Topic: Novel idea from image?

[TracyH]

I've been doing some research on where authors get their ideas and I'm trying to find a book where the idea came to the author because of an image. Anyone know of one? Thanks!

[amberturner]

This doesn't count just yet, Tracy, but my forthcoming novel (next year from Disney-Hyperion) was totally inspired by an image. I know you need an already-released book, but I just had to mention!

[TracyH]

Thanks, Amber. It might do in a pinch if you wouldn't mind my sharing your story with some 6th graders (and I could give a little plug for Sway!).

[MegM]

When you say 'image' do you mean an actual picture or just something that surfaces in the minds eye, for example? I often talk about my middle-grade novel, Surface Tension, as having grown from an image that slept in my mind for about 25 years - something I saw/imagined on school camp when I was about 13.

Surface Tension came out in Australia last year but won't be out in the US until 2013 (from Candlewick, with the title "Below"). I've written about the image a bit on my website and also here and there on my blog and other places. As someone who comes to prose from poetry, I tend to write out of images a lot.

I'm happy for you to talk about any of this with your students if it's useful, and if you need more details, ask away!

[jennygoebel]

I don't know if this helps or not, but Erin Morgenstern does some interesting pairings of images with ten-sentence short stories. She calls them flax-golden tales.

http://erinmorgenstern.com/flax-golden/

Makes me wonder if the idea for NIGHT CIRCUS came to her this way . . .

[MegM]

I don't know if this helps or not, but Erin Morgenstern does some interesting pairings of images with ten-sentence short stories. She calls them flax-golden tales.

http://erinmorgenstern.com/flax-golden/

Makes me wonder if the idea for NIGHT CIRCUS came to her this way . . .

Thanks so much for posting that link. I just read and loved The Night Circus and found those little nuggets of story fascinating. I actually use images quite a lot in writing workshops with kids as well. My sister-in-law is an artist and some of her work is quite narrative in style, which is useful; I've found that kids respond very readily to those sorts of visual prompts.

[Owl]

THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING was probably inspired by the painting.

I don't know what Gary D. Schmidt's inspiration for OKAY FOR NOW was, but it may have been the illustrations in Audobon's THE BIRDS OF AMERICA.

[RubyO]

I think CREWEL by Ginnifer Albin was inspired by a painting and she has a lovely post about it on her blog. The book isn't out until November though!

[Vijaya]

Didn't artwork inspire all three of Blue Balliet's books? Stolen painting, Frank Lloyd Wright house, Calder sculptures.

I have a beautiful painting that we rec'd as a wedding gift of a jazz band and there's a novel in me about those players.
Vijaya

[KeithM]

I was pretty sure about this one and checked and it was: The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silent_Boy

[TracyH]

Thanks so much for all the info everyone! MegM, that is really kind of you to offer help. For this talk, I'd really like to have a book I can show the kids. But I'd love to rotate yours into the talk once Below comes out.

Ellm, Owl, RubyO, Vijaya and Keith - I will check those out. I think Lois Lowry will be perfect for this age group. Yay Blueboarders!