Imagination, not invention

Today’s guest is John Lindermuth, a retired newspaper editor, and theLindermuth author of 14 novels, including six in his Sticks Hetrick crime series. He currently serves as librarian of his county historical society, where he assists patrons with genealogy and research.

So he comes in contact with the public a lot and here is what they say. Take it away, John.

How did you come up with the idea for that story?

This is a question writers hear all the time. It surprises some people when we tell them the problem isn’t getting ideas, but finding opportunity to use them all.

Most people are constantly bombarded with creative seed-germs. Writers utilize their imagination to transform them into something to suit their purpose while others take them for granted and allow them to disappear into the ether.

There’s nothing magic about the process. Ideas, and their source material are all around us. A snatch of overheard conversation. The appearance or behavior of a particular person. An article in a newspaper or magazine. Any of these may spark an idea. Transformation begins when we ask, “what if…”

In my other life as a genealogist, I scour a lot of old newspapers and they have become a major source of ideas for me.

Our personal experience—the jobs we’ve had, the places we’ve visited, the people we’ve met over the years. All of these may inspire a springboard to a story idea.

As Joseph Conrad so aptly put it, “Only in men’s imagination does every truth find an effective and undeniable existence. Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life.”

Lindermuth -tithingherdcover-sJIM:  I just finished one of John’s books, Sooner than Gold.  Excellent.  And I will certainly get a copy of his latest and read it also.  Here’s how you could go about it also.

His latest novel, The Tithing Herd, a classic Western, was released on May 25 by The Western Online Press. It is now available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XQK881Y

And both John and I would love to read your comment.  Thanks.

 

13 thoughts on “Imagination, not invention

  1. I finished reading The Tithing Herd at 11;55 last night. I couldn’t close it until I found out what happened to Spanish, the scum, and how Tim and the women resolved their situations. Great ending.

    I was intrigued by the idea of a tithing herd. From the details you used I gather there really was a tithing herd at some point. I never heard of Nephites and googled information on them. One reason I like to read is learning such tidbits of information about culture in different times and places. You did a great job with The Tithing Herd. Thanks.

  2. You prettymuch said it, John. Story ideas are all around us. All we have to do is soak them in and play, “What if. . . ” I have so many ideas stored away, I’ll never have time to write them all.

  3. I love the cover of your book. It certainly makes me want to read it.
    Like other authors have mentioned most of my ideas for short stories or a novel come from my own experience or a story someone told of their experiences. That is the seed from which a fiction story grows. It is fun to let your imagination soar with ‘what if’ questions.

  4. John,
    When people ask me where the ideas for my stories come from, I tell them that my books are comprised of bits and pieces of my life. Something I overheard, a story someone told me, the expression on a person’s face . . . Then, at some point, several of those things fit together like a puzzle to form a novel. Writing truly is a fascinating process!

  5. That’s true, Jan. Some ideas do seem to appear out of the ether. My guess is they’ve been percolating down in the subconscious after being nudged by something we’ve read or experienced. Hope all you Texans are staying safe and dry. Hard to imagine all this rain after the long drought some of you suffered under.

  6. Hi, John,

    People often ask me the same question. Ideas come from many sources. I think writers are observers. We pay close attention to people, what they say, how they look, their actions. We are also readers. I read a lot of nonfiction as well as fiction. Newspaper and magazine articles give me ideas for fiction as they do you.

  7. John, very rarely can I pinpoint where an idea comes from, although I love writing to a theme, or even just a word or phrase. I really like to read about how other writers get their ideas. I suspect what you say here is the most commmon way–personal experience or reading. Fun post!

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