Sometimes I’m with family or friends and we start talking about something. I find some detail or some idea interesting and want to know more about it. When I know the direction that interests me, I start researching and that generates more ideas. Often I get my best ideas when I’m taking a break. I especially like cycling. When I get stuck and don’t know how to keep on with what I’m writing, it helps to take a quick walk down the road. As one of my writing teachers told me, “I walk to a certain tree and usually by the time I get there I have the idea I need.”
Most important of all: I ask the Lord to give me ideas. He does.
Dear Mrs. Johnson,
As a young teen, I thoroughly treasured your Viking Quest series. The stories were so rich, adventurous, and intriguing. Now at twenty, I am pursuing my passion of writing by planning a book centered during the WWII era, yet finding it difficult to know enough details about the time period. Since you have experience writing historical Christian fiction, I would love the opportunity to glean some writing advice!
My main character is a young woman in her early twenties, but I am not sure what her role should be in the war. Perhaps volunteering with the Red Cross? What is the most effective way to do research a historical fiction novel? Should I be reading books about this era or is it sufficient to look up articles online?
Many thanks!
Moriah Simonowich