Pirate adventures and other stories

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Out of the Box

I had an excellent opportunity to conduct an online interview with a well-known author we recently published. One of my questions was “Where do you get your ideas?” It went over like a lead balloon.

My Publisher: “Delete that question immediately.”

Me: “What?”

My Publisher: “It’s lame and authors hate being asked that. Someone asked that of <a famous author> and she nearly walked out of the interview.”

Me: “Well that would have been rude of her, but okay, I’ll come up with another question.”

Later, I thought why…why would an author hate to answer that question? I believe we all understand that ideas can come from anywhere, and I assume people ask that question because:

They’re not finding good ideas where they’re currently looking and want to know where else they might look
The person asking has something to hide and wants to make sure his/her private life isn’t spurring the author’s ideas
They want to know what makes the author tick

I’m making fun but seriously, I really do want to know where others get their ideas. Creative people are interesting, and I like examining the roots of that creativity. Plus, others find ideas where I never thought of looking so it’s also a learning experience, right? I think about the painter Jackson Pollack whose best works look like nothing more than, structureless paint splatters a child would create. Now how the hell did he get the idea to paint that way? What was going through his mind when he chose a particular color? How did he determine his designs?

One of my author friends was stripping the wallpaper in her bathroom and noticed the pattern the leftover wallpaper made looked like the grim reaper. Behold, that ratty, stubborn piece of wallpaper generated an idea for a short story. Talk about thinking outside the box!

One of my own story ideas came from a conversation in a bar. An author friend talked about a writing class he was teaching and how bizarre the stories these particular students were writing. That germinated my idea for a short story featuring some unusual, creepy students who take a summer writing course. Events from your own life make for great stories too, but if you’re not ready to go there, just look around. What was the last dream you had? What’s your favorite candy? What’s the worst smell you’ve ever experienced? Write about it. It could lead to something great.

--TR, June 2011

Sunblog Archives:

Reflections on 2010

A Review of SEA BEGGAR

What do Soccer and Writing Have in Common?

The Appeal of ChickLit

Ahh, the ocean...

About the Book

The story begins in present day Florida Keys, where a Macy Macmillan discovers buried treasure. Flashback to 1719 in the Caribbean when a group of privateers on the ship the Sea Beggar roved the seas. The Sea Beggar holds secrets--one being a female pirate. She and her crew rescue treasure from a group of pirates who plundered it--the same treasure Macy found. The Sea Beggar is now in a race to return the treasure to the Spanish Crown before she herself is pirated. But what of the secrets of the Sea Beggar and how is Macy Macmillan involved almost 300 years later?

If you've read and liked the book, give it a review on Amazon!!

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About the Author

Tracy has always been interested in spinning a yarn, from a good joke to a good adventure. Growing up on the New England coast and now spending as much time as possible on Cape Cod and the Florida coast, has provided many story backdrops, and fuels her fondness for pirates and tales of the sea.

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News and Events

Lots of news this month and much more to come.

Peerless Book Store on Holcomb Bridge Road in Alpharetta, GA carries SEA BEGGAR! This comfy new book store has an excellent selection of new and used books.

Check out Book Browser, a wonderful new book store on highway 92 in Woodstock, GA and purchase your copy of SEA BEGGAR!

If you are in Islamorada, Florida purchase your copy of SEA BEGGAR at Hooked on Books!!

See what readers are saying about SEA BEGGAR on Amazon. It's all good--add your review today!
Order books at Nightbird Publishing. If you live near Atlanta, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur sells copies also.

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