Finding the right idea can be like stumbling onto a raw diamond. It has the potential to be very valuable, but like that uncut diamond, it has not yet reached its full potential. Book ideas are great for query letters and book proposals, but you’ve got to take it a step further and turn your uncut diamond, into a multi-faceted masterpiece.
During my second year in college, I had an idea for a book come to me sometime during an evening shift at Target. I thought, “I should write a book about a group of people who live in a music box, but who don’t know that yet.” It was a good idea and I mulled it around in my head for a while. The idea, however, was not nearly enough. Like an uncut diamond, it would not find its way into a ring, or in this case onto a bookshelf.
I took some time to think about a context for the story, more specifically about the main conflict of the story. I spent some time coming up with characters, their names and ages, their appearances and their goals. I thought a lot about what the kingdom inside of the music box should be called and what it should look like. I thought about its history and how that would affect the people who lived there. I had taken the diamond out of the rock, but there was still much to be done.
Over the next year, I wrote as much as my busy schedule would allow and then spent months chipping away at the many facets: characters, pacing, grammar and spelling, and on and on. After many months, I did finally get to see my work on the shelf as “The Canticle Kingdom.” It’s not a perfect diamond, but it is mine and it is worth sharing, and I’m sure that I will improve with every attempt.
I hope that if you have stumbled upon a great idea, don’t let it sit untouched. It is going to be a long process of mining and refining, but the thrill of seeing the finished product is stunning. You never know how much your idea may be worth and there is no guarantee that you will ever stumble across one again.
Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Denise Z says
Thank you for sharing today. I have been following this tour and The Last Archangel sounds like a really good read.
Michael D. Young says
Thanks Kris for inviting me to your blog!