Yesterday, I had lunch with a fellow writer friend and we started talking about what we do at the beginning of the writing process. For me, it usually goes something like this:
1) Struck by inspiration. For example, “I want to write a ghost story!”
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2) Characters and Muses. “Hmm… Jensen Ackles is super dreamy. He’d make a good Luke Rainer.”
3. Pinterest Boards and Playlists.
Her methods are a little more in depth. She’s begun writing stories about her characters on her blog, one for every year of their lives. I think that’s really interesting, and something I might have to try. I like the idea of little Michael reacting to ghosts, Brink in the years that he was alive, Kate and Gavin as bickering kid siblings, Luke as a young troublemaker obsessed with the paranormal.
She also shares her artwork and stories about herself as a kid. Now, I’ve been trying to think of interesting stories from my childhood all day, but I guess I was a boring kid or something. I know stuff had to have happened to me, but nothing that really warrants and entire post. So perhaps instead of sharing stories, I can just share short little silly things.
For example, I’ve only broken one bone in my entire life, the middle phalanges on my wedding ring finger. Technically, I didn’t break it. My mom and I were passing around a football out in the backyard, she threw what she still calls to this day a “beautiful pass,” and SNAP! It hit my finger, which I heard and felt crack. My dad assured me it was only “jammed,” so I still went to my babysitting job where the little girl I was watching yelled, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR FINGER?” before pulling it as hard as she could.
Ouch.
So yeah, that’s my childhood story for the day. I was in seventh grade and even though my finger was broken for the rest of the school year, my band director still made me sit with them at all of our concerts even though I couldn’t even hold my flute, let alone play it. That was weird. Also, no one played with me at P.E. That was kind of sad.
If you’d like to check out my friend’s writings and artwork, you can visit her at her blog here: http://charliarmstrong.blogspot.com
A Platform of Sorts 
Great cover!
Thank you! I’ll pass the compliment along to my designer! He’s AWESOME. 🙂
Good blog post! You could even have your writers share some of their childhood stories perhaps??? Love the idea of your characters when they were younger and Brink alive. Super cool to write prequels after initial book!
Thanks, Terri! I think it’s a neat idea. 🙂