How I Decided to Torture Myself and Write a Book

A while back, Robert J. Dornan, author of an exciting young adult novel entitled Jack City, contacted me about exchanging guest posts on our blogs. We decided to answer a question we have both been asked many times: What in the world gave us the idea to write a novel . . . or three? It is a question authors are often asked, and many times there are similarities and differences in our stories. Frequently the stirrings of a novelist's early love for literature and writing are full of quirky events. See for yourself. You can find my post on his blog at jackcity.com. Here's Robert:

We have all heard the quote that everyone has a novel inside of them. Yah sure, but having a novel inside of you and writing it are two different subjects that more often than not will only be discussed while a commercial is running. Very few people will ever sit down for months or even years to write a novel but those that do – like myself – have to draw their inspirations from somewhere and that ladies and germs is our discussion for today.

Jack City and a yet to be released book called Legend of Tanushka were written for kids nine to eighteen. I am not even remotely close to this age group and quite frankly can remember very little about those years except for two Susan’s and a Cheryl who were really attractive and wanted nothing to do with me. I digress.

Writing about something you know nothing about is futile, it’s a waste of time and those who read your work will notice this before the first chapter is done. You can’t write about King Kong if you’ve never been to a zoo. That being said, you would think that a guy who can’t remember anything about his teenage years – other than three girls who may have given him wedgies at one point or another – doesn’t seem right. Well, you’d be wrong amigos and amigas ‘cause this guy has two very extroverted children who have filled his notebooks with more material than a Jerry Seinfeld gig. It’s a wonder I haven’t written several novels before this including self help books for parents with extremely funny children. My two babies are my inspiration and their friends are also a wealth of future paragraphs and great one-liners.

Legend of Tanushka was inspired by creating a bed time story for my daughter when she was only nine. We made up some names, added a princess and by the end of the week I had a storyline. Just goes to show you can never underestimate the creative mind of a nine-year old girl five minutes before she passes out for the night.

It’s not necessarily your life that inspires a novel. It’s who and what is in your life that will carry you through three to four hundred pages of page turning fun and torture.

p.s. Visit your local zoo…who knows eh?

Weston Kincade ~ Author of Invisible Dawn, A Life of Death, and Strange Circumstances

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