A Heartwarming Storyline Developed During Covid


I hardly ever mention my being a writer on this blog but with the release of my new book, "Velvet Snowflakes." I thought you might enjoy learning how it came to be. I often have people asking me where my ideas come from for storylines. My reply is always the same. Storylines are all around you. The trick is to recognize them. Acknowledge them and take the time to develop them. Besides time, it takes patience. Writing is akin to putting a puzzle together. Sometimes the pieces don't fit. Sometimes a character or a scene or a conversation need reworking. That's when you have to go back and redo those pieces until you, as the writer, feel they fit.

The idea for my heartwarming story, "Velvet Snowflakes" developed during the dark days of Covid when we were on lockdown. I began thinking about the meaning of home and the places I'd called home. Most of my attention turned to the first place I called home. It sat along a lane. I lived in that clapboard home painted gray with my parents, older brother and sister until the summer before 4th grade. Then we moved to the country. But that house on the lane has stayed with me. It has never gone away. It remains in my heart. Every inch of it, from my back bedroom with stairs that led down to the kitchen to the living room where the Christmas tree always sat in a certain corner, to the screened-in porch and large backyard full of lilacs and trees. I can still hear the wind at my bedroom window. Smell banana bread baking in the oven and feel the excitement of running down the front stairs on Christmas morning. That house on the lane played a pivotal role in "Velvet Snowflakes."

The story started out as a short story. But when a magazine editor told me to go back and finish the story, telling me the characters had a lot more to give, I went back and turned that story into a book, just as the editor suggested I do. Giving the characters more room to develop enriched the storyline more than I ever could have imagined. Once I got back into that storyline the words flew off the pages. It was as if the characters and the plots and every little sentence added knew they belonged there. They all kept telling me to keep writing. And so, I did.

Writing is a sloppy frustrating, beautiful process and when it all comes together, the respect and love for that process is immense, even when on lockdown.

***The cover of "Velvet Snowflakes" was designed by the renowned artist, John Morrow whose work has appeared on several magazine covers and earned first place in many exhibits around the country. 
To learn more about John and see a portfolio of his work, visit jmorrow.com.
***"Velvet Snowflakes" is available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and Barnes & Noble or contact me and I will mail you an autographed copy. My website: barbarabriggsward.com.

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