Story ideas come from the strangest places sometimes. Let me explain…many, many years ago I spent a day at the beach with my little girl. She was a little more than a year old at the time. It was just the two of us. We built sandcastles, we played in the waves, we sat on a blanket on the sand and had a picnic lunch, and she napped with her head in my lap as I sat on a park bench in the shade by the playground. On that day I found a lighter case in the sand. It is silver with a gold unicorn on it. I still have that lighter case all these years later. It reminds me of that day.
I was going through my jewelry box looking for something and I came across that lighter case. As I picked it up and held it in my hand, memories of that wonderful day came flooding back. I probably looked ridiculous standing there, smiling at this small thing in my hand. As I stood there remembering the past, my imagination took that day in time and ran with it. All of a sudden there was a story.
I started writing the story in my spiral notebook, which is where all my stories begin; handwritten, messy, sloppy handwriting. Before I knew it, I had written about 20 pages. The story is still being written. The story of Karen and Kyra, a mom and a daughter, who at one point in their story spend a day at the same beach my daughter and I spent our day. But what happens before and after that day in Karen’s life…that is a story. Dining in the finest restaurants, owning a house in the best neighborhood, then suddenly she finds herself seeking refuge for the night in an empty boat docked at the marina, penniless, hopeless, with a young child by her side. Then she…(nope, can't tell you what happens…besides…it isn’t finished yet…who knows where my imagination will lead Karen).
The story of Karen and Kyra was to be titled Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, a book recently published has this title. I need to come up with a new title. This is something I will struggle with. If you have any suggestions...please let me know.
Until next time…
Brooke Ryter
I was going through my jewelry box looking for something and I came across that lighter case. As I picked it up and held it in my hand, memories of that wonderful day came flooding back. I probably looked ridiculous standing there, smiling at this small thing in my hand. As I stood there remembering the past, my imagination took that day in time and ran with it. All of a sudden there was a story.
I started writing the story in my spiral notebook, which is where all my stories begin; handwritten, messy, sloppy handwriting. Before I knew it, I had written about 20 pages. The story is still being written. The story of Karen and Kyra, a mom and a daughter, who at one point in their story spend a day at the same beach my daughter and I spent our day. But what happens before and after that day in Karen’s life…that is a story. Dining in the finest restaurants, owning a house in the best neighborhood, then suddenly she finds herself seeking refuge for the night in an empty boat docked at the marina, penniless, hopeless, with a young child by her side. Then she…(nope, can't tell you what happens…besides…it isn’t finished yet…who knows where my imagination will lead Karen).
The story of Karen and Kyra was to be titled Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, a book recently published has this title. I need to come up with a new title. This is something I will struggle with. If you have any suggestions...please let me know.
Until next time…
Brooke Ryter
