Where do stories come from? If you’re a reader, you might have wondered. If you’re a writer, you might know. But every once in a while, it’s nice to hear where that story spark came from. We asked our Havok authors, and here are some of the responses we received. Enjoy our first issue of Story Behind the Story!
On The Barnstormer by Dave D’Alessio:
On Swordcery by Lynne Pleau:
I originally wrote Swordcery in July of 2018 in response to a call for submission by the Realm Makers Faith and Fantasy Alliance Conference. The theme was “Swords and Sorcery” (which is how I came up with the title). The challenge was to write a modern-day fairytale in under 300 words. That short version of Swordcery became a finalist for the conference’s live critique, which included panelists Andrew Winch and Tosca Lee. During the critique, I wrote down their comments–like start with shorter sentences to help readers into the story and provide more background into the princess’s story. Using those comments, I later lengthened the story and submitted it to Havok.
On Dune Buggy Dash by Katie Robles:
I love nature shows, especially the ones that cover weird stuff like rolling frogs, exploding insects, or blooming deserts. The thought of what lies dormant in the earth waiting for rain to bring it back to life sparked the story for Dune Buggy Dash. Rain patterns are shifting. What if something that has been dormant for centuries decides to wake up?
On Bitten by Jessi L. Roberts
Bitten came about because I had a story I was going to post on my blog. In the story, one of the characters was secretly a werewolf because his mother had been bitten while she was pregnant with him. When I saw the theme was “Rebirth” I realized I could fit two meanings in, one being the mother’s focus on saving her unborn baby, and another part that showed her rebirth as a werewolf, so I told the mother’s story. In a way, it’s a prequel to my werewolf story.
NOW YOU: If you’re a writer, where do your story ideas come from?
Tell us your thoughts!