The Chicken and the Egg

Question: Where do your ideas come from? This is a common question from readers who want to start their own blog or write a book.

Answer: For my blogs, I usually depend on Google. I Google cartoons or maybe a catch phrase like “dirty laundry.” Something interesting always pops up and I just go from there. It’s a great tool for finding the spark that ignites the writing fire. If I think of an original idea, I still Google it just to be better informed about the premise. By the way, humor is always a good idea for blogs. I like to alternate between informative and whacky humor. It’s OK to try and pass on things you have learned, but occasionally humor goes a long way in the teaching process.

Writing books is not quite as easy. Picking a genre is most important. It’s not wise to write about something that only a very small part of the population is interested in. When you decide on what you want to write about, it needs to fit a large audience. I picked murder mysteries because they are popular and lots of folks like a good mystery. The same could be said about romance novels, but they are not my kind of books. My passion is “who done it” murder mysteries.

Speaking of passion, without passion your journey is finished before it begins. Writing without passion is like eating food without spice; you soon tire of mush – and so does everyone else. If your passion is biology, don’t write a book about the subject. There are more than enough text books concerning biology. Instead, write about the biology of dogs and cats, with a splash of humor injected throughout. Many people love dogs and cats and will read anything interesting and humorous about their pets.

I like writing B & B (blogs and books), and I am hooked on both equally. I have noticed that when I tire of working on my current murder mystery, The Phoenix Code, I can be just as satisfied writing a blog. Blogs are like little mini-books and they get published just like a novel. It’s the best of both worlds!

Write on,

Mittster