Friday. [Insert Jack Webb’s voice from Dragnet] Donnell called upon one of the most disciplined, prolific authors she knows to finally explain the story idea process. Well, I hope this settles it–it can’t be done. Thanks, Sgt. Friday, you tried. Friends, please welcome Renee Ryan to Help From My Friends Friday. ~ Donnell
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
By: Renee Ryan
Author Renee Ryan
Whenever I meet someone new, and that person discovers I’m a published author, the first question is almost always: “Where do you get your ideas?” A seemingly simple query, right? The perfect conversation starter guaranteed to prod me into talking about my writing process.
Well, yes. Maybe. Actually…no. To put it bluntly, I don’t know where I get my ideas. They come from somewhere, nowhere, everywhere. An obscure snippet in a news story can spark an idea. A friend’s personal triumph, a tragic moment in my own life or that of someone I love. Even a well-written movie with a not-so-great ending can send me straight to the keyboard.
Point A
Once I get there, the process gets complicated. I mostly…panic. Not kidding. I take a deep breath, then head over to social media, where I engage in intense, mind-numbing procrastination. After watching seventy-hundred thousand dance videos on TikTok, I troll my fellow authors. All of whom are embracing their best life, writing 10,000 words a day, signing big book deals, and making big book money. Which, for the record, sends me straight back to where I started—aka panic mode. Out of pure self-preservation, I shut off my social media and start surfing around on the Internet, focusing on websites dedicated to historical people, places, and/or events.
I call this research, which is never straightforward. I tend to wander around haphazardly for hours, days, weeks, and have been known to fall down all kinds of rabbit holes. Then, suddenly, I stumble across some unknown fascinating tidbit about a person or event. Things start to happen at this point. Murky things. Images appear from the shadows, they slither away. Seeds are planted. Ideas begin to sprout and take root. Scenes play out in my head. More ideas come, they go, they come back again.
Complicated, way from A to B
Point B
One of these long, complicated, twisty paths led me to the original inspiration for my upcoming novel, The Secret Society of Salzburg. I was digging into the finer points of British Immigration Policy in the 1930s (riveting, I know) when I discovered the Cook sisters, Ida and Louise. These brave women orchestrated the rescue of 29 Jews from Nazi Germany. What drew me in was my indirect connection to Ida. She wrote 112 romance novels as Mary Burchell for Mills and Boon, which happens to be owned by my same publisher.
You mean to tell me a romance writer was a real-life WWII hero? I had to know more. I continually asked by myself, What if (an author’s favorite question), and soon began reimagining Ida and Louise’s daring feats into what ultimately became The Secret Society of Salzburg.
I now had a good idea who would be my main characters, but I needed more. Back to the internet I went. Another particularly twisty path landed me at the gates of the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp located in northern Germany. Turns out, a portion of the facility became an “exchange camp” where valuable Jewish inmates were held with the intention of exchanging them for German prisoners of war. Most estimates claim that some 2500 Jews were released or exchanged between the summer of 1943 and December 1944.
Fascinating stuff. What sort of person would be considered a high-value inmate and would that person fit into my story? I remembered the Cook sisters had a passion for opera, which led them to a meeting with a famous mezzo-soprano, who was the person that set the Cook sisters on their first dangerous rescue mission. So began another round of “What if,” and more Internet surfing, and, aha, a new character was born.
Confused, yet? Like I said, my process is complicated. So, the next time you’re tempted to ask an author where she gets her ideas, be prepared for a shrug, or a weird non-answer, or a glassy-eyed look of panic, or maybe, just maybe, her process will make far better sense than mine.
About The Widows of Champagne:
“History, drama, and passion as effervescent as the resilient LeBlanc women and the champagne that bears their name. I highly recommend!”
—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author
In this captivating story of resilience, three generations of women battle to save their family’s vineyard from the ravages of WWII.
Champagne, 1939
Gabrielle Leblanc Dupree is taking her family’s future into her hands. While she should be preparing for a lavish party to celebrate two centuries of champagne making, she secretly hides Chateau Fouché-Leblanc’s most precious vintages behind a fake wall in the cellar in preparation for the looming war. But when she joins the resistance, the coveted champagne isn’t the most dangerous secret her cellar must conceal…
A former Parisian socialite, Gabrielle’s mother, Hélène, lost her husband to another war. Now her home has been requisitioned by the Germans, who pillage vineyards to satisfy the Third Reich’s thirst for the finest champagne. There’s even more at stake than Hélène dares admit. She has kept her heritage a secret…and no one is safe in Nazi-occupied France.
Josephine, the family matriarch, watches as her beloved vineyard faces its most difficult harvest yet. As her daughter-in-law and granddaughters contend with the enemies and unexpected allies in their midst, Josephine’s deep faith leads to her own path of resistance.
Across years and continents, the Leblanc women will draw on their courage and wits, determined against all odds to preserve their lives, their freedom and their legacy…
About the Author: Multi-published, award-winning author Renee Ryan sold her first book in 2001 by winning the inaugural Dorchester/Romantic Times New Historical Voice Contest. She published her second book to Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical line in February 2009 and has since sold over twenty-five books to several publishers.
Renee grew up in a Florida beach town where she learned to surf and skateboard very poorly. Armed with a degree in Economics and Religion from Florida State University, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency, and three cosmetic conglomerates. She also taught high school Economics, American Government and Latin while coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and a large, fluffy cat many have mistaken for a small bear.
Renee, I don’t mind the “Where do you get your ideas?” question as much as I used to cringe at the “How do you research your sex scenes?” question back in my romance writing days. They were always asked at the company Christmas party by one of my husband’s coworkers after too many egg nogs.
Rabbit holes seem to be a writer’s second home. Maybe we should all meet up in the warren and swap horror stories!
I love this article, Renee. We’re not machines. There are times I’d like to be but ideas have to process. I’m in awe of anyone who has an idea and can very quickly pound away at the keyboard. I’m a fretter and a stewer and a researcher in that order 😉 I love your books by the way, Signed a fan (Donnell Ann Bell)
Lois, oh, YES! I remember getting the sex scene question and, yeah, always at the weirdest moments (aka, inappropriate moments).
I continually remind myself, “Rabbit holes are my friend!” 🙂
Oh, Donnell, I am so aware of your process (she says with the soft eyes of a dear friend). I’m still looking for that puzzle piece that will make the plotting process easier. II’m willing to pay big dollars for it, too.
Thanks for this terrific blog pos!. I’m in the middle of the “composting” stage of my novel (and feel free to enjoy whatever image the word “compost” invokes because I’m shoveling a lot of it at the moment), and it’s lovely to hear that I’m not alone with my feelings of panic. On the other hand, Isn’t it wonderful what seemingly random research can generate? Donnell, thanks for introducing us to Renee Ryan. I can’t wait to read The Secret Society!
Barbara, you are so welcome. Honestly, you must meet Renee Ryan. I’ll figure a way to make it happen. With your love of history and ancient languages, you two would have sooo much to talk about. I know you’re an avid studier. Look at it this way, your compost is being added to fledgling seedlings not quite ready to break through the soil. And if I know anything, a novel written by Barbara Nickless, will turn into a stunning garden — I’m thinking Butchart Gardens 🙂 xoxo
Donnell, you rock my world. 🙂 I do hope to meet Renee someday!
Hi Barbara!!! Ahhhhh, images of compost giving way to gorgeous gardens…LOVE IT! I’m a fan of research AND subtext, just ask Donnell. Would love to meet and chat. You had me at ancient languages! Prepare for a long night! 😉