FORTUNE-TELLERS, THERAPISTS, AND “WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?” by Keziah Frost

LUCY BURDETTE: We've welcomed Keziah Frost in the past year to hear about her first novel, THE RELUCTANT FORTUNE TELLER. Today she asked to talk about where writers get their ideas and whether our other lives inform our fiction. Of course we want to hear about that, so welcome, Keziah!

KEZIAH FROST: As I worked on the final draft of The Reluctant Fortune-Teller, I was struck by how therapeutic my card reading protagonist turned out to be. Norbert gives advice that is thoughtful and compassionate. He listens intently, like a therapist. He feels responsible to and for the people who seek his insights. He truly wants the best outcome for each of his customers—or “querents” as they are called in the cartomancy trade.

Yes, Norbert makes use of many therapeutic skills. He encourages people to connect to their own inner guidance system, and he avoids letting them become too reliant on him—just as a good therapist does.

Where would Norbert have gotten these skills? After all, he’s a retired accountant. The answer is, they seem to be natural to his temperament. He’s lived his life on the sidelines, observing people, and he reads them pretty well as a result. Fortunately, he wants to use his knowledge for good!

And where would I have gotten the idea to create a character who is sort of an amateur therapist--like Norbert?

Oh, did I mention…I am a psychotherapist?

It’s been said that writers reveal themselves in their work. I think it’s true. Norbert feels the same sense of surprise at the confidence people place in him just because of his “shingle,” and is troubled by the same concerns that I used to have, especially in my first years, that following a session, someone might take a catastrophic path. So I understood as Norbert worked through all of that, and that struggle became pivotal in the novel.

I’m currently composing the first in a series of mystery novels, and my amateur sleuth has a natural ability to attract confidences and confessions. She’s not so much about bringing evil-doers to justice as she is about helping each person understand themselves and grow into a more evolved version of themselves. Kind of like a…therapist?

So Reds: Have you ever found that your day job has influenced your characters and/or plots?

And readers: Have you ever sought the advice of a psychic or fortune-teller? And if so, would you share if the predictions came true? 

I am giving away three copies of The Reluctant Fortune-Teller. To enter to win, just email me your name and mailing address, and how you would like the book autographed. (U.S. addresses only, please, just because of the postage!) Find my email at   https://keziahfrost.com/contact/ 

BIO:  Keziah Frost is a psychotherapist and holds masters degrees in English and Counseling. She loves painting, Zumba, yoga, animals, and languages, but most of all, she loves to write books that give her readers suspense and laughter.

Yeasty! Tips for charging your creativity...

HALLIE: Teri Flatley, who has a wonderful blog for Boomers, Boom This! Where Boomers Bloom, has a new creative endeavor. It's called Yeasty, and I love the whole title: Yeasty: For the Exuberantly Creative (YOU!) It's one part green, one part craft, another part artistic. Where did the idea of "Yeasty" come from?

TERI: I had been thinking about a creativity blog for a long time. With Yeasty, I want to celebrate the creativity in every one of us, even in those who swear they don't have a creative bone in their bodies. We are ALL creative in our own ways, whether it's coming up with a new plot for a mystery novel, deciding what to paint on a blank canvas or choosing which bowl to serve peas in for your next dinner party.

Finding the name Yeasty actually was a serendipitous thing. I happened upon the definition for "yeasty" -- after all the bread references -- that said the word meant exuberantly creative. Loved that!

HALLIE: Yeasty is a very energizing blog, full of wonderful creative tips on how to charge and recharge your creativity. Teri, please, share some of your tips with us.

Teri: I would love to. Some of my favorite creativity tips are:

• Love the List: Want to write a short story about the cabin you used to visit as a child? Make a list beginning each sentence with "I remember. . ." Write down whatever comes into your head, and don't edit. You can do that later. Even if it doesn't make sense, write it down. After a few minutes, when you are done, you will have several fresh prompts to begin with when you return to your story. Prompts like "I remember being so scared that the old dock would collapse under our feet as we stood there, fishing poles in hand.. . "

• Journal Writing: Thanks to Julia Cameron and her philosophy of "morning pages", I try to write three pages of long-hand journal entries every day. While my mind is engaged in jotting down "to dos", I often enjoy a flash of creativity. These creative moments don't happen every time I journal, but when they do, it's magic. For example, I was writing about having talked to my aunt who has moved to Florida. I kept trying to think of ways to stay better in touch with her, and by writing my concerns down, I came up with the idea of mailing her occasional small gifts. Voila! That idea became a favorite Yeasty blog for me and something I have done for others.

• Fish out of Water: Sometimes the old adages work best, which is why they are adages, I'll bet. Try a new perspective on an old idea, juxtaposing two ideas/characters/quotes that you don't think belong together. One way to do this is to make your own Clue game with flash cards listing each of your story's characters, each of the locations in your story and a potential situation that will appear in the story. You can also make up a stack of cards with quotes on each. Mix the cards up and pick three different cards out of the bunch you have chosen. Try to work up a scene or chapter with that combo. You may never use it, but it will jumpstart your creative juices.

• Zen Out: When you do hit a creativity dry spell, sometimes the best thing to do is do nothing -- at least for a little while. When that happens, I go for a walk, sit and watch the birds feeding outside my window -- or shut down all of the techie devices I use every day, just letting my mind rest. Think about anything but your writing problem when you lay down to sleep and an idea might bubble to the surface, ready to be acknowledged. Write it down and see if it makes sense in the morning.
  

I also read a lot to help me be more creative, as I'm sure you do. I keep a shelf of books on the subject in my office. I am a sucker for any new title on the subject.

Some creativity books at home now in my office:

The Creative Habit: Twyla Tharp

The Write-Brain: Bonnie Neubauer

A Writer's Book of Days: Judy Reeves

. . . a bunch of books by Julia Cameron (Artist's Way, the Vein of Gold, The Right to Write), as mentioned above, and by SARK

. . .and two I haven't cracked opened yet: Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko and Kick-Ass Creativity by Mary Beth Maziarz

HALLIE: Thanks for sharing so many great ideas and resources! Now if I could just get a shot of creativity that would catapult me from page 100 to page 150, I'd be ever so grateful.

Teri will be checking in today -- join the conversation and share your creativity tips.