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Mechele Armstrong & the Big Idea

So I begged BAM to do a guest author blog. Well actually, I asked but I would have begged. :) [Bam: I do enjoy it when people beg me. Shuzluva refers to me as Mini Kim Jong Il.]

I also asked her was there anything particular I should write about and she suggested “write about your process of writing.”

Which meant I had to sit down and say, “I have a process?” And I figured out I do have a process! Yay for me. I consider myself a combination plotter and pantser with emphasis on the pants’ side.

It all starts with the idea. I start asking myself, “What if.?”

The Settler’s Mine series grew out of an idea about gemstones and how could I work them into a story. Stones usually have to be mined— so what if there is this mine out in space? And the stones pick out your true mate? Think of the demand for these stones. And of course, the mates are never who the person thinks they might be. One line in Settler’s Mine that I love, and I think I’ve used it in all three of them, is “The Fates have a sense of humor.”

The Six Curses of Christmas‘ idea came as I was thinking of writing a holiday story. As a kid, we always cut down a cedar tree for our Christmas tree. Well, I started thinking, suppose the tree wasn’t alone? Suppose a woman had been cursed into trees for centuries by a man?

After the big idea, I come up with a general idea of a plot. For Settler’s Mine, I started thinking about who would come to the mine and why. Who might come there to hide? Maybe a woman. I thought about two fiercely rival, male bounty hunters who come to Settler’s Mine after their bounty, the woman, and surprise, surprise, she is their mate, making them mates, too. Which leads to lots of conflict because the men were rivals, and she’s who they are supposed to bring in for money. Now what are they going to do? Settler’s Mine: The Rivals was born.

In the Six Curses of Christmas, I thought wouldn’t the woman in the tree be pissed off if a man cut down her tree? Wouldn’t she want to curse this man? Originally, there were going to be twelve curses like the Twelve Days of Christmas, but at the time, I had a word count limit and that was way too hard to do, so it became six.

The specific plot answers to questions come wrapped around the characters because they are the ones who determine the plot twists. A different kind of character will make a different plot arc. Usually characters just pop into my head and reveal themselves either all up front or as we go along. Sometimes, I will fill out character information sheets before the writing but a lot of times, I find the best way to get to know the characters is to start writing them. I live with my characters while I’m writing their stories.

Balt and Orion in The Rivals were up front kind of guys. Layla, not so much. I had to start writing before she’d let me know who she really was. Oddly enough, I think because she starts off as a character in hiding, that’s why she wouldn’t tell me much until the story started chugging along. Deidre, on the other hand, from The Six Curses of Christmas (and the Sixth Curse of Spring and the Sixth Cursed Halloween) was a take over character. She was incredibly strongly defined and very demanding.

Usually when I sit down to type, I know where I’m generally going with the story. But I don’t always know all the turns my plot will take to get to the parts I know will happen. I make notes as I go along about the direction of the plot. For Settler’s Mine, I have a big cheat sheet with descriptions of both characters and settings that I’ve used before so I can refer back to them and keep it consistent.

A lot of my writing process is thinking, part research, and a lot of sitting down in the chair and getting what’s in my head out.

Just a random note of trivia: I was watching a lot of Brisco County, Jr. on DVD at the time I was writing the Rivals (it’s an older show from Fox, only lasted one season). Brisco County, Jr and Lord Bowler were competitive bounty hunters in the beginning of the show but along the way they became loyal friends. I based Balt and Orion’s banter loosely on Brisco and Lord Bowler. LOL loosely and their relationship went a lot further.

______________________________________

Mechele Armstrong, who also writes as Melany Logen, started scribbling stories with the crayons from her crayon box and hasn’t stoppped since. She lives in Virginia (or the state of confusion) while writing furiously, with two girls, a computer geek hubby, a neurotic dog, a diva kitty, and a whole host of naked Barbies.

Comment on this post and two lucky commenters will win a 5-dollar GC to Loose-id each!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 7:53 am and is filed under Guest Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

15 Responses to “Mechele Armstrong & the Big Idea”

  1. Shy
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 9:58 am
    1

    I think this post is just as well done as the rest of Michele’s work. Fun, entertaining, and leaves you asking for more! I enjoy the personal touch of taking her life’s experiences and how they have translated into the writing we so much enjoy!

    I am always eagerly waiting for her next installment. In fact, I have an empty shelf just waiting for her books to be in print. *hint, hint*

  2. tami
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
    2

    good post! thanks for telling us, it sounds very interserting

  3. Pitor V.
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
    3

    Having read all of Ms. Armstrong novels*, her admission she is more of a seat of the pants type of writer rather surprised me. The flow, continuity of plots, characters and settings speak more to a great deal of planning and forethought. Thank you for letting us in on your process, I’ve enjoyed each of your books.

    *Yes men do read romance novels. We steal them from our wives and girlfriends and read them while no one is looking and will deny if caught.

  4. colleen gleason
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
    4

    Pitor….can I marry you? You can steal my books anytime.

    Oh, wait. I’m already married, blast it.

    Great post, Mechele! I always love hearing how other writers get their ideas and flesh them out. So to speak.

  5. colleen gleason
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
    5

    Oh, wait. I forgot to beg Bam.

    *begs*

    *begs*

    *begs while bringing studmuffins for Bam to check out and books covers to snark on*

  6. Mechele Armstrong
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
    6

    *G* point taken Shy, I will get busy writing.

    Tami, thank you! I’m glad you found it so.

    Pitor, thank you. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them. I must be doing something well with the plotting so that’s a good thing! And LOL I can’t imagine you resorting to thievery.

    Colleen, thank you. I also find it fascinating to hear about other author’s processes. It’s always interesting to hear how others do it. *whispers* I’m thinking you’re doing an excellent job of begging. Chocolate always works wonder with begging, too.

  7. Barbara K.
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
    7

    I’m a combination of Panster and Plotter, Mechele.

    It’s amazing how many ideas I get from random sources.
    Before I actually start writing, I do all kinds of research and place my background research into a Notes file folder for my idea.

  8. Anne Douglas
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
    8

    It’s always interesting for me to hear how others write. I’m so glad I’m not the only ‘we start here and somehow have to get to here’ person :)

    ps Naked Barbies? please say there’s a Ken or Dan in there, somewhere?

  9. danette
    Posted: Jan 30th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
    9

    It sounds like a fun process. I like how your imagination sparks from some simple ideas. You’ve got me wondering about your rivals turning lovers?

  10. Lorelie
    Posted: Jan 31st, 2008 at 5:13 am
    10

    Anne, I was wondering why they were all naked, personally. The clothes are the best part of Barbie.

  11. Mechele Armstrong
    Posted: Jan 31st, 2008 at 5:35 am
    11

    Barbara, it is amazing how something you hear randomly becomes an idea for a story. And long live the combo pantsers and plotters!

    Anne, it is good to know I’m not the only one either. There are a couple of “boy” Barbie dolls. *sigh* they are naked, too.

    Danette, thank you. It’s a very exciting process for me and I’m glad to hear your thoughts. Oh, bringing Balt and Orion around to lovers was complex and a whole lot of fun. LOL I’ve been told it’s hot, too.

    Lorelie, the first thing my girls do when they get ANY doll is strip the clothes off. Pollys, Strawberry Shortcake, Barbies. I dunno why but everyone says the same thing about their little girls. We have tons of Barbie clothes but the dolls stay mostly naked. LOL and taking a shower with a bunch of naked Barbies on the sides of the tub is creepy and disconcerting.

  12. Kush
    Posted: Jan 31st, 2008 at 6:30 am
    12

    Oooh, now I have to go read about that woman in a tree. And I’d just vowed not to buy anything new until I’d reduced my TBR pile by half.
    Still… a woman in a tree.
    Makes me think of a children’s song about a man stuck in a wall.
    That’s a good thing, promise:)

  13. Lorelie
    Posted: Jan 31st, 2008 at 12:12 pm
    13

    taking a shower with a bunch of naked Barbies on the sides of the tub is creepy and disconcerting.

    I bet it still beats stepping into your shower without looking and getting a tiny, metal helicopter stuck in the arch of your foot.

    Why yes, I have boys, why do you ask? *g*

  14. Maureen
    Posted: Jan 31st, 2008 at 6:12 pm
    14

    That scary what-if question gets me in trouble all the time! yup I am with you on the plotter panster combo! I know where they are going but Like driving at night I write as far as the headlights illuminate then plot the road a little more *g*

    As for naked barbies and kens Try throwing in a naked Hannah Montana doll that sings “Its the best of both worlds” *blink*

  15. Mechele Armstrong
    Posted: Feb 1st, 2008 at 7:49 am
    15

    Lol Kush, I’ll take your word for it. I don’t think I know a song about a man stuck in a wall. I may have to Google that. I’m glad you like the sound of my story!

    Lorelie, do boys strip GI Joes? Just curious.

    Maureen, we haven’t quite hit Hannah Montana yet but I’m sure we will. They started watching the show and walk around “Bammmmm.” *sigh* I like car headlights example.

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