Battle of the Ideas

I thought I'd share my idea process with you since I just finished writing Graveyard Shift and am about to start a new novel. Usually when I get about three quarters done with a book, I start entertaining new ideas for my next novel, storing them in the back of my brain. Sometimes I might write a quick synopsis for the idea or share with a friend via email and then it's back to work.

Well, this time around the ideas flooded in. By the time I finished Graveyard Shift I had about five viable ideas for novels. They ranged from historical YA to funny middle grade to contemporary YA. I liked all of the ideas and really wasn't sure which one I felt most compelled to write first. I even thought about going back to an older novel that needs work but that I still love. I did put together a synopsis for one of the ideas that my editor suggested and that I intend to write as long as he's interested. But while I'm waiting to hear back from him, I thought I might take a stab at one of the other ideas.

So I let them duke it out in my head, waiting to hear which idea screamed the loudest. In the meantime, I read a couple of fantastic novels, surfed the internet for inspiration and a lovely procrastination tool too:)! But still I was not sure which one to go with.

Then a few days later I went to Macy's to get my makeup done for my last Indigo Blues signing at Barnes & Noble. I would say that I'm a diva (getting my makeup done and all) but really I hardly ever wear makeup and thought I'd let the lovely expert fix me up, instead of risking looking like a clown. Anyway, while the Estee Lauder girl asked me to look up so she could apply mascara to my eyelashes an idea hit me. I had just been reading an article on my iPhone which didn't have much to do with my idea but somehow triggered my new story plot. I'm not ready to share yet as I'm still formulating the plot points but it's a mystery YA, a little different from my other books but filed with romance and tension and high stakes.

Once this idea hit me, I knew it was the one I wanted to run with. I just had to wait for that gut feeling. So there you have it folks, for me I have to wait for the right idea to get my adrenaline pumping! And now I just have to find the time to write the book!