Saturday October 27, 2018
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who got on the party bus for the launch of Atonement in Bloom. I can’t describe how much I appreciate everyone who shared and contributed to the launch.
Deme and Honeybell are still in a party mood
I don’t seem to know how to really take a break. I lightened my workload by rerunning Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers (latest episode here). Yet somehow doing the posts still takes a good deal of time. So today, I’m trying harder to take a break. This post re-shares a bit of whimsy I wrote a few years ago — even then I was working on Atonement in Bloom.
Here I explained what I call my “What if?” game.
What Would Happen If There Was a Character Like…
Come on out to play! Are you ready for a little game? It doesn’t require a special arena, equipment, or athletic ability — and it doesn’t cost a cent.
How My Writing Process Begins a New Story
Have you ever played What If? Probably not, since that’s my own little speculative free-thinking game. If I heard something quirky in the news, or if I heard about some “breakthrough” that left everyone scratching their heads as to its usefulness, I liked to use it to start a conversation with a friend.
I’d take the headline a step further and ask, “So what if…” this or that. The other person would throw out a potential next step, and we’d go on with the “what if” getting wilder and more imaginative as we went, although it would still trace back to the original headline or concept. I even did a post about very early in my “blogging career.” It created some fun conversations — some bubbles of what-if.
Ultimately, “what if” is how all of my stories start, from short story to epic fantasy. When I was ready to lay the groundwork to build book-2, Atonement in Bloom, I again read the Celtic/Welsh mythology that loosely inspired book-1. As I read about something the mythological Gwydion fab Don did for another person in that myth, the image of a new character came into my mind. 
What if there was someone like the character that came to mind? The first what if bubbled into more questions. What sort of person would she be? Would she be bad, good, or just a sort of device to drive the new plot?
The chain of what if had begun! What if her presence effected the town? How? If she did have some sort of magical influence, who would be effected and who might be immune? Why? What would be the result of either? As I progressively answered each of the questions that rose from my first “what if,” the character became real to me.
Because of the what if, some existing characters from Atonement, Tennessee grew in depth — in good ways and in bad ways.
The initial “what if” added two other new supernaturals to the cast of characters. The chain of what if also brought a character from the short story, An Atonement, Tennessee Valentine, and the short became tied securely to Atonement in Bloom. I sure wasn’t expecting that to happen!
Most importantly, early on that first what if led me to see the most significant what if of all…
What if, in the midst of a December snow — Atonement, Tennessee came into bloom?
Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I know it’s not quite here yet, but I’ll wish you a happy one anyway.
Thanks again for visiting Atonement, TN. It was wonderful to see you. Come out to play What If by leaving a comment!
I’m so grateful to everyone who hosted the Bloomin’ Party Bus that I’m repeating the Atonement TN Book Fair, beginning with my own shameless self-promotion.
Long awaited sequel to Atonement, Tennessee
Where “atonement” begins
It’s best if you read the first book first. So, for the launch of “Bloom,” Atonement, Tennessee is on sale for 99¢ (e-book). Click Atonement book covers for purchase links.
Includes the prequel
Atonement, TN Book Fair!
Click the author names for more info on the books.
Chris Graham (for Agnes Mae Graham)
Olga Núñez Miret For info about this book click here.
Now available as an audio book too
I think Marge and Ralda would vote for Mary’s cowboys to visit Atonement, TN… Just sayin’…
Jacquie Biggar has a sheriff too…
Valentina Cirasola will help you tour Atonement, TN in style.
Barb Taub will keep you laughing the entire way.
Whimsical poetry from Annette.
Donna Parker will keep your smile alight and whimsy in flight at Yadadarcyyada, Vague Meanderings of the Broke & Obscure. But there’s nothing obscure about delightful Donna.
Patty L. Fletcher of Campbell’s World
This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 and 2018 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
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I’d take the headline a step further and ask, “So what if…” this or that. The other person would throw out a potential next step, and we’d go on with the “what if” getting wilder and more imaginative as we went, although it would still trace back to the original headline or concept. I even did a post about it a couple of years ago. It created some fun conversations — some 
The initial “what if” added two other new supernaturals to the cast of characters. The chain of what if also brought a character from the short story, 
