It's an Idea Swap! by Carol Ross and Amy Vastine

Hello! Amy here. Today is National Swap Ideas Day and Carol and I thought it would be fun to do a little swapping with you all. 









Hi! Carol here.  Pfffft….  I really wanted to talk about my yard blanket idea, but Amy wouldn’t let me…..










It’s true. In planning this blog, we talked about swapping ideas about many things, including Carol’s “amazing” yard blanket invention (aka: a tarp). We also discussed time-saving tips, but I realized I have no time to come up with time-savers. 

I thought this was a good idea too, because I was going to talk about leftovers and how much time they can save, but whatever….

Let’s spare these sweet readers from hearing about your “vegetable medley”, shall we?

I guess, since you don’t have “time” for it, I’ll refrain.  Your loss. But all I will say is that there was soup involved.

This is how my kids feel about leftovers, not to mention vegetable leftovers. Let’s swap something a little more palatable. Is that a word?

Fine. Let’s swap writing ideas. I’ll share an idea I have but don’t think I can use and you share one with me. I once had an idea about this psycho girl who got invited to the prom and then got blood dumped all over head and got revenge on all her classmates.

Um, Carol? I think that’s been done. By, like, Stephen King. 

Oh, right.  Maybe I should just stick to romance then.

Good plan. I had an idea that’s sort of a take on the TV show Alias. Ever watch it? It had Bradley Cooper in it before he was considered a “hunk”.

Can you believe I’ve seriously never seen that show?  I had no idea Bradley Cooper was in Alias.

He was. He was kind of geeky! Well, here’s the idea … there’s this woman who works for a secret division of the CIA or something like that. She goes on all these missions and is usually partnered with this guy who she only refers to as Driver.

Oh, my gosh--is he the driver?

Good guess. He’s the one who drives her here and there and helps her escape when she does something like steals the secret files from someone’s computer or assassinates a crime boss. In her everyday life, she meets this nice guy (we’ll call him Bill) and goes on a couple dates, but he is accidentally dragged into her secret life. Chaos ensues, she asks Driver to help her save her boyfriend Bill but kind of falls in love with Driver while trying to get Bill out of harm’s way. Gotta have a little love triangle action. I don’t think I decided who she ends up with, although I am rooting for Driver. I need someone who can write action and adventure to write this story for me. This is as far as this story will ever get for me.

Amy, I think this is great! I already want to know what happens next!

Feel free to take the idea and run with it. I would love to know what happens, too!

I don’t like the name Bill, though.

Me, either. Must mean I’m definitely Team Driver. Bill is totally fair game for a name change. Which leads into our fun little contest today. It's your turn, readers. Give us your ideas and the person with the story ideas that Carol and I like best will win the chance to name a character in our current WIP. 

One suggestion - please don’t name the character Bill.

I agree. Although, I apologize to anyone out there named Bill, married to a Bill, fathered by a Bill, etc.

I like the name Billy. 

Billy, don’t be a hero.

Billy Joel.

Billy Madison.

Billy the Kid.

Billie Jean.

Is not my lover. She’s just a girl who says that I am the one …  

Okay, okay, we have to stop. Give us your ideas. Come on, swap with your Heartwarming friends! You can do it! Then, check back tomorrow. We'll announce the winner in the comments section sometime Thursday.

Comments

  1. LOL. Funny! However, I'm better with soup and vegetable medleys--I have more ideas there.

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    1. Hi, Liz! We'll have to swap some veggie idea and soup ideas one of these days when Amy is isn't looking LOL!

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    2. Carol's ideas for leftovers were great really. I love leftovers, the rest of my family ... not so much!!

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  2. You two are so funny! I'm so glad I got to meet you both!

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    1. Tara! Thank you and me too! Wish we could get together whenever we wanted and swap ideas in person(:

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    2. San Antonio was a blast for sure! I am so glad I went and met so many of the Heartwarming gang! :)

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  3. LOL, funny how Bill isn't a hero but Billy can be. But not Billy Bob, never. I want to know more about the backyard tarp. We have one :)
    And I'm so glad I got to meet you both.

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    1. Hey, Pam! Names are such an interesting aspect of writing... But funny you mention the "tarp". I was jokingly telling Amy how I've been using a blanket instead of a wheelbarrow for years in my lawn to haul away yard debris. I call it the "yard blanket" and then a few years ago saw it on an infomercial. I could have rich I told her, and then she says "Oh, you mean like a tarp?" LOL

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    2. Seriously. She tried to tell me she invented a tarp. When she said yard blanket I thought it was going to be something that protects plants from frost or something. I still love her, though. And loved meeting you too, Pam :)

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    3. Um, it's a YARD BLANKET. Not a tarp. They are VERY different. *sigh* It's not easy living with the kind of creative genius that lurks in my brain (LOL)

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  4. Great you two. You didn't say "Kill Bill"--ha ha. Is there a body under the tarp? Oh, but you write romance, right? I'll go for the vegetable medley. Do you believe there are only 9 plots in the writing world?

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    1. Kill Bill. Forgot about that one! Nothing says Heartwarming like gratuitous blood. ;)
      Only nine plots? I want a list!

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  5. Roz, that's great! I love to read books that feature bodies under tarps and who put them there! But I can't imagine writing one... I hope Amy is taking note of how much interest has been generated by my vegetable medley--I may just have to share it sometime when she's not looking.... I'm not sure about identifying and placing plots into those neat little categories Roz, are you?

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    1. Next month can be all about your veggies, Carol. You won't hear a peep from me ;)

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    2. Carol and Amy---I'm not convinced, but I've heard that many times. Although some say a dozen plots. I think there are endless plots.

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  6. You're all like a shotgun blast of funny this morning! I have a lot of ideas I'm not sure where to go with - a woman who buys a chair at a church rummage sale then discovers there's a very handsome Regency-period ghost in it is my favorite. Sorry I didn't get to meet you all in San Antonio, but looking forward to two years down the road in San Diego. Keep thinking, you two! You're a little scary, but genius often is.

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    1. I love the haunted chair idea. I want to know what happens too!! I'm also hoping you mean scary in a good way ;)

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    2. Of course, scary in a good way. Even a great way!

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  7. Muriel, love you so! Thank you. You need to write this idea of yours--I already want to know what happens! When Amy and I were coming up with this blog I kept getting distracted by her story idea LOL. I would stop her and say stuff like...is he the same guy? What happens next? Already looking forward to San Diego, too!

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  8. You guys are awesome--just the perfect way to start the morning, LOL. True Blood ruined the name "Bill" for me, but you might have just resurrected it, . Great post!

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    1. I totally thought of Bill the Vampire too. I was always Team Eric. Don't get me started on the ending. Glad we could entertain :)

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    2. Thanks Anna! You're awfully awesome yourself(: I hope so...I had an Uncle Bill who I just adored. One of the funniest people I've ever known.

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  9. The next thing that happens in the book is a super duper romantic kiss with Driver just as Bill is coming through the door. For a new idea, how about a single man has a large, snarky, orange cat named Garfield? And the cat talks, but only to the single man.

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    1. Um, I think that one is also taken. You and Carol are killing me here.

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  10. Ooh, Mel, I like it!! Any story with a little romance.... And yes! You need to write this orange cat/single man story!! How about a twist where the cat likes to eat everything in sight? Even...hmmm...I know--lasagna!

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  11. Just what I needed this morning before I crawl back in bed with whatever I got on the plane this weekend. Seriously love the story idea. But then, I like to kill people. In my stories. And I've used the yard blanket/tarp thingy for years.

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    1. What I learned about Patricia today
      1. She likes to kill people
      2. She has a tarp and has used it for years
      3. Never make Patricia mad
      4. Hope she feels better soon! :)

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  12. Oh, Patricia! So sorry you're not feeling well. I love to read those kinds of stories--I'm definitely going to pick up one of your books!

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  13. You guys do know, don't you, that there's a fine line between genius and madness? Just kidding. You're too funny. And definitely creative. My (unworkable) swap idea for the day? A vampire romance a few years ago based on the King Arthur legend. Morgan Le Fay (sp? because I've forgotten) is the vampire who climbs out of her coffin, peeved. Encounters modern-day characters and falls in love. I also have a novella with a grumpy viewpoint cat named Merlin. What is this obsession with King Arthur and his court? Hope you feel better soon, Patricia.

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    1. A female vampire twist! I love it. Sounds like you and Melinda need to swap ideas about the grumpy cat! I'm also going to pretend Carol and I are much more genius than mad but some days I definitely feel a little crazy :)

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    2. Thanks, Leigh! I actually might be more mad than genius.... I love this King Arthur theme of yours. I've always loved that legend, too. How fun to tell a story from the cat's viewpoint!

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  14. Oh my goodness, I totally needed the laugh. Too funny. The name Bill also conjures images of Vampire Bill and his horrid southern accent. The ending was worse than his accent for both the books and the show.

    Any way, an idea for a story.. What about a grumpy contractor (cause yum a man that works with his hands but not named Bill) that comes in to help a woman fix her house that an ex left in shambles. Turns out he has a sad or bad past and she helps heals him and makes him less grumpy.

    I don't know what all ensues in this story as I'm not really a writer but I'd read y'all's grocery list since you are so talented! Have a great Wednesday!

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    1. Well, well - handsome contractor with a tragic past meets divorced lady in need of a good man. I see some awesome potential here. Happy we could make you smile :)

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    2. I don't know this Vampire Bill (I'm so out of the loop) but I think you're more of a writer than you know! I like this start for a story, too. I love a man who knows his way around a toolbox(:

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  15. Sounds like you have a lot to work with.

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  16. We're thinking so too, Marion! Hope you're surviving the floods down there.

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  17. What a great idea! A Lost and Found for story ideas. If we take one, do we owe a credit or something? Because I'm totally on the vampire Bill-Garfield crossover. A cat who only talks to single vampires, only instead of lasagna, he eats gumbo (because Southern cat). Still hates Mondays.

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    1. You crack me up, Cheryl! True Blood meets Garfield. Perfect!

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  18. Cheryl....that's hilarious! Love it. Write it. Share it with us all!!

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  19. I'm too busy cracking up! You girls are hilarious!

    I used to watch Alias and never picked up on Bradley!!!

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