by Sometimes when I’m invited to write a novella, I pull out my binder of story ideas that haven’t come together and plots that didn’t pan out for a novel-length book. I select something that sounds fun and then I work in the theme. When I was invited to be in this Christmas anthology with Carolyn Davidson, she had chosen “babies” as the connecting theme.
I didn’t have an idea waiting.
The first thing that came to mind, however, was that I wasn’t satisfied with one baby. Oh no. I had to have two. Twins.
Now how do you give single characters babies? Well, you either have to kill off their spouse or give the heroine a cad lover who ran off or spring someone else’s baby on them. But what about an emotional connection? This person with the babies needs to be passionate about loving and wanting them. Ah ha. Family. And from there I came up with Gabby Rawlins, a misfit with a devil-may-care cousin who is her antithesis. Willow is obsessed with an outlaw lover, to the point of chasing him across the country while pregnant. Concerned, Gabby follows her cousin all the way to Ruby Creek, Colorado, where a stubborn blacksmith has discovered two newborns in his stable. Oh yeah. Turner Price is a brooding sexy alpha male. Need I say more about him?
But back to the babies. What was I thinking? One baby is a challenge in a romance; two were even more difficult. Which is which and where is each one in the scenes where they appear? New mothers out there know how tough it is to care for one newborn. Some of you might know about twins. But in primitive conditions—there were no Pampers or baby wipes—and with a budding romance to orchestrate? Well, it wasn’t easy, but writing A BABY BLUE CHRISTMAS sure was rewarding in the end.
Photographs always inspire me, so I search for photos that capture the essence or the spirit of the story or I find a character or something that portrays the theme. For this story I found a picture of a main street in a small town. Locations and setting take on a personality for me, and this town was no different. Ruby Creek had a personality I wanted to revisit, so I’ve already proposed a book in the same setting for a story I’m calling HER MAKE-BELIEVE HUSBAND. (Just a little teaser there.)
Now I’m looking forward to getting my author copies so I can read Carolyn and Vicki’s stories and see what they did with their babies! THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS anthology is an October release.
That is such a clever idea of keeping aborted story ideas in a binder.
I love these HH Christmas anthologies. They’re the perfect reads for the holiday season, when I find myself frazzled with shopping and making travel arrangements. Really looking forward to this one!
Hi Wendy! Yep, I never met an idea I couldn’t recycle! LOL
Hi Cheryl – Well, I love babies! And twins are double the fun. I’ll look forward to the anthology this fall! My hubby is a twin and I thought I wanted them the first time around. Then I worried I’d have twins, the second time around. But no, instead my sister-in-law had the twins!
A cute idea for a story! Are you keeping the title for sure?
Baby twins abandoned by the mother?
Well, I have to say that if someone would make that work for me it would be you, Cheryl–I’m looking forward to this one!
I think I need a binder, Cheryl. My first thought when being invited into an anthology was “How do I write a story under 400 pages!?” *LOL*
BABY BLUE CHRISTMAS sounds fantastic–I look forward to reading it 🙂 I really enjoyed your last anthology in A WESTERN WINTER WONDERLAND — congrats again on the Rita nomination!!!
Hi Cheryl! I had to drop by and say hello. What an interesting blog. Babies are really hard to write in a story and I can only imagine how difficult twins are. You gave yourself a real challenge. But sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone in order to grow and learn.
Your story for the anthology sounds just like something I’ll love reading. Ruby Creek sure has a ring to it. You’re so clever to use it in a single title. Which by the way is another intriguing story that I’ll have to wait to read. Shame on you for teasing everyone! lol
I had to laugh when you said ‘where are the babies in a scene’ I’ve done that when revised a scene. Realized the, well, if that kid IS in this scene, he’s standin’ there lookin’ dumb because I never refer to him, beyond having him in there. So of course I need to inject him, give him dialogue and movement, except then, if he’s talking and moving then the other inhabitants of the scene have to react and respond.
My latest release has five little boys in it. Man they kept me hopping.
I love children in a scene though. Done well they really bring it to life.
Hi Cheryl,
This sounds great. Can’t wait to read it.
Much like your binder, I have a Word folder full of stories I’ve started because the characters came to me and begged an audience. Now I just have to find time to finish them. The latest was a young woman named Odessa, but we can’t make up our mind whether or not she’s going to be stranded in the middle of the desert in the old west or have her new sports car overturn while taking a shortcut to a shopping trip in Phoenix. *lol* Oh, the trials of being an author and having so many people in your head.
Hey… I’d love to feature you on my blog some day. When you have time, let me know.
Cheers,
Ginger
Hi Charlene! I didn’t know your hubby is a twin. Yep, the title, sticks!
I take that as a compliment, azteclady! Smooches!
Hi Stacey, Linda and Mary! Look at all the Fillies who moseyed on over!
Stacey, I love writing anthologies. Thanks for the RITA congrats.
Linda, I hope that comfort zone is best left behind, ’cause I’m really in a zone with my current WIP, and it ain’t confortable!
Mary, you do a great job with kids. I loved the little girls in Petticoat Ranch who did the most amusing things while still managing to be future heroine material.
Ginger, sweet thang, I vote for the desert in the Old West! I’ll be on your blog any old day you say the word.
Hi Cheryl! Using twins was brilliant. Twice the trouble, twice the conflict . . . and twice the love. I gave my heroine a two-month old little girl and thought *that* was a challenge for her. I can’t imagine Gabby with two little ones. It’s going to be great!
Hi Cher,
I’m with Wendy and Stacy in thinking your binder idea is a necessity. 🙂
Talking about babies in books, I personally love secret baby books. There’s something so emotional and heart-wrenching about them.
Blue Bell Christmas sounds fabulous and fun. I’ll look forward to reading it!
I don’t do a binder but I’ve got computer files called IDEAS and I’ve also got a paper (meaning NON computer) file where I stick newspaper articles and other things that spark my imagination. Sometimes they sit in there for years.
Hi Cheryl!
This binder idea is cool, I normally have stupid pieces (actually often they are only scraps) of paper stuck in a drawer which I then lose! But then I also have this theory, that if an idea is going to run, it will come back and bop you over the head three times, and by the time it returns the third time, you know there’s no escaping it 😉 …
Great post,
Best wishes
Carol
Waaah!! Why do we have to wait until OCTOBER?? Can’t they push these releases out a little faster? I want to know NOW–call it my McDonald’s Mc-Want-It-Now mentality.
Cheryl, both the blog and the excerpt were fascinating. I’m with Robyn–waah! I want to read the rest NOW.
I keep an idea file in my writer stuff computer files. Ideas are generally no trouble. It’s getting that idea from a few paragraphs into a 375 pg novel that causes all the problems and angst
I love the idea of twins and Christmas.
Can’t wait!
Ann
Wow! Thanks for all the comments today! Smooches to all of you and I’m so excited that you stopped by.
I just realized I didn’t say Vicki’s entire name regarding her story in the anthology! VICTORIA BYLIN is the other author in this release. Did you get that?
Yes, that was VICTORIA BYLIN. I know it will be great because I just finished The Bounty Hunter’s Bride, her current releae and it was awesome.
Hi Cheryl, I’m a day behind, but here at last. The picture of twins is adorable. The old picture of the town is great. Makes me want to do research! And read your story.
Hi, Cheryl–
Hot dog! I’m fascinated with twins. Two of my best friends were twins. One died. Then the other one started looking more like her. Weird. They were identical, but hair color and weight varied until after Judy died. Suddenly, Jane looked like Judy.
I love writing about kids–especially boys. [Could that be because I had three of them once upon a time? ;-D ] But I like for them to be old enough to have a personality–5-9 years old maybe. But then babies do have personalities. What fun!
Smooches–
Patti