Where to Find the Stories

Posted by Sybir St. John | January 20, 2010 .

When I tell friends I write for a living I’m constantly asked where I find my stories? Do I base my characters on real people? And the ever amusing one…do you really try all those sex positions? *grins and whispers wouldn’t you like to know*

Let’s focus the first question: the finding of the story. I don’t know about you, but I find stories everywhere. I like to play the What if game with myself. What if a school teacher from a small town fell in love with a demon bounty hunter? What if a unicorn male became stuck in the human realm and fall in love with a married woman? (That one is an actual premise of a book I just read this past summer. Was definitely a good one too.) Stories are everywhere, in your daily life, in the news, in your imagination. I have writer/author friends who scour the news for ideas and then start adding in their own twists and turns. Anyone been watching Castle lately? Rick Castle is a master at taking a ‘real’ *it is TV after all* scene and adding the twists, the flare, that make it into something someone wants to read and keeps them reading.

Some authors use their personal stories and weave in enough creative license so it can be unrecognizable as their own. It can be cathartic in a sense.

The story is what pulls us into the book. We want to know how the characters are going to get along, why they don’t…what they’re going to do about it. I just spent some time reading through some writing contest entries and have even taught writing classes in the past at local colleges. I am always looking for the story. Is the plot good, can it keep me engaged. Or, is it wandering all over the place and is the author putting too many roadblocks in?

And if it wasn’t about the story, how often do you find yourself skipping the sex scenes in a romance to get BACK to the story and the relationship? Fess up, what pulls you into a story and keeps you there?

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4 Comments so far

Cat Marsters January 20, 2010 9:59 am

I always figure if you’re skipping the sex scenes then the author’s not doing her job properly! They should be an integral part of the character arc and romance plot. I’ve heard so many people say, “Oh I don’t like those scenes, so I skip them,” and then later complain they thought a book with lots of sex was lacking something. Well, maybe that something was in the scenes you skipped!

What pulls me into a story is usually a great character. Show me a really well-drawn, realistic, flawed, detailed character and I can read for hours!
Sybir St. John January 20, 2010 5:06 pm

I agree, the sex scenes SHOULD be an integral part, but so often writer’s put them in because they’re ‘supposed’ to be there or it starts reading like so many scenes before. Since I write paranormal, I try to make them really creative and unusual. And yours? Well, there’s a reason we keep reading in Almost Human and that’s because of the balance you’ve crafted!

And yes, I’ve been known to get so mad at the heroes only later to be all ‘aawwww’ about them. Those are definitely the best kinds of stories.
Andrew McKay January 24, 2010 5:37 pm

When I try to write or read, I love being in the characters heads. I don’t care if it first person or third person. As long as I can get in the heads and figure the person out. Then I love the little surprises that happen, but the character needs to react as he always did. The journey of self discovery is what most paranormal romance books are. The big thing I think in these books is the forbidden love that ties the whole story together. For example if you ever read Gena Showalter’s book the heart of a dragon has a strong female character, with a bull headed strong male character that falls in love and he was suppose to kill her for coming to the land. She reveals this right away, but it is the forbidden part that keeps the book alive throughout.
I have tried to read several books that you are just the audience to what is happening and you don’t know what is in the character’s head. I should of said skimmed them because I will never read that kind of work. All the authors I think that we have in recommended authors write this way well. There are a couple I haven’t read yet but since I think Dr. Kelly likes the same art as I do, they must.

Also to all readers this counts as my post for Sunday.
Sybir St. John January 25, 2010 5:47 am

I agree….and in paranormal, you have to adapt to what is real in THAT environment. The “Heart of a Dragon” was well crafted, plus, she added in the balance of what could and should or even should not happen….all a part of the world building which has to happen with the character building in the paranormal realm.

We make up our own rules. But, we have to abide by them.