Don’t you wonder how Stephenie Meyer came up with the idea of a sparkly vampire? How did Diana Gabaldon decide on a portal in a standing stone that whisked Claire off to a Highlander hunk named Jamie? And Hobbits? Really? Where do authors get their ideas? Well, I can only speak to what’s worked for me with Love’s Courage: a word, a photo, and a visit.
A Word
Rich and I are word nerds. Okay, I’m a word nerd and Rich indulges me. Every morning at breakfast, we look up Merriam Webster’s Word of the Day. On Feb. 26, 2016, the word was keelhaul, and it captured my imagination.
At the time, my WIP (Work in Process) was Love’s Courage, and I was writing about Andrew’s journey through British-held territory to find and protect Jenny. His journey would be fraught with danger both on land and at sea. All I needed was a unique form of torment like … being keelhauled.
It was synchronicity at its finest. I needed a ruthless, deadly assault and there was Merriam Webster’s Word of the Day. A match made in heaven. I did more research on keelhauling, including primary sources that did not hold back on gory details, and wrote the scene in record time.
A Photo
Rich’s photography is inspiring, so when he took his photo called “Lantern,” I was inspired. Again, I was working on Love’s Courage, and I was writing a scene where Andrew needed to be hidden from British troops. When he arrived at an inn owned by a colorful character named Howey Doone, Andrew was exhausted and starving. Howey fed him then led him to an upstairs room. Andrew eyed the soft bed anticipating a good night’s rest. But that wouldn’t work—too risky with troops bivouacked nearby. The “Lantern” shone a light on my answer. Howey led Andrew past the inviting bed to a hidden alcove behind the wall. He hooked the lantern he carried onto a nail, and locked Andrew in the cubbyhole to sleep on the hard wood floor.
A Visit
I’ve written about our trip to Williamsburg, VA to research Love’s Courage. Prior to that visit, I had planned to have a bakery be the hub of activity for the spies who worked for the Patriot cause. I wanted messages to be hidden in loaves of bread that passed from the baker to the courier to the intended receiver. My visit to Williamsburg changed all that. I learned that most households baked their own bread, so bakeries were not common, even in large cities.
During our visit to the apothecary in Williamsburg, it hit me like a whiff of oregano—the apothecary would be the perfect spot for messages to be exchanged. In Love’s Courage, a window display was rearranged to signal a waiting message. Jenny’s father was seriously wounded, so he would need elixirs made from plants not usually found in most home herb gardens. She could visit the apothecary shop raising no suspicion since her father would need ongoing treatment.
At first, I was disappointed to learn about the lack of bakeries, but once I visited the apothecary, I was given the best cure to my dilemma.
So, I don’t know where the sparkly vampire or the Hobbits came from, but I suspect from unexpected sources of inspiration. And we can never discount the whisperings of our muse, can we, Boris?
Thank you, Becky. That’s high praise coming from you since you have done the same so brilliantly in your books.
I just finished Love’s Courage and loved it. Placing ordinary people in extraordinary times and watching them rise to the occasion is always a good read.