People ask me where I come up with my story ideas and my characters. The answer is I have no idea. Truly. They just come to me, and I am forever grateful! Justified Misfortune, the first book in my Justified series (part of the Brotherhood Protector World), was so much fun to write. Hudson arrived fully formed in my brain one day. I knew what he looked and sounded like. I love when that happens.
I had the same experience with the hero from the second book in the series, Justified Burden. Rhys walked on the page in Justified Misfortune as Hudson’s best friend, and I knew instantly he would have his own book. He demanded it, and I was on board to write his story.
I think the storylines are generated by the female protagonists in this series. Both Sunny and Scarlett are strong women who found themselves in need of a little help. I like writing strong female characters. I think women are inherently strong, and I want to reflect that in my books.
My writing style is best described as chaotic. I am what’s called a pantser. I don’t plan out my books. I have a few points I want to include, but I let the characters tell their stories. In Justified Misfortune, I knew Sunny was going to be blamed for a murder she didn’t commit, and I realized her ex-boyfriend was going to help her. I was aware she lived with her grandmother, and the grandmother was a big part of her life. That is all the information I had before I started writing the story. I didn’t know who the killer was or why they killed.
In Justified Burden, I knew someone was causing Scarlett problems, and I understood what they were after, but I didn’t know who it was. I had an inkling Rhys had issues because of getting shot, but I didn’t realize the full extent of the problem.
And yes, I am aware of how crazy that all sounds, but that’s how my brain works. These characters are very real to me when I am writing. They slowly let me discover things about themselves and their stories just like the reader does when they pick up one of my books. It makes writing so much fun for me. Knowing everything from the beginning would be boring. I would much rather be on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the story turns out.
I’d like to thank Lori for agreeing to provide this post. Click here to find out more about Lori and her books.
