The Idea Behind the Story

Writers are often asked where we get the ideas for our stories or books, or to sound more lofty – our inspiration. In my case, the answer is simple. I get my ideas from my daily life, the books I read, or the movies or TV shows I watch, or my true life experiences, or sometimes from family or friends who share their experiences. I thought I would take some time this week (and possibly the next two or three) and share a little background on some of my writings and reveal a few of my sources of inspiration. To begin, let me talk about my first novel, The What If Project.

The idea for the novel came from some very diverse influences. I have always been fascinated with time travel, and I love a good time travel adventure, but I really wasn’t interested in writing science fiction. One of my favorite old movies is Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. At a garage sale a few years back, I picked up a copy of the novel by Richard Matheson. I loved that it focused on the story and the people instead of the sci-fi aspects. Instead of some kind of time machine, you had a character who literally willed himself back in time through a form of self-hypnosis. No science or technology, no complicated explanations, just a good story with interesting characters.

My second major influence was the TV show The Sopranos, “the story of a New Jersey mob boss who deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.” (from IMDB.com) I love the scenes of Tony sitting across from his psychiatrist Dr. Melfi in her office. So of course, Jack, my main character would need someone to talk to about his issues, and since the doctor has supposedly discovered a way to hypnotize her patients and send them back in time, he is obviously more than willing to be a part of her project. And like Tony Soprano, Jack is a reluctant patient, as well as one who definitely needs some help.

A frequent setting to the story is the quad, an area at the center of the small college where Jack is working and the doctor is teaching. My alma mater, East Texas Baptist College (now ETBU) has a nice little spot right in the middle of the campus with a small fountain, and I borrowed the setting from my own memory banks just the way I remembered it. When Jack goes back to his childhood, I pictured the house where I grew up and the park at the end of the street. (There is a park there, but not the one I describe in the book.)

I won’t confess to everything, but many of the fine details in the backstory of the main characters come directly from my own life, little biographical touches that people who know me might even recognize. My first car was a green Mustang. My high school girlfriend’s name was – well, enough about me. A particular family member often joked about being attracted to Redheads. You get the message, right?

Anyway, the old saying is that you should write what you know and I guess that’s true. My characters are based on people I know, so if you don’t like them, or find them acting in strange or unlikely ways, I’m sorry, those are my people and that’s how they are! And in all honesty, a bunch of stuff is totally made up! It’s a work of fiction after all.

Let me know if you find this interesting, and come back next week for the real story behind the small town tales from my second novel.