ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS
Tuesday

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The answer, of course, is everywhere. Sometimes the lyrics of a song will spark an idea; or perhaps a snippet of conversation overheard in a restaurant will suggest a character in my mind.

It took me a while to accept that I never live alone; the people running around in my head give me plenty of company, at all hours of the day and night. Once I decided to write down what I was seeing and "hearing" I realized I liked writing. That was more than ten years ago.

My stories usually begin with the characters. Often my hero comes first. Then the setting. As I research the time and place, and begin to become acquainted with the hero, his “perfect woman” stands up and introduces herself.

You know, it is odd to write that, but the characters do seem to walk into my office and take a seat. When it happens, it is perfectly normal to me. But now, writing that down...

Anyway, back to the process. As an example, Jaret Walker is the hero in TOUCHED BY LOVE. I knew Jaret would be a loner, the kind of man who had convinced himself no woman would want him—it was easier that way. Then along comes Isabel Bennett, part Spanish elegance, part Texas independence, and just the right woman to set Jaret on his ear. In this case, the heroine gave me the setting: her ranch in south Texas. The main conflict, and the identity of the villain, gave me the time period, and I was off and running with the story.

When someone asks me where my ideas come from, I don’t go into all the details. If I did, they'd never speak to me again, fearing I'd put them in my next book. But that's okay - there are plenty of peopl in my head already.

Tracy G