Clare Vanderpool: Writers Stew: Ingredients: Memory, Research, Imagination

There are many things, within the writing process, that come together to create a story.

Clare's recipe for this talk has altered, the ingredients have changed a bit.

Along with memory, research, and imagination, Clare adds: openness, curiosity and living life. It all goes into the writing process.

Clare was asked if having children delayed her writing process and publication, but she believes that if she would have had one to two years straight to write the book, it wouldn't have been the same. The story needed to simmer, and she needed all that happened during that time to write the book.

Clare came across this quote from Moby Dick:

"It is not down in any map; True places never are."

It was the launch of inspiration for MOON OVER MANIFEST. Then began the research.

Some inspiration and research came from her own family photos, some of which she shares with the those of us here.

When commenting on imagination, Clare says, "Sometimes you have those moments when something comes to you and it's like they came from somewhere else."

Serendipity and synergy are a couple more ingredients to throw into the writers stew.When you start working on something, suddenly information and things start to come your way.

There are two sides of the story pot. There are all the ingredients that we bring to the pot as the writer, and the reader brings their own ingredients to the pot.