Bugs You Must Have

One of my favorite sci-fi books is The Goblin Reservation by Clifford D. Simak. The characters are all fascinating, the situations funny and thought-provoking. One of the scenes that sticks in my mind is near the end, where Mr. O'Toole, the goblin, is describing the ale-brewing process:

"To make October ale, bugs you must have falling into it and all other matters of great uncleanliness or the flavor you will miss."

I find that working on my novel is like that. Over the course of time I notice things that catch my fancy and I work them into the story. Various events and characters are inspired or outright stolen from things I see and hear. Gossip heard at the gym, mannerisms I've observed, a series of events that I wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen it myself. They all find their way into the characters and storylines.

A book isn't written in a vacuum, and I wonder how mine would have turned out if I had started it at another time or place. Of course, it's not done yet, so I'm still wondering how it will turn out. Who knows what I might see tomorrow?


Blog Tag: Chatter