Hey readers,
Two questions I deal with quite a bit when I do author appearances:
1. Do you know Stephanie Meyer?
And...
2. Where do you get your ideas?
Let's focus on question #2 for right now.
Where do ideas come from?
To be honest, I really don't know for sure where my ideas come from. I like to think that a big part of it is just me being really smart and creative (author's note: and humble) but that can't be all of it.
Now, like I said, I don't know for sure where my ideas come from, but the longer I do this, the more I'm leaning toward a theory...
My theory: the crazy crap we do, see, and hear about throughout our lives sticks to us, and if you can filter it right, this turns into creativity somehow. And for some reason, the crazy crap that we're surrounded by during our childhood seems to stick a lot harder.
Yeah, I need to work on that a bit before I can spin it into a self-help book, but I still think that the theory is sound. Whenever I'm stuck for ideas or characters or locations, my mind always goes back to my hometown. And lucky for me, my hometown is pretty entertainingly insane.
How entertainingly insane you ask? Allow me to demonstrate.
The following are ACTUAL police calls from my hometown during the last few weeks. Check out the News of Record in the Union Democrat if you want to see some more.
6:54 p.m., Big Oak Flat — A woman reported her “tie-dye-jerky” signs vandalized in Big Oak Flat.
5:50 p.m., duck call — A person called to report a duck in the middle of the road. The caller said the duck could not fly and had attempted to shoo the bird off the road. Police responded, only to find the duck could, in fact fly. Officers were unable to capture the duck.
7:47 p.m., East Sonora — A caller said an intoxicated employee was inside a business and refusing to leave. While a deputy was there, the manager arrived, also intoxicated, but in better condition. The first reportedly intoxicated employee was picked up by family members, and a cab was called for the manager.
10:28 a.m., self-starters — An apartment manager reported that tenants had removed a smelly carpet without consent on the 600 block of Copello Drive.
11:06 a.m., lazy dogs — A person reported that dogs repeatedly chased cars at Bret Harte Road and Booster Way. The offending dogs failed to chase the police car that investigated
4:09 p.m., suspicious circumstances — A man on a horse was lectured about panhandling on the 1000 block of Mono Way.
4:01 p.m., Sonora — A woman went to the Sheriff's Office asking that DNA testing be done on a single hair she found attached to duct tape on her car. She said she uses the tape to cover damage caused when she hit a deer, and someone keeps pulling the tape back. She was told no DNA testing would be done and left.
7:40 a.m., Phoenix Lake area — A person on the 21800 block of Montgomery Road reported that a neighbor's horse had fallen into the pool and couldn't get out. Fortunately, the horse was in the shallow end.
3:01 a.m., Twain Harte — A woman hired to dance at a bachelor party was thrown out of a residence by the bachelor’s girlfriend. Deputies assisted her in finding a hotel room for the night after picking her up at Marquis Drive and Twain Harte Drive.
My advice: When you get stuck for inspiration, think back on your childhood and where you grew up. Chances are there's some gems in there.
My advice #2: Don't panhandle while on horseback as law enforcement takes a dim view.
Two questions I deal with quite a bit when I do author appearances:
1. Do you know Stephanie Meyer?
And...
2. Where do you get your ideas?
Let's focus on question #2 for right now.
Where do ideas come from?
To be honest, I really don't know for sure where my ideas come from. I like to think that a big part of it is just me being really smart and creative (author's note: and humble) but that can't be all of it.
Now, like I said, I don't know for sure where my ideas come from, but the longer I do this, the more I'm leaning toward a theory...
My theory: the crazy crap we do, see, and hear about throughout our lives sticks to us, and if you can filter it right, this turns into creativity somehow. And for some reason, the crazy crap that we're surrounded by during our childhood seems to stick a lot harder.
Yeah, I need to work on that a bit before I can spin it into a self-help book, but I still think that the theory is sound. Whenever I'm stuck for ideas or characters or locations, my mind always goes back to my hometown. And lucky for me, my hometown is pretty entertainingly insane.
How entertainingly insane you ask? Allow me to demonstrate.
The following are ACTUAL police calls from my hometown during the last few weeks. Check out the News of Record in the Union Democrat if you want to see some more.
6:54 p.m., Big Oak Flat — A woman reported her “tie-dye-jerky” signs vandalized in Big Oak Flat.
5:50 p.m., duck call — A person called to report a duck in the middle of the road. The caller said the duck could not fly and had attempted to shoo the bird off the road. Police responded, only to find the duck could, in fact fly. Officers were unable to capture the duck.
7:47 p.m., East Sonora — A caller said an intoxicated employee was inside a business and refusing to leave. While a deputy was there, the manager arrived, also intoxicated, but in better condition. The first reportedly intoxicated employee was picked up by family members, and a cab was called for the manager.
10:28 a.m., self-starters — An apartment manager reported that tenants had removed a smelly carpet without consent on the 600 block of Copello Drive.
11:06 a.m., lazy dogs — A person reported that dogs repeatedly chased cars at Bret Harte Road and Booster Way. The offending dogs failed to chase the police car that investigated
4:09 p.m., suspicious circumstances — A man on a horse was lectured about panhandling on the 1000 block of Mono Way.
4:01 p.m., Sonora — A woman went to the Sheriff's Office asking that DNA testing be done on a single hair she found attached to duct tape on her car. She said she uses the tape to cover damage caused when she hit a deer, and someone keeps pulling the tape back. She was told no DNA testing would be done and left.
7:40 a.m., Phoenix Lake area — A person on the 21800 block of Montgomery Road reported that a neighbor's horse had fallen into the pool and couldn't get out. Fortunately, the horse was in the shallow end.
3:01 a.m., Twain Harte — A woman hired to dance at a bachelor party was thrown out of a residence by the bachelor’s girlfriend. Deputies assisted her in finding a hotel room for the night after picking her up at Marquis Drive and Twain Harte Drive.
My advice: When you get stuck for inspiration, think back on your childhood and where you grew up. Chances are there's some gems in there.
My advice #2: Don't panhandle while on horseback as law enforcement takes a dim view.
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