When I was a little girl dreaming of being an author, I thought I needed to live some extravagant, page-turning life to find the inspiration for my books, and while I do think travel and seeing new things offers new ideas– there is something beautiful about finding inspiration in the simple things I do every day.
As a clean romance writer, I find inspiration in the romances I see all around me. Maybe it’s silly (maybe it’s the hopeless romantic in me), but I find myself sitting in public watching kids blush as they hold each other’s hand. I watch the old couple getting each other coffee at the local coffeehouse or the newlyweds laughing and kissing like they’re the only ones in the world. Watching people just living their ordinary lives, while I live my simple, ordinary life, brings the start of the best stories.
Inspiration Comes from Living
I have been blessed to live a wonderful life. Maybe it’s the optimist in me, or the romantic– probably both, but I have loved my beautiful life in the ups and the downs. Think about your life like a character in a romance novel. How have you loved? How have you lost? What will your true love look like? Have you lost great loves in your life?
All of these questions helped me create my own characters. I think we often think we need to write a character better than our own life, or more exciting, more captivating, but what if the most infatuating character is one the love you could have had? Or the love you yearn for? I read romance to transport myself into another world, to fall in love with new characters, and to celebrate the love an author has created.
Why do you read romance? What romance have you had or want in your life? The start of the most beautiful romance novel might be right under your nose.
Finding Beauty in the Monotony
Writing is a funny thing, and for a long time, I let myself write when I felt inspired. I thought that I needed to travel somewhere extravagant, or somewhere different each time, but I soon realized if I waited for every inspired moment to start writing– I might never finish a book.
The romantic in me would love to tell you that I write out of spontaneity or when the weather’s just right, or I’m somewhere exotic and beautiful. The truth is, I sit at the same table at my local coffee shop, or my desk at home and just start typing. Every day I keep the same routine. I take my morning to drink my coffee, walk the dogs, do the chores, and then I sit down and write, simple as that.
I wish it was more exciting, but if every writer was waiting for the one inspired moment, books would be far and few between. My advice is to make your routine and embrace the monotony of it all. I used to resent it and wish for something more exciting, but I promise, it’ll surprise you how the words start flowing when you dedicate your time to writing every day, and following that same routine–day in and day out.
The New Discovery: Simplicity is the Heart of Romance
My novel, From Friends to Forever is the epitome of simplicity at the heart of romance. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, From Friends to Forever has a flow of ups and downs, romance and heartache, but the heart of this book is simple. A girl loved a boy, and then a boy loved a girl, and their journey together catapults from that simple beginning of two people that were learning to love, much like you and I did all through our lives.
I always wanted to have this epic romance when I was a little girl, and when I think about it now, what I really wanted is simple. I want someone who loves me back, chooses me every day, and who I see myself sitting on the porch with when I’m old, as we watch the sunset- coffee in hand, of course.
Keeping It Simple
Maybe not everyone yearns for a simple romance, and if that’s you, your book could look very different. For me, love’s foundation is comfort and simplicity. All of us will live very different lives, and let me tell you, that’s why there are so many books to be written and stories to be told! We are all called to live differently, and we are also called to write our own stories.
So, it might take my characters a while to get to that simple, beautiful love– with love triangles, workplace romances, and friends to lovers stories, it often takes a while. But when they do, that’s the beautiful ending to a life well-lived for my characters and a story well-told.
View comments
+ Leave a comment