Moment of pause (Updated)

I often talk about what inspires my writing, but what does it mean when something or someone gives me a moment of pause? 

In life, we sometimes are grabbed by a moment. It could be a conversation we have, something we notice, or maybe even an image we see online. It's that moment that we find ourselves replaying in our minds later because there's something powerful that has connected with us. There's a reason.

I find it's the moments I notice in television, movies, the news, in music, books, or just everyday life that cause me to pause, that often come powerfully creeping into my writing. There's a reason why that one specific moment or even split-second has grabbed me, and it's important to investigate. It also reminds me that art is a collection of powerful moments that should stick with the reader.

One example I often give is the television show, Ray Donovan. I had a 'moment of pause' with this specific show when I first watched Ray Donovan, dressed in a designer suit, go to his expensive car and take out a baseball bat which he, in turn, used to beat the piss out of someone. I was captivated by this scene more than if he had just punched the guy or taken out a gun and shot him because it was completely unexpected (unpredictable) and not something I thought I'd see from a man in an Armani suit. The bottom line is that my moment of pause that drew me in also made the show more memorable. When I took a deeper look, I realized that I was captivated by the contradiction and unpredictability. 

There are various scenes in both movies and television that stuck with me. This is often because they were so powerful, unique, or unexpected. For this reason, I've made it my goal to create those same kinds of scenes in my books. I think something is amazing about having a comment, a visual, or even a character themselves that captivates an audience that sticks in their head or their heart. And at the end of the day, isn't that every artist's goal?

How do you get your ideas for books? 💭 (Updated)

One of the most common questions people ask me is how I get my ideas for books. It's not an easy one to answer but here goes!

Generally, I write about topics that interest me. I don't think about what is popular or what I think people might like to read; I write about things that I'm passionate about and that intrigues me. For example, my first couple of books were about rock stars because I love music. My second two were about vampires because I found the topic fascinating, and finally, I started to write about gangsters and criminals. This subject intrigued me because I felt drawn to the antihero concept. With all the corruption, collusion, and everything else we see in the news, it's becoming more and more evident that it's not always clear who the 'good' and 'bad' guys are anymore, and something is interesting about this concept. 

For my ideas from chapter to chapter, I follow my instincts. I have a lot of snippets of conversations and scenes that show up in my mind, and I immediately jot them down. Eventually, they find a place in one of my books. Often I have no idea how or why it fits in, until it happens.

I generally follow the storyline and the characters to see where they take me. Characters have unique personalities, and like people in everyday life, you can often predict how they will react in specific situations. That in itself usually moves a story in the direction it's meant to go.

My ideas come to me all the time. The key is to be open to everything without questioning it. In the end, it usually finds a place in a book.