Denim and Diamonds: the story behind the story
If you've followed my blog at all, you know that I am an avid NaNo'er. It began for me in 2004 - the first year I participated and the first year I won. I should add, also the first year I completed a first draft of a novel. It was tough, yet easy. Difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't tried it. But it was an experience that was life-changing, and I am still very proud of that story (and oh, how I cried when I typed the words, "THE END").
Lots of people have asked me where I got the idea for Denim & Diamonds. The story started to niggle at my brain back in the mid-1990s, when I was working at a law firm as a receptionist/legal secretary. I worked on a trust that was created by a woman who was estranged from her kids. She owned a farm with several horses, and had a couple who worked with her who helped take care of the horses (and her). One of the things that she considered was a trust for the horses - and the gist of it was that whoever took care of the horses got her money. I think. Or something like that. But the general story intrigued me (in fact, my will used to be set up so that my parents got my estate, with the caveat that they had to take care of my Maine Coon cats until they each died of natural causes), and I began to wonder what if. What if a man and his daughter were estranged? What if the man really loved his daughter, but the daughter had no idea? What if the man wanted to share his life with her, but his attempts were rebuffed? What if he was worth a ton of money, and knew that would entice her? What if he knew that everything would be so much better for her if he could only convince her to try his life for a while? What if his heart's desire was for her to move to the ranch and fall in love and spend the rest of her life there with her own family . . . his heirs? What if the ranch foreman was a ruggedly handsome cowboy whose secret wish was to fall in love and spend the rest of his life on the ranch with a family of his own?
Yes, those what if's wandered around in my brain for nearly a decade before I sat down in front of my laptop and started typing.
I am considering releasing Denim and Diamonds via this blog in serial form . . . on each Friday. This will be the "draft" version that was released in paperback in 2006.
And let's have a contest for this weekly release. Submit your suggested name for the Friday Feature by the end of May by commenting on this post. I'll announce the winner in the coming weeks . . and the winner will get his/her choice of a signed copy of Denim and Diamonds OR Bridges: Writing Across Callaway County .
(oh, yeah . . . the paralegal side of me is pecking the writer side of me on the shoulder. She asked me to remind you that the decision by me is final, yada, yada, yada).
Lots of people have asked me where I got the idea for Denim & Diamonds. The story started to niggle at my brain back in the mid-1990s, when I was working at a law firm as a receptionist/legal secretary. I worked on a trust that was created by a woman who was estranged from her kids. She owned a farm with several horses, and had a couple who worked with her who helped take care of the horses (and her). One of the things that she considered was a trust for the horses - and the gist of it was that whoever took care of the horses got her money. I think. Or something like that. But the general story intrigued me (in fact, my will used to be set up so that my parents got my estate, with the caveat that they had to take care of my Maine Coon cats until they each died of natural causes), and I began to wonder what if. What if a man and his daughter were estranged? What if the man really loved his daughter, but the daughter had no idea? What if the man wanted to share his life with her, but his attempts were rebuffed? What if he was worth a ton of money, and knew that would entice her? What if he knew that everything would be so much better for her if he could only convince her to try his life for a while? What if his heart's desire was for her to move to the ranch and fall in love and spend the rest of her life there with her own family . . . his heirs? What if the ranch foreman was a ruggedly handsome cowboy whose secret wish was to fall in love and spend the rest of his life on the ranch with a family of his own?
Yes, those what if's wandered around in my brain for nearly a decade before I sat down in front of my laptop and started typing.
I am considering releasing Denim and Diamonds via this blog in serial form . . . on each Friday. This will be the "draft" version that was released in paperback in 2006.
And let's have a contest for this weekly release. Submit your suggested name for the Friday Feature by the end of May by commenting on this post. I'll announce the winner in the coming weeks . . and the winner will get his/her choice of a signed copy of Denim and Diamonds OR Bridges: Writing Across Callaway County .
(oh, yeah . . . the paralegal side of me is pecking the writer side of me on the shoulder. She asked me to remind you that the decision by me is final, yada, yada, yada).
Posted by Elle Robb at 5/7/2010 6:25 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: elle robb romance ranch lori robinett national novel writing month nanowrimo cowboys nano
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: elle robb romance ranch lori robinett national novel writing month nanowrimo cowboys nano
A Dash of Diamond
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A serialized novel sounds intriguing...can't come up with any "brilliant" names for the Friday Feature, but I'll stay tuned for it...
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