Walk Like An #Egyptian by Diane Burton #myths

In high school, my favorite subject was Latin. Weird, I know. Probably because it was taught by my favorite teacher. Mildred Bell make the class so interesting. From her, I learn Roman mythology and the Greek equivalents of gods and goddesses. Even today, we often come across references to Roman and Greek mythology. 

When Rick Riodan's Percy Jackson series came out, I devoured the books. Greek mythology. Right up my alley. Then, he wrote The Red Pyramid with Egyptian gods and goddesses. I tried but couldn't keep them straight. Soon the story lost interest. Oh, well. He wrote more stories with Greek myths.

In April, Veronica Scott visited here with her new release, Song of the Nile. Ah, Egyptians. Because I enjoy her science fiction romances, I gave it a try. Wow. Talk about devouring books. Like eating potato chips, I couldn't stop at one. I was so fascinated, I read all in the series. The story, of course, came first. But, she wove into the story enough details about the particular god or goddess to inform the reader without overwhelming.

Isn't that what we're supposed to do? It's the same with backstory. We have to weave in enough detail to help the reader understand without overwhelming. First chapters are so hard. We have all this information about our characters that we want to share. Yet if we do so, we run the risk of exasperating the reader who's mentally saying, "Get on with the story."

Without being overwhelmed, I'm happy to say I've expanded my knowledge of Egyptian mythology. 

Where Do Writers Get Ideas? by Diane Burton

Readers often ask writers where we get our ideas. I thought I’d share something with you that might answer that question. Yesterday, Hubs and I drove up to nearly the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula to pick up our two grandkids from summer camp. On the way home, they regaled us with their adventures—swimming, crafts, etc. Then they settled down and quietly read. That got me thinking . . . Well, what else does a writer do on an eight-hour road trip?

Have I ever mentioned I love Young Adult stories? From Harry Potter to the Hunger Games to Divergent, and I Am Four. I’m fascinated by the stories available to young readers. (Where were those books when I was young?) A while back, I wrote a science fiction YA story. Haven’t published it because I didn’t have anything to follow up with. But . . . while returning from the kids’ camp, I thought about a camp for middle-school age kids. That’s nothing new. Rick Riordan wrote the Percy Jackson series, where the kids at Camp Half Blood (in present-day upper New York State) learn sword play and how to use their supernatural gifts to triumph over the “bad” gods, goddesses, the Fates, Furies, etc.

Since I enjoy writing science fiction adventure, my story would take place on a planet in another world, one I developed for my unpubbed YA. At my camp, the staff could be part of a faction that wants to overthrow the current regime. Along with the usual swimming, games, crafts, they teach the kids something insidious, something to help them with their cause.

Obviously, I’m only playing with the idea at this point. What happens when I start to write? What will the finished product look like? Probably little like the initial ideas. That’s the fun part of writing. Taking an idea, developing it (and the world), then putting fingers on the keyboard and seeing what happens next.

From picking up grandkids at summer camp to a story. That’s how a writer gets ideas.

Apologies for missing my regular posting day on Thursday. I could blame it on chaos on the home front. My Arizona family (son, DIL, Toddler Girl, a Great Dane, and a Lab) just moved in with us until they can find a home. Yay! We’ll all be in the same town for the first time in twenty years. Or I could blame missing my date on a laptop that wouldn’t open, even after 3 trips to Best Buy’s Geek Squad. In actuality, I forgot.

I'll be back next month on my regular blogging date, the 13th. Have a great summer.