What We're Writing: When A Mistake is the Answer

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: It’s one of the scariest questions I’ve ever asked myself: what if I never have another good idea? I know I know, I have always had a good idea, the universe has never failed me, and all I really need is one.  

(The idea for ONE WRONG WORD came from a bit of dialogue I wrote in HER PERFECT LIFE.  So, hilariously, I got the idea from a fictional character. And a BIG bargain on it below!)

But I would like to put it out there, right now, that it would be very lovely if I got another new idea pretty soon. 

It’s funny, and I wonder if you’ve experienced this. The timing. A month ago, I was in the midst of editing my new book, and I searched my brain for a good idea for the next book. 

"Not time yet!" My brain saId. "Just keep editing." And I understood that was right, the timing was not correct yet. I was pushing, and I should’ve realized that it was too soon. Okay, then. 

I went back to editing.

And I cut 21,000 words!  And I'm still editing and polishing the rest.

A couple of weeks later, I inquired of the universe: is it time for the idea yet? "No,"  the universe said, "keep editing."

I knew that was correct, but still.... it was becoming worrisome. When you have a contract for multiple books, the deadline for the next one looms, closer and closer. 

When we were little kids, a year seemed like an extraordinarily long time, incalculably long, impossibly long. Now, a year is like – – oh, my goodness! That’s tomorrow! 

So I’m editing, editing, editing, deleting, try not to worry about the next idea, but focusing on this idea. The book I’m working on now.  It's called ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS.  (Which is due MONDAY. Just saying.)

It’s funny where this idea for ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS came from. 

It came from a mistake.

 I was doing a signing with another author at a local bookstore, which will remain nameless, and the proprietor sent me a gorgeous graphic for the event.

Well, it was gorgeous except that it had the title of my book wrong. Instead of THE HOUSE GUEST, they had made a graphic that said THE HOTEL GUEST.  

So I rolled my eyes, annoyed, and said to someone: "The book cover is right there! If they can’t even get the title right,  how is the event supposed to work?"

 And then I paused, and said, "You know, though, The Hotel Guest is  actually not a bad title. Too bad I already have THE HOUSE GUEST."

But somehow, that bad title did not leave me. What would a hotel guest have to do with a thriller? I wondered. What would happen to a hotel guest. Who would be a hotel guest, and why would they be one? And what might happen.

Oh, I thought, they find something in their room? What would they find in the room? And what would they do with it? And what might happen?  Then the next hotel room they are in, they find something too. Why?

Oh, I thought, that could really work. Who might be a repeat hotel guest?  Okay, traveling salesperson. A hotshot entrepreneur. A vacationer. Then I thought oh! An author on book tour.

Yes, yes, yes. And so ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS was  born, and more. And I will tell you more about it later. (You can be sure of that!) 

But what will happen next? What idea will emerge? My silly brain has recently come up with a terrific idea for a science-fiction novel. And a supremely perfect idea for a romcom.  

Thank you, universe, but I am still waiting for my next psychological thriller  idea. I trust you, though. It'll come.

I know Jenn touched on this last week, wondering where ideas came from. And someone in the comments suggested that everybody provide one element. Not a story, just one element that could be in a book. 

So let’s do that! And see if we can prime the pump. Reds and Readers, just tell me one thing.  

Like: a hotel room. A mysterious photograph. A back road in Maine. A vanilla ice cream cone. A fire alarm.  

Maybe we can all take the puzzle pieces, and mix them around, and we'll all  wind up with  something completely new.  I'll start: A phonograph record. A candle. A letter in the mail. A missing MFA student. 

And now, each of you add one more element or prompt to that. It doesn't have to connect.

And if a story pops into your brain, tell us that,too!

It would interesting, wouldn't it, so see what story we can make from the pieces you choose? Tell us just one line from the prompts like, oh, a medium who plays a certain record at her candle-lit seances, then gets a letter from a college with a surprising question.

But you can do better than that!

And one more thing in the cycles of a novel--my ONE WRONG WORD ebook is now, VERY VERY  briefly, on sale for $2.99!  (Just click on the title above.) Wherever you buy your ebooks.  If you don't have it, now's the time. (As I know you have heard me say: No pressure, it's just my career...)

So, Reds and readers! Tell us your story elements! And see if they spark any ideas.