That’s the one question authors are asked more than any other. There’s a fascination with the process and, to be honest, it’s one that authors ask themselves just as frequently. When I set out to write the book that I’d contracted to deliver for publication this month, I was planning something involving house renovation and a hero and heroine who’d known one another all their lives,
My editor, when she listened to my idea, made that little noise she reserves solely for moments when you’ve not saying what she wants to hear. A long “Mmmmm…” that sends the heart thudding down into your boots.
“Could you add a baby?” she asked.
I swallowed. I had my story. It was going to that light, fluffy thing she said she wanted when we had a breakfast meeting…
“And maybe a marriage of convenience.”
Which is when I groaned.
You can have no idea how difficult it is to produce a credible reason for a marriage of convenience in these days when marriage no longer seems to matter that much. But I did try. Honestly. I have at least three perfectly useable openings on file to prove it and I really, really liked one of them, but I kept running into a brick wall. Something just wasn’t right and in the end I had to go back to the beginning and find a reason credible enough to convince me that a marriage of convenience was the only answer for both parties. That they both had something invested in it.
I really should keep a diary so that I can go back and follow the germination of an idea so that I could answer the question with solid evidence. This happened and then I saw this picture and read this article and heard this woman speaking on the radio… It happens that way but ideas are so ephemeral. I do remember reading a magazine feature about surrogacy, but whether it was before I had the idea or after I can’t remember. One of the truly amazing things is how, when you start a book, the ideas that sparked it seem to crop up everywhere. But an idea isn’t a plot. For that you need people. People with history, careers. Things have to have happened to them to make them do the things they do.
Romance is a character driven genre.
Answer the big question “who?” and you’ll soon have the “why?” and what happens next.
I’ve written more than fifty books but I still can’t pin down the process. Say, This is how you do it. How I get from reading a magazine article to an story involving the twin tragedies of infertility and broken homes and the miracles of healing, forgiveness, sacrifice and courage – with the occasional giggle thrown in for good measure – is a kind of magic. Rather like life itself.
And my editor? She wasn’t around to take delivery of the book with the baby and the marriage of convenience she wanted. She was on maternity leave!
So what headline, overheard scrap of conversation, incident has roused the “there’s a book in that” response in you? There’s a signed copy of a book from backlist for my favourite comment!
SECRET BABY, SURPRISE PARENTS is available in print and ebook format from April 2009, from eHarlequin, Amazon and at the usual retail outlets.
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Marisa
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 6:11 am:
HI LIZ! We’re so glad you could be with us on RNTV today. What a great blog and although I’m not a writer, as a reader I couldn’t agree with you more – for me, romance is character driven.
Funny you ask this question – I was recently on the NYC subway and I heard a man say to a woman ” Do you think she’ll be able to get away tonight?” The woman replied ” I’m not sure, she just got out of prison on Sunday”. My ears perked up – and he replied:” Yeah I know, but it’s been 2 years and she promised me.” She said ” You think she doesn’t know that? S— what’s wrong with you…” and then the subway stopped, doors opened, and they got out.
Yep, I sure would like to know the story behind that one.
Stacy ~
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 6:18 am:
Hi Liz, welcome to RNTV. I don’t mind baby stories, I just don’t like secret baby stories. I’ve read a few where the father doesn’t find out for years, and unless there’s a plausible reason for it, then I cannot forgive the heroine for keeping it from the father. But that’s just me.
The other day at jury duty, I was doing a little people watching and noticed these two people talking. An older white woman dressed in a business suit and a younger Indian man dressed in jeans. They spent the whole day chatting, and I had to wonder what they were talking about. Adjust their ages to be a little closer, and I was imagining the start of a new romance. I’m not one to see a story in every situation, but this time I wanted to go down that path and find out what happens. I have no idea if these two decided to keep in touch or more likely, it was just one of those things, but it sure stayed with me.
Toni Sands
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 7:19 am:
Hi Liz
I really enjoyed reading about the weaving of your new book. And I agree that romance is a character-driven genre. I’m currently researching sexy French accents (well, someone has to do it) for my new book. Now I can ‘hear’ my character and know which region of France he’s from, the rest is up to him…
Stacy’s comment about people watching reminded me of a beautiful day last month when I was sitting on a bench overlooking the Serpentine. A well-dressed man sat down beside me, took out his mobile phone and made a call. “Where are you?” he asked. Then he said, “Wave your arms.” Next, he said “I can see you. I’m wearing a blue shirt and dark suit and I’m going to wave.” He rose and began waving. By this time, you can imagine I was fascinated. Next remark was “Now start walking.” Finally, he said “Not that way!” Off he went, presumably to find a bridge. And there was me hoping he’d dive in and do the Mr Darcy thing.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 7:55 am:
Hi everyone!
I’m really glad to be here today and I’ve loved hearing those “moments”. I just love eavesdropping in restaurants and when I’m shopping.
Stacy — hi — Secret Baby isn’t actually a secret baby book! Titles come from marketing — I wanted to call it The Bachelor’s Baby Proposal. It’s a book about surrogacy and everyone knows about the baby. But there are secrets
Be back later! Have a great day.
Roberta Harwell
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 8:32 am:
I would say my moment is the way people once discussed and old boyfriend of mine. The story would be about an ex-NFL player who had been injured and his on-again off-again girlfriend from high school. They would have each went there separate ways after high school. Circumstances have brought them back together after being apart for 15 years. I haven’t come up with the circumstances yet. I know one has children and the other doesn’t. So far, this is all I’ve got. Have a great day.
Laura
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:04 am:
I think there is always a story behind every situation. Talk about exhausting. I daydream all day, I probably have ADD and don’t even know it. But the one that I think about alot is when I see a Dad toting around a toddler and there is no mom around. I wonder? Hmm. Where is she? Are they still together? He would make a great date for my cute neice. . . . Yada Yada Yada… See what I mean?
Kati
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:13 am:
Hi Liz! Welcome to RNTV! It’s wonderful to have you here and congrats on the new release!
So, I’ll say it I LOVE THE SECRET BABY PLOT! Love it! In fact, for the most part, most babies work pretty well for me in romance, which is ironic, because I’m not a Mamma, nor do I ever intend to be. But I love babies. And if you roll in a marriage of convenience, I’m all in.
But then, there are very few romance tropes that I don’t like. I’m not a huge fan of the Big Mis, but other than that, pretty much all of them work for me. There are stories I hear sometimes that make me think, “It’s like a romance novel.” But I can’t think of any off the top of my head.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:20 am:
Hi Toni! That Darcy image is so evocative. Love it.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:21 am:
Roberta — overhearing a discussion is such a classic. So open to misinterpretation, too. Can’t think why I haven’t used it!
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:25 am:
Laura, I daydream all the time. And the single Dad is such a wonderful basis for a story.
Kati, I have to admit I’ve written a few secret babies in my time. And I do love MOC plots — it’s just that they’re so difficult these days. Back in the bad old days when being a single mom was so shameful it was easy. Not that I’d ever want to go back to that situation.
Maria Lokken
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 10:03 am:
Hi Liz- welcome to RNTV and congrats on your new release.
I love secret baby plots, I also love best friends to lovers. But I’m with Kati, I’m not a big fan of misunderstandings.
Darby Lohrding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 10:47 am:
Hi Liz,
When I heard you were blogging over here today I had to come and check out your post…wonderful as always!!! The title and the cover with the baby makes it sound like a very intriguing read, I’d say “bravo”!!!
I understand your frustration, I write a column for our local paper and I use my Dad as my critic. I sent my latest column to him yesterday and he stated “Florence needs work yet the teaching part is outstanding”, well w/o going into the column details “Florence” is the main thrust of the article and the “teaching” segment is a mere 2-3 lines………ugh. I put it up to work on later with a clear mind, one not so attached to the “Florence” I had created. My first thought was when your pub., said a surprise baby….I would of developed a puppy…a puppy that pulled the two together in the story. For your question thou about a story waiting to be shared, I have an idea of a boy who dies at the age of 6 from childhood cancer, and it’s not that he “died” it’s just that he so wanted to come to earth to have a family that thru his cancer he finds he has family everywhere and upon that realization returns to heaven.
Okay I’ve babbled enough happy new release and I’d love a copy from your backshelf!!!
Thanks so much
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Lynette Rees
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 12:21 pm:
Hi Liz,
Great post!
I got the idea for one of my books from something I read in the newspaper about honey trappers (women who set up men to see if they will cheat or not!) It got me thinking: What if a honey trapper accidentally set up the wrong guy? And the plot followed on from that initial seed of an idea.
By the way, I’ve bought a copy of your new book and can’t wait to read it over the Easter hols!
Lynette
Nienke Hinton
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 12:34 pm:
Great post, Liz! My favorite idea came from watching a Denzel Washington movie, Fallen. An evil fallen angel commits murders by inhabiting people’s bodies. I thought, what if a good angel inhabited bodies and helped people find peace and self love? Sounds corny – but I love it – perhaps the good angel brought me the idea!
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 12:39 pm:
Hi Maria — thanks for inviting me!
Darby, love the idea of giving the editor what she wants, but not exactly as she expected it!
Nienke! How interesting that both you and Darby have paranormal elements to your ideas. I love “angel” stories — have you ever seen and old Cary Grant movie called The Bishop’s Wife. Magical.
Merri
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 1:02 pm:
Wonderful blog, Liz. I LOVED this book. Yep, no secret baby here. Call me nuts but I am starting to enjoy these titles, especially after I read the book. Some of them are almost like a wink and nod to the reader and often a way for me to remember the book long aftr I have finished when there is a little twist between the title and the plot.
Hearing the background of a story is fascinating. I am sure glad that this is the novel readers got rather than exactly what your editor suggested. maybe some of the best ideas come from chafing against a prescribed idea, changing it to fit the author’s imagination and making it there own? I certainly feel that the emotion in this romance really hits the mark. Sometimes in school or in work, some of my most creative ideas in fact came from having some kind of assignment that just rubbed me the wrong way or left me feeling bored. It was almost like it inspired me to go beyond and do something more. Did you feel that? Having read this book, I would assume so just because this book was awesome and so much more than the original idea.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 1:13 pm:
Hi Merri. I’m not sure about the chafing, but I’m always looking for a new way to tell the old, old story and that certainly makes my head sore! But happy ever after is apparently what we’re all looking for in this harsh times. The TODAY Show featured just how well romance is doing in the bookstores against other genres. Here’s the link http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/30133182#30102175 — and the Secret Baby made it to the screen, twice!
Anna Campbell
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 3:28 pm:
Hey, how cool! One of my favorite writers on one of my favorite websites! All I need now is a Lindt chocolate bunny and my day is made
Liz, just swinging by to say how great to have a new LF on the shelves!
Liz Fielding
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 4:48 pm:
Hi Anna! I hope you get your bunny! Happy Easter.
Gannon
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 5:18 pm:
Hi, Liz and welcome! I love a secret baby story. I’m sure it’s hard to pull that off these days, but fun!
I overheard a crazy conversation this morning. I had to take my niece to the courthouse to take care of a traffic violation and while I was waiting on her these two guys were talking. Here goes (with lots of censoring!): “So I shot the mother fu@$#r! I mean he came in MY house and was going to steal my stuff, so I pulled out my fu@$#ng gun and shot the mother fu@$#r!” OMG! We were standing in the lobby of the courthouse. I wanted to ask why he wasn’t upstairs in criminal court!
All I can say, is the courthouse makes for fascinating people watching.
Laurie
on Apr 9th, 2009
@ 9:48 pm:
Looks like I’m not the ony one who loves those “secret” babies! I’m looking forward to SB, SP!
I work in a law office and recently we had a couple come in, the man had three young sons, all under the age of 12. His wife had died a few years ago and he remarried about a year ago. His new wife wanted to adopt his sons. The adoption has gone through and these little boys have a “real” mother again, but their new mother is adamant about helping keep their birth mother’s memory alive. It was very touching and I kept thinking that it was reminiscent of so many romances I’ve read! I’ve also been in the probate court office when couples have been applying for marriages licenses – some of them share the stories of how they met and they’re sometimes so incredibly romantic!
Liz Fielding
on Apr 10th, 2009
@ 4:04 am:
Hi Gannon
The courthouse must be a fabulous place to gather story “material”. In the UK, if you’re called for jury service and admit you’re a writer, they won’t let you serve.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 10th, 2009
@ 4:07 am:
Laurie, a lot of people must love those secret baby stories because there really are a lot out there — and marketing used it as a hook in my title
I guess we all have storylines that turn us off. A lot of people won’t read a sheikh book but they still sell more than any other books.
And working in a law office, well, as I said to Gannon, you see people at their most extreme in that situation. Lovely to hear that the boys’ new mother wasn’t threatened by their mother’s memory, though. Sound like a lovely family.
Liz Fielding
on Apr 10th, 2009
@ 4:16 am:
Lots of fabulous stories here. Thanks to everyone for taking time to share.
Stacey, I read a book about an older woman and a younger Indian man — can’t remember what is was called or the author now, but it was fascinating. Not a romance, but a “relationship” story that changed both their lives. Excellent read.
Lynette! Hi. The honey trap story is terrific, too. Chick lit more than HR, I think — although, as they say, “it’s all in the execution”
Gannon, your story is never going to be an HR romance, but it certainly gets the creative juices flowing and you win the signed book from my back list. If you email me at liz @ lizfielding.com (no gaps), we can sort that out.
Thanks for having me, Maria. It’s been a lovely day.
Happy Easter, everyone.
Marisa
on Apr 10th, 2009
@ 8:36 am:
Thanks so much for being with us Liz and congratulations on your new release Secret Baby, Surprise Parents. Have a wonderful holiday.
Gannon
on Apr 10th, 2009
@ 12:23 pm:
Thanks so much, Liz. You are too right about my story not being HR material, but it caught my attention, to say the least!
Liz Fielding
on Apr 15th, 2009
@ 5:00 pm:
Gannon, I haven’t heard from you yet. Email me at liz@lizfielding.com!