But I also write books that are one-offs. The ideas for those books seem to come to me from the ether. They aren't quite fully formed, but when the idea hits, I have a strong sense of the plot and characters. I spend a few days playing with the idea, usually roughing out a theme and a plot. Sometimes I even write a prologue or the first chapter. A conversation with a friend sparked Five Tries to Get It Right, a deal I worked on at the City of Carlsbad sparked The Podcast Chronicles.
A new book sparked last week while I listened to the nonfiction book Democracy in Chains. The book made me angry, and I honestly struggled to get through it. Then an idea came to me - what if...? And my brain took off in a direction I never expected. For now, I'll let that spark incubate while I finish the novel I'm working on, then, we'll see where it goes.
Do you ever have those "what if" moments that end up changing what you'll do next?
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