The title of this entry is from an old Kings X song that talks about hearing music in your head. I would’ve never understood what those lyrics meant, if I hadn’t experienced that same thing.
I’m not talking about hearing a song from the radio run through your head all day. I am talking about hearing actual music and lyrics that you compose. This used to happen to me all the time when I wrote songs. The music eventually faded, probably with my waning interest in singing and songwriting.
For the longest time its disappearance made me sad, then I realized that I HEAR dialogue in much the same way that I used to hear music. It repeats over and over in my head until I expand it and write it down.
People have asked me where I get my ideas. I never know how to answer that question without sounding like a loon, so I say from the ether. It’s a much better answer than ‘the voices in my head’. *ggg*
This got me thinking about various story ideas that I’ve come up with. Atlantean’s Quest came about because of my obsession with the actor, Miles O’Keefe who played Tarzan (scroll down to the bottom of the page on the link to see him) in Bo Derek’s classic *g* Tarzan The Ape Man. (Yes, I watch quality movies.) Anyhoo, I watched that a few times and remember thinking, what if you were in a jungle and someone like that came out of the trees and swept you up? (Okay, it was wishful thinking on my part.;) Combine that with the myths that surround Atlantis and the Atlantean’s Quest series was born.
Tears of Amun (my Egyptian time-travel) came after I watched the Mummy (newer version) for the fifth time. I kept wondering what would’ve happened if the Mummy had found love instead of losing it.
Gothic Passions was my attempt at writing a historical. I’d started out reading them in my early teens and tried to write my first one when I was 15/16 years old. (My ode to pirates. *ggg*) Anyway, since they’d (historicals) been my first encounter with romances and my first love of the genre, penning one seemed an obvious choice. I did it simply to see if I could. Why a vampire showed up in the book is beyond me, since that hadn’t been my intention at all. Some books are just like it.
Revenge of the Sky Goddess came about as a form of therapy. *g* The Phantom Warriors were created after I obsessed about a particular dinosaur in the Lost World book. It could become virtually invisible like a chameleon. I thought, what if there was a race of beings like that, except they were capable of not only becoming invisible, but walking through solid objects? (Hence the Phantom aspect.) They’d be virtually impossible to defeat in a fight. On top of that, I made them some of them shape-shifters as a nod to the dinosaur who triggered the idea. 
I’ve shown you mine, now it’s your turn to show me yours. 
Where have some of your wildest story ideas come from?
January 13th, 2006
Pretty much the same as yours, but add books where I think “I could do that better” or “The storyline should have done this”. I hear full scenes, dialogue - visuals flash through my head (nothing else is flashing me);) Sometimes I will put the book down, close my eyes and “imagine” my own scene. I think authors get their ideas from pretty much the same things, add in exaggerations of their own lives.
by Eve January 13th, 2006 at 11:19 amI got one from a cartoon in an old Playboy magazine my dad had hanging around. The news is always a diamond mine for mystery writers. Mostly, I get them from the voices in my head, though. Characters walk into my brain, introduce themselves, and insist I tell their stories.
by Linda January 13th, 2006 at 12:01 pmEve, I do that with movies, but very rarely with books. I do see scenes running through my head like a movie on occasion.
by Jordan January 13th, 2006 at 1:09 pmLinda, A Playboy cartoon? That’s cool. You’re right about the news being ripe for mystery and suspense writers.
by Jordan January 13th, 2006 at 1:10 pmMost of my ideas come when I’m watching movies, or listening to music. But HELL KAT came one day when I was driving with my sister, (she was driving) and she did some fancy manuevers to avoid a collision, and I said “Oh, you drive like a hell cat, sista!” Then an image of a woman with jet black hair wheeling around on a motorcycle popped in my mind… NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR in the Sexy Beast antho, came from my lover of black panthers, and a desire to go to the Amazon jungle.
by Vivi Anna January 13th, 2006 at 1:14 pmVivi Anna, That’s great. I’m sure your sister appreciated the association. *g* I write a lot of werewolf books (none are published…yet) because of my fascination with wolves.
by Jordan January 13th, 2006 at 1:35 pmI think my Pleasure Series came about after I watched Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon for the 10th time. I love that show, something about sexy scientists working in a secret lab doing important research, creating a new serum with their hands and their brains. So I just put my own erotic twist on it and my Pleasure Games trilogy was born.
by Cathryn Fox January 13th, 2006 at 3:58 pmGlad I’m not the only one who hears music! I came out of a music lesson once and had to stop dead because all of a sudden I had an 8-part variation on Greensleeves playing in my head. I just stood there listening. And then it was gone. And you’re right, the stories come the same way. All of a sudden, characters are talking in my head. *g*
The Gripping Beast came out of my fascination with Vikings, norse mythology, ancient art, and rock music. What a combination! Every one of my stories came from something that fascinated me so much I had to write my own story about it. That, and the voices that wouldn’t shut up…
by Charlene January 13th, 2006 at 6:27 pmCathryn, That’s another cool concept. I think movies are wonderful inspiration for books. I tend to want to rewrite them far more often. *ggg*
by Jordan January 13th, 2006 at 8:58 pmWhew, Charlene thank goodness! I thought I was the only one. (wg) I’m looking forward to reading The Gripping Beast.
by Jordan January 13th, 2006 at 9:00 pmI get a lot of my ideas from quirky stories in the local newspaper. Every time I read the newspaper, I rip out one or two little articles and file them away in a box. While they don’t always end up being the main thrust of a story they usually fire my imagination or contribute to the plot in some way.
by Shelley January 13th, 2006 at 10:30 pmThe wildest ideas come from ‘what ifs’. I’m a big ‘what if’ person. Anything can set it off. A book about demons–what if Incubi were real, in this modern day and age? A scrap of conversation about a ‘frigid’ woman–what if women were forbidden to experience pleasure? What if you were stranded with a sexy man, and believed you only had hours to live? ;-D
And yes, I hear the dialogue voices too. Damned inconvenient when you walk around answering them…
by raine January 14th, 2006 at 12:02 amFor my first Intimate Moments, SUSPECT, I was watching Laura, the old movie with Gene Tierny, where the hero falls in love with the painting of the woman whose murder he’s supposed to solve, and I thought what if that movie was made today? He’d have fallen in love with a video of her instead of a painting, and voila.
by Jo Leigh January 14th, 2006 at 5:31 amRaine - walking around answering them isn’t so bad - it’s when you stop on the sidewalk and burst into a full blown arguement with them that can get you in trouble …
by Eve January 14th, 2006 at 7:21 amI lived in San Antonio when the Challenger blew, and in Del Rio, TX (150 miles due west) when Columbia blew. I didn’t live in Texas that whole time; I’d been in NC and VA in between, so when I saw the news coverage I thought, “What if there is some cosmic thing that causes space shuttles to blow up every decade or so if I’m living in Texas?” Hubby and writing partner told me to up the Thorazine, and I’d be OK, but I’m dabbling with a modified idea now.
by EJ January 14th, 2006 at 8:55 amHey, Raine, it’s not a problem anymore. Get a cell phone ear bud, stick it in your ear, and put the cord in your pocket. No one will think twice!
by EJ January 14th, 2006 at 8:58 amLike many writers I snatch up little kernels for story and character ideas from all over the place, like random snippets of conversation overheard in restaurants, or, often, from my dreams. The voices in my head are a constant resource, and one I dont mention to non-writing friends. LOL Sometimes I’ll be inspired by old song lyrics, and I’ve even had an idea spark by reading a personal reflection preceding a recipe in a cookbook. On a more gruesome note, many years ago I read an article by some famous author who said obituaries (the lengthier ones) were one of the greatest resources for writers. He was right. While scanning those marvelous little mini-histories frequently has me balling bittersweet tears, I have found some truly wonderful ideas using this method.
by Daisy Dexter Dobbs January 14th, 2006 at 9:19 amEve–hee-hee-heeee!!!
(Raine, heading for the obits…)
by raine January 14th, 2006 at 10:34 amEJ, great idea!
Jordan, your blog is great for sharing.
My Bad in Boots series was inspired by the song “Rodeo” by Garth Brooks. And my first Kendrian vampire book was inspired by a set of stack rings I’d bought that for some VERY STRANGE reason seemed to have a perfumed smell to them…even after I’d washed my hands a zillion times. So my vampire story centered around a scented ring. *g*
by Patrice Michelle January 14th, 2006 at 11:19 amShelley, I do that on occasion at CNN.com. Every once in a while they have a weird story pop up that I can’t let pass without filing away.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:05 pmRaine, I ‘try’ not to answer the voices in my head. It doesn’t always work. *ggg*
What if you were stranded with a sexy man, and believed you only had hours to live? ;-D Is this a trick question??? (wg)
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:07 pmEJ, That’s a cool idea to play with. (Tragic circumstances, but cool idea.)
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:08 pmDaisy, I never thought about the obits. I suppose they would be a great source. It would definitely be depressing reading. I’ve scanned Scottish grave stones for name ideas. Yes, I’m morbid.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:09 pmRaine, That’s what I’m hear for. *g*
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:10 pmCool transition, Jo! I love old movies. The only thing I find is they’re much harder to ‘rewrite’ in my head because most (at least the ones I watch) have few mistakes story wise.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:12 pmPatrice, Wow! That’s a cool story. I’ve never heard of haunted stack rings. (Scent hauntings are one of the most common kinds of hauntings.) I do get ideas from songs every once in a while. Mainly, they help me set the mood for different scenes.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 6:17 pmI haven’t even read all your post, but I have to say that Kings X’s EAR CANDY is one of my fave albums ever! I didn’t know anyone else even knew they existed, LOL!
by Alison January 14th, 2006 at 6:58 pmI wish I had a really cool answer, but I don’t. Maybe because I haven’t all that many story ideas. Or maybe they sort of just play out as I type and come from that mysterious place in our brains that writers tend to have.
lol!
by Kelly January 14th, 2006 at 7:13 pmAlison, Oh yeah, I have a few of their CD’s. I’ve seen them live and talked to the members. They were way cool.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 10:34 pmKelly, That could be. I used to write ALL my stories that way…then something changed about a year ago. Now I’m what I like to call a hybrid (fitting given my mutiple ethnicities *ggg*). I actually plot and panster it on every book.
by Jordan January 14th, 2006 at 10:37 pmHeya. My ideas tend to come from dreams and then spinoffs for other characters. I listen to a lot of music while I write. When I write fantasy or paranormal, I listen to soundtracks like “The Mummy,” “Gladiator,” “13th Warrior,” “Mist of Avalon,” and so forth. “Gladiator” is especially good when writing fight scenes, and “Mists of Avalon” when writing sex scenes *g*. Oh, and all three LOTR soundtracks for anything I write. I listen to country music when writing cowboys, of course.
by Cheyenne McCray January 15th, 2006 at 8:59 amChey, Gladiator is a good one for writing fight scenes. So is Pirates of the Caribbean. Perfect tempo…if you can stop imagining Orlando and Johnny while listening. *ggg*
by Jordan January 15th, 2006 at 12:36 pmAlamir from Endangered Frontiers walked out of an opera and met with a History Channel report about the Goths and a 19th century German poem.
And my pirate plotbunny I found in a museum in Stralsund. Came after me and bit me in the ankle on the way back to my hotel.
Roedric Sinclair, Kjartan Haraldsson and Alastair O’Duibhne from Kings and Rebels came out of nowhere and still haven’t told me everything, and Talorcan (Storm over Hadrian’s Wall) was developed in a chat session with another writer - one of those What If questions.
by Gabriele January 16th, 2006 at 5:48 pmWow Gabriele! Those ideas are coming at you from all angles.
by Jordan January 16th, 2006 at 9:11 pmYep, and it’s so friggin’ many. I don’t know how to write them all.
by Gabriele January 16th, 2006 at 9:24 pmHey Gabriele, That’s a far better problem to have than not having enough.
by Jordan January 17th, 2006 at 9:47 am