I am in the middle of editing Andromeda’s Fall – the first book of my new Shadowcat Nation series. Much like with Blue Violet – the first book of the Svatura series – Andromeda’s Fall started with a very specific scene in my head. And it’s not the first scene in the book again.
Different authors definitely work in different ways. I’m discovering that I picture a specific scene in my head – almost like a snapshot of a movie – that is so intriguing to me that I have to put a story around it. Here’s what I pictured as the inspiration for Andromeda’s Fall:
Andromeda’s Fall:
The scene opens with a female mountain lion shifter hiding on a rock outcropping, surveying the woods below her. She is on border patrol, but is trying to prove that she is trustworthy and able to protect the people inside the border. Above her is a male shifter – who she doesn’t realize is there – observing her. He’s the main one she’s trying to impress.
That’s it. That’s the scene. With that in mind I could go a hundred different directions. Maybe she’s a young mountain lion shifter just maturing into adult positions within her community. Maybe she’s a stranger to the group. Maybe she’s a spy. Maybe she’s trying to escape the community. And who is he? Maybe she’s known him her whole life. Maybe she’s just met him. Maybe he’s evil. Maybe he’s her love interest. So many options!!!
I’ve had this picture in my head for ages, and have been itching to put a full story around it. When I joined up with Mia and the other awesome authors for our Here, Kitty Kitty anthology I started writing my short story for that project with this particular scene. But I ended up liking it so much that I decided to make it a book instead. Consequently, I adjusted my short story – Hannah’s Fate – to be set in the same world, and introduce some of the characters and concepts.
I LOVE coming up with the story surrounding the pictures in my head. I’ll be very curious to see what you think about where I went with this one. Andromeda’s Fall will be out at the end of February!
I love how your mind thinks! To be able to have the ability to see a scene like that in your mind and then write a story. Even with that imagine you gave, story lines start popping in to my head. It's having the scene pop in my head that is the problem I guess. Kudos to you! I love your writting!
Thanks Cindy! I have no idea how they pop into my head. I put myself to sleep at night making up stories. Always have. Although many of those never get finished – I always fall asleep first, dang it. Lol.