What helps me “discover” my story? Do I make playlists? Collages?
The answer to those questions is YES, all of the above. I struggled for years to finish stories without growing bored from plotting every bit of the books. Until a couple of years ago I decided to let go and just write.
I started out with a posterboard of pictures that reminded me of a holiday romance I was writing. I’d pull it out when it was time to write, but eventually I needed more pictures and it was just too bulky, and too difficult to haul around if I wrote outside the house.
I had seen in a Michael’s advertisement a Smash Journal, so I purchased one to use next time I needed it. Boy, did it ever come in handy. My debut novel takes place in the Alsace region of France, and since I’ve not had the opportunity to go to France yet, I had to make do with what I could. Friends had told me about Pinterest several years ago, and I had pinned a few crafts and moved on. Then I realized it was a treasure trove of pictures to inspire and immerse me in my story.
So I started a board with pictures of the Alsace region and characters. Then I realized I had pinned so many pictures that I couldn’t find what I wanted. So I broke it down into a board for the hero and heroine, one for the main setting, one for the hero’s house, one for the heroine’s dream bakery, etc. You can see them here if you’d like. https://www.pinterest.com/sloanebcollins/ (Now I have tons of boards for every story, and boards for the prequel, 2nd and 3rd books coming up.)
Sloane B. Collins is an award-winning author of Contemporary Romance. Although she is a fifth-generation Texan, she dreams of moving to the French countryside someday. Right now, she lives in the Dallas area with her husband of over twenty-six years, and their four rambunctious cats. Since Sloane and her husband love to travel, she’s determined to write a novel set in just about every place they visit.
Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/sloaneburkecollins
Twitter: @sloanebcollins
Website: http://sloanebcollins.wordpress.com/
Hi, Vicki! Yes, I love having all my inspiration in one place. It’s mostly pictures, but I really like your idea of adding the character sketches to the journal, too. Thank you for the idea! Hugs back to you!
Sloane
Hello, my friend, and I Didn’t Know you Did this!!! I have big books with pictures and character sketches and research material. Hugs to you!