Romance Weekly: Where Do Authors Get Those Twisted Plots?

'Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all..... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.'

 

1. What is the weirdest question you have been asked about writing? 
So far, not a lot of people know I am a writer. Occasionally, the subject does come up. Most people are impressed, a few a sceptical. Let's start this with a couple facts. I write romance, and I write erotica. I am a woman. I was talking to a reader via email, about The Gift, and in particular about a male-male scene and they asked the weirdest question I have ever been asked, by far. AND that is.... if I have done all the things I write about. I am pretty sure that being a woman, I've never had male male sex. So no, I have not experienced everything I write about. It's called research people!
2. What was the most exciting thing about your writing career so far? 
The most exciting thing that has ever happened in my writing career (aside from getting published in the first place) was when I told a woman my pen name, and she squealed and said she had read my book and asked for my autograph. Really, what are the odds of that happening? Another exciting, stop-your-heart moment was when my mother said "I read your story and I liked it." I mean ... holy hamburgers, my mother reads erotica? And likes it? YIKES! *Shakes head sadly* I did not need to know that!
3. Do you get your story ideas from real life or real people? If not, where do they come from? (This question makes me smile, because sometimes when I am reading a novel, I think "Oh my GOD, it's like the author is writing about ME.")

But, I have NEVER written about people I know, or about their stories or lives. I don't think it would be ethical, and I couldn't live with myself if I did. 

Where do ideas come from? As a writer, I get my ideas from a number of places. First and foremost, my mind is a very busy place. There are a lot of ideas, dialog and characters just floating around in there waiting to collide into a novel idea. On occasion, I pick of snatches of dialog from conversations overheard at the mall, in restaurants, and places like that. Sometimes these lead to a story, or plot twist. Stories and scenes come to me in dreams. Corralling the Cowboy (an erotic short story) was the result of a dream that followed a conversation I had with a friend during the Calgary Stampede about the attractiveness of cowboys. There are just too many fictional possibilities to steal from the humdrum existences of people I know.

All that said, I have a friend who is thinking of becoming a Doula. I had never heard of a Doula. But a woman who a non-medical person and is a pregnancy, labor coach and assists before and after deliveries would be the ideal foil for my doctor-hero in an upcoming series. So, I told my friend that the career would be perfect for the story. So, no surprises for my friend.

But then again, there are those people .................................

If you are interested in reading what  Katherine Givens has to say about these questions. Check out her blog by clicking here. And be sure to pop back in next week for another set of questions.

Hugs
Katie
(PS: In case you are early, these posts are scheduled to go 'live' at 2pm Eastern. So you  might need to check back to follow the link to Katherine.)