Kitty Hero Chronicles

Author's Note: The Story Behind the Story

It was the week of October 12, 2015, and I was struggling to decide whether or not to participate in the first NaNoWriMo since 2009, when I'd won my first NaNoWriMo competition...and then abandoned the resulting novel for five years (see external link for the story about this).

On the one hand, I was itching to write new fiction. 2015 had been the year I made the decision to become dedicated to writing no matter what, and I was able to accomplish many of my goals including:

• Joining not one but two writer's groups

• Joining Wattpad for the first time and writing/editing a whopping 5 stories during 2015

• Actually finishing the novel I mentioned abandoning above (this was a BIG one for me)

And a few more, one of which includes the story behind the story of Kitty Hero Chronicles that I'm relating to you right now.

October is normally the time when NaNoWriMo enthusiasts begin plotting their novels, gathering character ideas, brainstorming, etc., so they won't be hindered in their writing come November. You can imagine my anxiety in knowing October had already arrived and the first day of NaNoWriMo was just weeks away. Was I ready to commit and prove myself a true writer? Was I ready to "put my money where my mouth was" and prove to myself that I could follow my current writing streak with the ultimate writing challenge—writing a novel (50,000 words) in only 30 days?

Up to that point, I had no ideas whatsoever on what to even begin writing for the challenge. As it happened, my wife and I decided to take our vacation during the second week of October. We settled on Fall Creek Falls State Park; more specifically, the Fall Creek Falls Inn (pictured above). It had a wonderful view overlooking the lake, with plenty of benches and areas to enjoy the scenery.

It was just what I needed, in other words, to get my creative juices flowing.

In the midst of all the relaxation that took place (walking trails, taking pictures, playing shuffleboard for the first time and loving it), we ended up taking a trip to the local general store area of the park just a mile or two away from the Inn. I don't quite remember what got the conversation started other than the song "Spider-Pig," a Homer Simpson classic, got stuck in my head and I began singing it out loud.

My wife gave me a look that would have said "What in the world have you come up with this time?" if it could. I explained to her the origin of the song and that I'd just had it stuck in my head for some reason.

It was there that the seed of an idea was planted.

I've heard it stated by famous authors—Stephen King and John Grisham come to mind—that the most commonly asked question among their fans is always "Where do you get your ideas." Well, folks, I've just given you one way to tell. In the middle of a park, not thinking about anything else in particular, a random song comes to mind and generates an idea. This is not always the case, of course; ideas can come to you in many shapes and forms. In fact, there's no limit to how they can show themselves. You just have to be ready when they do, preferably with trusty pen and notebook on hand or nearby.

In my case, I didn't have either. What I did have, though, was a burning idea searing itself into my mind. The kind of idea that sticks like glue and doesn't let go. From the parody song "Spider-Pig" I blurted out my new idea to my wife:

"What if our cat, Java, had superpowers."

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Let that sink in for a minute, and I'll rejoin you in a moment.

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