I posted this to the main blog, but neglected to post it here yesterday. And given that in the post I was patting myself on the back for remembering to post...well, 'nuff said.

Here's yesterday's HDQ:

Since I still have a huge backlog of Pick Katie’s Brain Thursday questions, I thought I would tackle them while I am between deadlines. Well, I’m not actually between them, since I’m always on deadline in that there is always a deadline of one sort or another—book or proposal due, not to mention copyedits and galleys—but while I am enjoying a very brief break in getting a book done, I figured now would be the time to fling out a few PKB answers.

Today’s PKBs are from Christy, who asks:

1. What do you use for inspiration (if anything)
2. Do you have a dragon collection
3. Any plans for a series of Guardians, Diviners, etc.

1. The first question is particularly appropriate at this moment, since I am trying to come up with a couple of plots. Now, some books are easier to plot than others—usually, books in a series (like the dragon ones) have a continuing storyline that I use as I move through individual books. But stand alone books, ones where the hero and heroine’s relationship is wrapped up by the end of the book, those generally require some serious think time. Which, I told my editor Laura yesterday, generally involves me sitting and staring out of the window a lot while I mull over story ideas, personalities, and how both would fit together.

I’ve strayed a bit from the question, which was about inspiration, but really, while plotting out a book, I can draw inspiration from just about anything—music, a random phrase that I’ve either heard or read, or even just from talking to someone about existing books. Right now, I’m trying to plot two vampire books, so I’m trying to be very open to sources of inspiration.

2. I don’t have a dragon collection, although a few people have been kind enough to send me dragons. So I have a couple of them floating around, and a couple of dragon items I use (letter opener and stash box), but I’m not really a collector type.

3. Nothing set into writing yet, although I am always mulling over the other peoples who live in my Otherworld. The silver dragon books bring out some different types (some familiar, some not so familiar), as well. I have no doubt that in the future, I will be writing more about diviners, mages, oracles, etc.