How Books Are Born

You may have heard about the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which recently came close enough to Earth that we could view it without a telescope. If you’ve followed the news, you know it won’t return for another 80,000 years.

Events like this can ignite a spark in many authors, launching new storylines for novels. Let me explain.

Last month, I discussed how authors use their creativity to develop ideas for new books. Today, I provide an example of how we use events like this comet to create exciting new plots, whether in fantasy stories, historical fiction, literary fiction, or other genres.

For us authors, events like this are a goldmine for story ideas.

For example, take a possible science fiction novel with the following plot: “In Earth’s distant past, a commander of an alien race views the comet as his starship circles a blue and cloud-covered world. He detects the beginnings of life, although he realizes it has little chance of success. He makes a note, asking future ships to return in another 80,000 years to see if life develops further. First, however, he gives a little nudge to help the primitive species. Every 80,000 years, another starship visits, assisting humans in becoming the dominant race until they eventually spread throughout the galaxy. During a galactic war, humans destroy the aliens, never realizing their role in our development.”

Here’s another idea suitable for historical fiction or maybe a love story spanning generations. Instead of reappearing every 80,000 years, this comet appears every 50 years: “Irish immigrants, Adam and Marie, hold their 5-day-old baby, Cara, born on the ship bringing them to New York. As their boat chugs into the harbor at dusk, they stand on the deck, wondering what kind of life lies ahead in this new land. They glance at the sky and see a comet, wondering if it portends good luck or misfortune. Fifty years later, as the comet reappears, Cara wonders the same thing as her only son leaves home for the great war spreading across Europe.”

I’ll admit, these descriptions might sound a bit corny, but hey, what do you expect from a few minutes of dashing this off on the keyboard? An author’s job is to mold raw ideas like those above into compelling stories that linger in your mind long after you read the last page.

Many stories—probably more than a few you’ve read—began with a writer gazing out a window and noticing something unusual, like the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

By the way, I hope you were able to view the comet. I spent many nights looking at the sky after sunset but couldn’t spot it. I guess I’ll have to find the seed of an idea for my stories elsewhere.

Until next time,

John


Photo credit: Shane Finnigan

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