This contest was the best idea I've ever had!You guys seriously gave me so many fabulous ideas, it was impossible to pick just one. So I picked a winner and a runner up...and BOTH will receive a signed copy of Tempest in the Tea Leaves. You've earned it and then some!
I am going to use parts of the winner's idea for book 3 and parts of the runner up's idea for book 4 (only Granny won't be the suspect in that one, someone else from town will), with little bits of several of the other ideas thrown in!
People often wonder how authors come up with their ideas and all the cool plot twists. Sometimes on our own, but even then we usually brainstorm with someone as we flesh the idea out. Other times from a song, a movie, a newspaper or news report, etc. In my case, I chose a contest.
We don't just sit down with a fully fleshed idea that pops into our head and write the book from start to finish, with all the twists and turns added in on the first pass. It usually doesn't work like that. Most authors have to go back and add twists in, change things up, and yes, brainstorm. Things come to us as we are in the middle of a book, and often times through brainstorming with our peeps.
So thank you, my peeps, for letting me storm your brains. You brainstormers rock!
And now what you've been waiting for. The winner is....
Meg London / Peg Cochran
Granny's nemesis from high school shows up in town--lifted, botoxed, and dressed to the nines with flame red hair. She and Granny have competed since they were kids--for school prizes, athletic trophies, and men. when Fiona sets her cap for Captain Walker, Granny is furious. Alas, fiona winds up dead--poisoned by one of Granny's cookies.
(I can just see them competing at the cat show, at the county fair, at a cookoff, in the sewing circle, etc, wreaking havoc on the town :-) This is going to be a fun one to write)
The runner up is.....
Silverhearts7
Lucy Phelps, the pretty and young new hairdresser, has moved to town and bought the old Hanson place. As Granny is getting her hair done one day, she discovers Lucy likes to quilt and invites her to join the sewing circle. However, when Lucy joins, she lets slip about an old diary she found in her attic while moving in, which contains the dark secrets of several prominent ladies in town, including a few in the sewing circle. Blackmail follows shortly after, and Granny is one of Lucy's victims. Soon Lucy disappears, only to reappear in Granny's garden with the Fool (Tarot Card) atop a garden marker over her buried body.
(In this case it will be someone else in town who is the suspect and maybe it will involve the Bridge club with men and women or something, and whatever fortune-telling tool I will use for that book. But I love this idea.)
Many of the other ideas will be used in some form for future books as well. You've all definitely inspired me, so thank you from the bottom of my heart :-)
Happy writing and reading!
PS Will the winners please email me with your address at karileetownsend@gmail.com so I can mail you your books? Hope you enjoy them :-)
12 comments:
So tell me, where do you get your ideas from? Do you brainstorm? Who with?
Many congratulations to both winners and I await the books in anticipation (hmm memo to self stick the first three on my Amazon/Book depository list!)
Congrats to the winners. A lot of the plots were really good. I'm going to steal this idea when it's time for book 4...wishful thinking??
Congratulations to the winners. As one of the reviewers of Tempest in the Tea Leaves, receiver of 5 out of 5 collies, I know you'll love the book. Just make sure there are take-out menus beside the phone because once you start reading the book you won't want to be interrupted by silly things like cooking dinner.
Where do I get my ideas. Well, for the short story which may end up a novella I can credit Annabelle Carlyle, oops Anita Clenney, for the inspiration. On her debut post here back in April she was talking about attics and some of the things one might find in said attic. And that discussion was the beginning of the idea for A Body in the Attic.
Kari, I just got an email alert from Amazon that people can preorder your book.
Congrats to the winners. There were some great ideas thrown out. I get ideas from lots of places. This morning I had to run an errand that required lots of driving. The ideas started flowing. I captured them with my digital voice recorder. It's so great to have that rush of inspiration. Last week, it happened at the Harry Potter movie. I was writing in the near dark on the back of a birthday card my mom had given me. My critique partner and I can just start talking about our books and the ideas start flowing.
Ah Lindsay, I love that Annabelle Carlyle came from that attic story. Isn't it awesome when an idea grabs you? I love it.
It sure is Anita. Do you remember, without looking back, comments we exchanged.
Anyway, I patterned Annabelle after you-tall, blonde, willowy, former fashion model who gave up a promising career to join the Army after 9/11, except you gave up the modeling to become a world
(in)famous writer
Thanks Tempewytch! Hope you enjoy them :-)
Go for it, Liz! It really was the perfect solution for my fried brain!
Aww thanks Lindsay, you're sweet.
Oh, and my mom who pre-ordered my book just got her copies in the mail already! yay!!!
Don't you just love when that happens, Anita :-)
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