Hi again. By far the question most common asked is how do I come up with the ideas for my stories. It would be great if an idea popped into my head fully formed and I just began to write it start to finish. But that's not the way it happens at all. Writing a book can be pretty darn messy. Scenes are added, deleted, picked up and used elsewhere (sometimes in other books). Here's a bit of the background to how The Doubting Heart came about. 
The Doubting Heart
was originally called Wildhorse Pass,
and the title came to me when I misread a sign while driving along a highway on
the Bruce Peninsula, in Ontario. I thought “hey, that’s a neat name for a
place,” and started to wonder about what type of place it would be and what
would go on there. I don’t know what sort of mood I was in but I kept thinking
about doubting your senses and mistaken identity, and slowly a plot formed.
After I had written the entire book, I felt as if something was missing. I didn't have a sense of closure. My thoughts kept returning to
the “other” stuff that influenced the characters but wasn’t fleshed out in the
book—specifically the dynamics of the larger Graham family that had alienated
both the hero, Chad, and his cousin, Michael, thus leading to the incidents
around which the book was based. 
I could see a larger story arc forming as I
began to consider the stories of Chad’s two cousins—Hunter and Anna—who were
still navigating their family’s minefield of expectation and responsibility.
And the more I worked through an overarching plot, the more I realized book
made most sense as the second installment in a series I named Heart’s Desire. I then wrote what became
the first book in the series, The Hungry
Heart, then significantly revised Wildhorse Pass and renamed it, The Doubting Heart.
Don't forget, in addition to Goddess Fish's $10 gift card to be awarded one commenter, I'll be giving away a digital download of The Hungry Heart, the first book in the series, to someone who comments on one of my posts.
3 comments:
You say you misread a road sign? What did the road sign actually say? Did it say Wildhorse Pass or something else? I think when titles come about like that, it's very interesting.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Interesting post. I love hearing how authors come up with their stories.
debby236 at gmail dot com
That's a good question, Catherine Lee. I don't know what it said. I'm going back this summer and I'll have to take a look. I just know there's no Wildhorse Pass up there--I checked.
I agree, Debby. Although sometimes it can be a little unnerving when you realize the convoluted path your brain to to reach the end.
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