Spend The Morning In My Brain

Did you ever wonder where an author gets her ideas from? I've been asked that before, and my standard response is, "From my brain."

(Well, think about it. Where do your ideas come from?)

But a writer's brain is wired really strangely. Take an Idea I batted to Dusty last night as we got ready for bed:

"What do you think of a character that's a Tabula Rasa?"

Since he's been with me for twenty years and is used to me going off on random tangents, he picked it up pretty quickly. He did, however, ask me how I got the idea.

You'd think after twenty years he'd know better.

"So. I was reading this story about a boy who can't speak because he's been so abused by his dad. While I was reading it I was also chatting with Bob (Robert C. Roman, writes some of the best steam-punk short stories I've ever read) and he told me about this superhero story he's got going where one of the characters gets super strong at certain times, but during those times she also becomes a six year old on a sugar rush. Have I mentioned she's a doctor? Then I remembered Bob has Latin for his tag line, and I remember thinking, who speaks Latin these days? So I went to his website to double-check, and sure enough it was still there. His graphic isn't done yet so his website is still under construction, and it's kind of a blank slate at the moment, all grays and blacks.

"Lightbulb. Someone who's been abused. Someone with unique powers. Someone who has no memory of who or what they're supposed to be. Latin. Tabula Rasa, the only bit of Latin I actually know. It means blank slate." I then attempted to bounce like a six year old on a sugar rush, which isn't nearly as cute on a woman with back issues.

One of the reasons I love Dusty is not only did he follow that rush of nonsense, but he had some really cool ideas to add to it. He'll probably give me some more ideas before I sit down and outline it. He'll help me define the powers of the character and, as my Power Police,will make sure I don't give him too much or too little. I even know which series the TR will go into, thanks to him.

Thank you, sweetheart.You're the only person I know of who isn't terrified of my brain (or Bob's, for that matter).