Inspiration

One of the first things people ask me when they hear I've published a book is: "So where did you get the idea?"  For Dawn Hyperdrive and the Galactic Handbag of Death, the idea found me and practically hit me over the head every day for a few weeks.  Here it is:

My youngest daughter was two when I began writing Dawn Hyperdrive, and like all toddlers, she goes through phases where she gets attached to one thing or another.  One week last spring, it was the Disney Peter Pan.  I didn't always watch it with her.  Sometimes I left it on while I cooked dinner or edited someone else's manuscript or folded laundry.  But a few times, I did actually cuddle with her on the sofa and watch the movie.

The idea hit me: What would the story look like if all the gender roles were reversed and it took place now?  What if I just mixed it all up?

So I started with a one-to-one allegory, creating female counterparts to Hook and Pan and John and Michael and making my Wendy a thirteen-year-old boy.  The family name is even the Dearmans, from the Darlings.  But beyond that stage, the allegory broke down into something trite.  Also, I started asking questions.

Peter Pan is all about youth and age and the nature of time and family and belonging.  When you start asking questions about such big ideas, you get surprising answers.  My answers surprised me into a story I never expected to tell.

If you're interested in my answers, go get a copy of Dawn Hyperdrive and the Galactic Handbag of Death at Amazon for Kindles or Kindle apps or at Smashwords for all other e-readers and computers!