Writing Warriors Wednesday ~Your Kernel Idea!

I lead a local Writing Group called the Writing Warriors. This is a wonderfully collaborative group of amazing people looking to connect with outer writers and hone their creative process.

In our first meeting, we discussed the foundation for any story, poem, a piece of art, music, blog post, new business, new invention – just about anything. The Kernel Idea!

This is the moment your creative brain latches on and the hamster wheel starts spinning. There is a rush of excitement and even giddiness at the endless possibilities. Many people take the idea and run with it rushing to find a piece of paper and start writing.

Here’s the challenge – 25,000 words later many people forget what it was that got them excited in the first place. They can no longer see the forest through the trees and the excitement fades away.  They have lost their kernel idea.

The word idea can mean lots of things to lots of people. For a writer, the idea is what the story is about. This is different than the Kernel Idea. The Kernel Idea can be anything, a quote, a smile, an interaction, a piece of dialog, a scene in a movie, the melody of a piece of music, a memory – you get the point.

When you look at your current WIP, ask yourself – What was my kernel idea? What was it that sparked my adrenaline-fueled decision that I could write 100,000 words about this?

For me, the kernel idea for my current WIP Finders came from the movie The Conjuring. Specifically, the real-life love story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the first publicized ghost hunters. That developed into the flurry of questions and thoughts about how would two people like this meet and go on to be the first well-known paranormal experts? This is where I started developing the story, based on my kernel idea.

This is the anchor for not my story but my inspiration. My jolt of magic that made me sit up and say – oh yeah that is good!

Once you have identified your Kernel Idea the next step is to take the story and filter it down to two sentences. Your logline. These two are directly connected as they keep you focused. Every scene, theme, action, and climax should reflect your logline and your original inspiration.

I am not saying this is going to be easy because it’s not. It is a challenge for any creative person, experienced or novice) to take all that story and swill it down, but well worth it! The development of the logline is essential to keeping your creative mind focused and centered.

A great resource for examples of amazing, and sometimes, not so amazing, loglines are movies! Except in movies, they are called taglines. You usually see them on the movie poster. During our group, we played a little game where I would read the logline of a well-known movie and the group would guess the movie. It was a great laugh and a great way to demonstrate the impact two or three sentences can have when summing up your work.

As an exercise, I challenge you to identify the kernel idea for your current project or recent publication and also attempted to write out the logline. Tweet me what you come up with @AmyJRomine or post it to the #WritersCommunity hashtag on Twitter.

Here is a couple a resource to get your brain working on your logline.

http://www.filmdaily.tv/log…/top-box-office-logline-examples

https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/the-40-greatest-movie-taglines-ever/83728

Also, MUST recommend The Novel Writers Toolkit by the Astounding Bob Mayer who first introduced me to the Kernel Idea in his book 

I love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment and let me know what you think and if the post was helpful! If you want more information, or assistance shoot me an email at writesromine@gmail.com or ping me on Twitter @AmyJRomine.

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Suspense for the Romantic Heart - Dear Air Chronicles Excerpt

Worlds Apart

Is their love enough?

Jack Tucker's life as a morning radio host is uncomplicated, attachment free, and without regret. Until Kate Weiss entered his life, that is... She knows all of the ways to annoy him and yet takes his breath away with just a look.

Special Agent Kate Weiss is hiding from a kidnapping she doesn't remember. Morning Radio Host Jack Tucker serves as a nice distraction, but she knows the flirtation could never be anything more.

When tragedy descends, grief pulls them together, forcing them to trust each other and face the undeniable connection between them.

In an effort to make the pair walk away from a conspiracy greater than they can imagine, a target is put on their heads. This does little to deter Kate or Jack from wanting to find the truth.

Chasing shadows, the answers are closer than they realize. Forced into isolation, can Jack and Kate uncover the buried secret that is getting people killed? Or will one misstep destroy all of their hopes for the future?

Excerpt

Melissa and Dan said goodbye shortly thereafter, and Jack searched for Kate, finding her in the kitchen finishing the few dishes they had dirtied. He wrapped his arms around her waist nibbling on her neck.

“Someone is feeling better.” She giggled, and turned meeting his eyes. They were soft and adoring. He leaned down placing a gentle kiss on her pink lips. She teased his lips with her tongue.  Jack pulled her against him, his hands entangled in her hair. Their lips parted and he gazed down into her eyes and she smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He lowered his head and she met him half way, her arms wrapping around his neck. He lifted her off the ground sitting her on the counter. Exploring her mouth, his hands spread themselves beneath her shirt exposing her soft skin to the cool air. She shivered and he took to nibbling on her ear.  His hands moved up her back, leaving a trailed kisses down her neck.

 “You are supposed to be resting.” She tried to lean back and away from his mouth. His hands on her back prevented her from going far and he simply adjusted to the opposite side of her neck. “Jack.”

 “I am resting.” He nipped at her earlobe, and his phone rang.

He growled, Kate smirked and he disappeared to get the phone. Hopping off the counter she started preparing the coffee maker for the next morning and when she was finished, she moved back into the living room.

She could hear him talking on the phone as she cleaned. Kate returned to the kitchen a few minutes later she found him waiting for her. “Who was on the phone?”

“You threatened Elisa?”

“What?”

“Why on earth would you…”

“I didn’t…well not exactly. It’s complicated.”

“How is it complicated, Kate? Either you threatened her or you didn’t. You’re a goddamn spy for Christ’s sake! I would think you would know the difference!”

His eyes were clouded and she immediately knew what was happening. “Jack, calm down.”

“I'm not going to calm down until you tell me what the hell is going on!”

“Listen to me…”

“Where do you get off thinking that bullying my friends is okay? Especially, someone as small and fragile as Elisa, she couldn’t hurt a fly!”

“I know you think…”

“Think?” His face began to redden, his eyes dilated and his chest heaved. “Sorry I forgot I’m not supposed to think. Just sit back and blindly trust you again as you ruin my life!”

“Jack, please stop.” He backed her against the counter. Her heart pounding, she struggled with what to do. “There’s something wrong and you have to fight it.”

He grabbed her by the arms and squeezed. “Wait, maybe you are the problem. It seems to follow you around, all of the death and the pain. The destruction.”

“Jack let go.” She pushed against him. “This isn’t you talking, it’s the poison. You have to calm down.”

“Maybe if I cut you out of my life and walk away it will all disappear?”

“You’re right. I’m the problem. I am the one who brought you into this hell and I am the one keeping you here.”

A wave of confusion crashed over his face and she took a breath.

“She was so upset.” His eyes searched for something beyond her. “She was crying and she said it was your fault.”

“It was my fault and I am sorry,” Kate watched him begin to float back to the surface.

“She said you threatened her at the memorial and then again at the hospital. She said you saw us at the funeral and you were jealous…trying to keep me away from her.”

“Jack, I need you to look at me. “

“Kate…I…”

“Just take a deep breath.” His eyes widened and he burst out of his own mind realizing what was happening. He looked at her in confusion. He became conscious of his harsh grip on her arms and immediately released her. “It’s okay, just breathe.”

He stepped back, his face scrunching in pain. “No…what…”

“You’re okay. It is fine.”

“Get away from me, Kate!”

He fell back into the wall of cabinets behind him, his chest heaving.  “Jack… breathe.”

“I can’t…I…” He met her eyes and she saw terror. “Kate…”

His legs quickly betrayed him and he slid down to the floor. Kate moved to him, grasping his hand “Jack, I’m here, you’re going to be okay.”

Purchase Dead Air Now, on paperback and Kindle (Shockwave, Backlash & Fallout)

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Did that Shadow Move? - Shadow People - Types and Motivations

In my upcoming release, Finders, the ghost hunting team are the experts on all kinds of entities including the ominous shadow people. Below is an excerpt from Finder’s founder and lead Ghost Hunter Grant Henley’s notes on Shadow People.

Types – Classified as how they appear to the human eye

Human Shaped

These make up the bulk of the Shadow People sightings and include the typical cloaked figure and shadow people wearing hats.  These can come in a variety of combinations.  Obviously what these shadow people are is pure speculation at this point.

The persistent shadow people of the lurking variety don’t seem to be purely evil in intent, and almost seem more interested in us or at least in feeding off our energy.  Others are simply negative manifestations of spirits. Almost universally though, they are a sign of something negative.

Black Mass

Less human in form, but still of that general size and the black mass type of shadow people give the impression of being a human figure but more fuzzy or blurred.  They can change in shape, forming more of a cloud, but the impression is always that an entity it there.

It is my assertion that many of these black mass Shadow People are former people who have become negative spirits. The more time they spend trapped in our plane the more they will grow in power and lose their human identity.  A black mass absorbs more and more negative emotion their sense of being human and who they were in life fades and becomes distorted. In the end, the become a form of the following type of shadow people, demonic.

Demonic

The most dangerous of the types of Shadow People, demonic shadows should be avoided at all costs.  Among Shadow People, these are one of the few types having the visible eyes.  Demonic forms vary widely, but usually retain a humanoid shape, but are often exaggerated in height, have wings or horns or elongated fingers. Demons are all about manipulation so they will take the form of whatever scares you the most and they will feed off your fear. They do not give the impression of being a normal ghost or sentient entity.

Suggested Motivations – Classified based on various reported interactions

Lurkers

Found in homes and very often around bedrooms, the classic shadow people tend to be lurking.  They will stand in doorways or corners watching their victims. These types of shadow entities don’t seem to have any intent; they are just there observing.  Sometimes they will wander a location, following people, or stalking them. Quite often they flee at being noticed, vanishing around corners or simply by going through a solid wall. Lurkers seem primarily to be attached to an individual and have been known to follow people from one location to the next.

Aggressive

Unlike Lurkers, these will not stay in one spot and watch; they will actively interact in an attempt to harm, frighten their victims.

Transient

Typically going from one place to another, and seem not particularly interested in the goings on of those that observe them. Of all the types of Shadow People, these are the least understood as they do not linger and interact with us.

Omens

Some sightings of shadow people appear to be omens or portents of something bad happening, much like the legends of seeing a Barghest (Hell Hound) is a portent of death.

Similar to the Lurkers, these entities are associated with just one person and are a more transitory occurrence, stopping after the event or tragedy has taken place.

Haunting

Haunting is tied to a location and seems to haunt only that area. Those that haunt a location tend to be more malevolent and dangerous to encounter. They seem many times to be trapped in time and do not comprehend the reasons for the person’s presence in their ‘world.' Because of this, they are less likely to flee when spotted and may choose to attack instead.

Learn More about Shadow People here.

Finders is coming in Fall 2019!

Want more? Read anexclusive excerpt NOW!

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