided Edith, one of the supporting characters in Rosemary Cottage would be a cold water surfer. I had to figure out lots of things about that too, like what kind of wetsuit and other gear.

By the way, Edith is based on my real Aunt Edith. You should have seen Ede’s face when I told her I had her surfing the North Carolina shore in November.  I don’t think she was totally onboard with the idea. . .

I also had to research surfing in general. If you knew me well, you’d know my nickname is “Grace” and not because I’m graceful. I’ve been a klutz my whole life. So I wasn’t going to try to surf myself. I made the ultimate sacrifice and went to Hawaii to watch surfers. I learned a bit of the lingo and wished I had that kind of grace. It was enough though. I researched sharks too since Amy’s brother was killed by a shark while surfing (or so she’s been told) and what I learned made me almost too afraid to go snorkeling. Almost!  

Research is what keeps writing fun and fresh. And the really terrific thing about it is how one snippet of information can take you in a completely new direction. I decided I wanted Amy to do something with natural medicine since I’m such a big fan myself, but what? Then I ran across an article about herbs used in childbirth, and that led me to midwifery. Perfect! And that’s how it goes with every book. Research is what drives the idea for me. Give it a try!

Return Friday for a chance to win a copy of Colleen's latest release, Rosemary Cottage.

Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. 

Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com and connect at Facebook at www.facebook.com/colleencoblebooks. 

Read More