What's A Writer to Do

Howdy,
   Pamela Tracy here.  I mostly write romantic suspense.  I get my ideas at various places.  My first suspense's idea came because I lived in a diverse area in Arizona and on my way to work, I'd see lots of homeless people. Yup, a homeless person played an important part in that book.  I've gotten ideas at the bank, at my sister in law's mother's middle-of-nowhere cabin, and the book out next month Holding Out for a Hero happened because while I was out walking my dog, I stopped to talk to a very pregnant neighbor who was walking her two year old daughter.

You'll see the scene in the first chapter of my April release


This past weekend, my family went camping near Pine, Arizona.  We meant to go camping near Clint's Well, Arizona, but all the forest roads were closed due to snow.  Yes, I have a crazy husband who can convince me (because he's a hero) to go camping with him in the snow.

Me?  I'm happy snow closed the road because we went camping in awesome weather, next to a running creek, with all kinds of back roads to explore and get story ideas from.



CHOICE ONE
This is the creek just thirty steps from our camper.  It's snow run-off.
I have my son looking for arrowheads because you never know what will come down the mountain with the water.
Hmm, you never know....
Maybe my next book will feature a human bone found by a camper playing with his dog in a running creek

CHOICE TWO
This is us searching for geodes.
Mostly we pick them up off the ground.
But this time we found a cave, really a hole in the ground.
Cold air blasting out.
There was a rope (really)
My son wanted to climb in; I didn't let him.
But, maybe one of my future heroes or heroines will climb down that rope
Who knows what they'll find: treasure!


CHOICE THREE
The bridge on the left was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s.
This was the era where President Franklin Roosevelt provided jobs for a depressed era.
The CCC bridge is tiny, only one car at a time.  Back in the 1930's nobody was exploring this area by car.
The bridge on the right is new.  Two vehicles - think campers and horse trailers - can pass.
The old bridge has ancient rock underneath.  Lots of crevices.
A hero or heroine with questing fingers might just find something, like a map.


 So, what do you think?
Where should I start my next story idea?
Choice one, two, or three.






Comments

  1. It doesn't matter where we go or what we do, we just can't stop thinking up ideas, can we? :)

    Let me know if you decide NOT to turn any of those ideas into stories, as they all got me thinking!! :D

    I wish you the very best with your upcoming release. I love the cover and look forward to reading it.

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    1. Thanks so much, Kate. I love the cover too. The hero is hunky LOL
      And, yes, we can't stop thinking

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  2. Wow, they all have my imagination running, but I vote for the rope in the cave. Probably because I would NEVER climb into a cave, especially on a rope I didn't put there. But the dog needs to be playing nearby.

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    1. I've been in caves, following my husband, but luckily, he explores a lot more than me and he always convinces me because he says, "I've already been in there, and it's safe."
      If you look closely at the arrowhead one, Lucy the Dog is just a little ways down from my son.

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  3. Pam, I like the human bone the dog finds. The camping spot looks fantastic. I have your new book set aside to start reading this week when my sis goes in for eye surgery and I have to wait in the waiting room and then a while after I take her home to make sure she's motivating on her own. Looking forward to reading it.

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    1. Just know that the heroine does not get on the motorcycle until after the baby is born LOL
      I'll add your sister to my prayer list.

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  4. PAM!!!! This is too much fun. I'm for the rope going down the hole and seeing what's there. And then find the map as well. Sounds familiar on a lot of levels to me. And I just downloaded a story from the internet about someone going down a hole and finding a whole city...700 years old. IT CAN HAPPEN LIKE THAT!!
    But like you...everything is a story, isn't it?

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    1. Oh, my kind of book. I read all of Lee Child's books. He scares the toenail polish off me, but I'm riveted. Did you read Crichton's RELIC. So much better than the movie.

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  5. Hi Pamela, Lucky you. I love that area to camp in. And I love all three of your ideas. You need to save them all and make a series. Yep. I can see a series set in Pine, Arizona.

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    1. Oh, good idea. I'll save them for my next series. Right now I'm writing about New Mexico, where I've gone quad riding - although when I do, I'm usually still staying in Greer, Arizona, one of my favorite places to be.

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  6. I'm going with the bridge and all those crevices. There might be a canvas bag of money from a bank heist hidden there or some of those human bones...fun post, Pam.

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    1. Oh, yes, that DB guy who stole all the money has never been found. Leigh, good thinking.

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  7. Hi Pam! Since my idea of 'roughing it' is having to use single ply toilet paper, I have tremendous admiration for anyone who voluntarily goes camping. It looks like you had lots of fun. All three of those ideas sound very intriguing.

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    1. Patti, we always take toilet paper with us - don't care the ply. You need to come spend a day. You'd have fun.

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  8. Actually all three are great story ideas, so keep them all! Love the cover of your new book. Now that's one hunky hero!

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    1. Tara, isn't he the best. I need to send a thank you the design team at Heartwarming

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  9. What a fun post! Our author brains are never on vacation, even when we're not working... I loved reading about how you get your ideas and vote for the explorers following the rope down into the cave. I need to know what's down there!

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    1. My husband says we're going back, so I'll let you know.

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  10. I love this. My vote's for the bridge.

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    1. Liz, come visit me. We'd have so much fun playing.

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  11. Hi Pam! Great post! We go exploring a lot in the AZ desert and often come across abandoned mines. My son always wants to climb in and of course, we never let him, but it takes everything I have not to go in myself. So my vote is for number 2. You never know what you might find in there!

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    1. Oh, us too!!!!! And my husband is not beyond leading my son in while I stand behind and nag "You can't do this. Noooooo."
      This of course is the same husband who taught my son to drive a quad by himself at age 11.
      And you wonder why I'm going gray early!!!!!!

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  12. I vote for the bone coming down the mountain stream! That just sounds so intriguing.

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  13. Thanks Patricia,
    I'm going to need to do a tally soon :)

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  14. Pam, chiming in late to say what a fun post! I vote for #1 but as someone else mentioned above they are all fantastic. I think you've got three books there. p.s. I've always wanted to find a geode.

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    1. I'm not going to Nationals this year, but I'll be the next. I'll bring you one.

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  15. I enjoyed reading this. Ideas really can come from obscure places. I'd pick choice #2, the rope leading down into that hole.

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  16. Laurie,
    I think you have a streak of adventure running through your veins.

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