How do you turn memories into a novel universe?

Marshmallow & Jordan - Gathering story materials

Mar 13, 2024

Last time, I talked about how I came up with the characters Marshmallow and Jordan. I bet you're wondering if I'm all set to start writing the book now that I have a rough idea of the plot and characters, right?

Unfortunately, not yet. This is one of those situations where one question got resolved, but it also opened up more questions. The next step is for me to learn more about Jordan - I have a clear idea of her personality and voice, but I don't know enough about what it's like to live as a person with paraplegia. I want to make sure that I can accurately and respectfully portray a paraplegic character, so I need to understand her everyday routine and her thoughts, motivations, and emotional experiences.

I've spent a lot of time researching what it's like to live with paraplegia. I talked to my doctor friends for advice and watched Special Olympics swimming competitions, studying the body movements of the athletes frame by frame. I try to learn more about kids like Jordan. There was a documentary about a boy named Shakti that inspired me most. His medical history differs from Jordan's, but like Jordan, he has a cheerful, upbeat personality and loves sports. Hearing Shakti talk about his school, goals, and dreams helped me understand Jordan better.

I also spend many hours watching water polo and basketball matches. I often paused and watched the intense moments frame by frame to analyze athlete movements.

So, now that we've got your characters sorted out, the next step is to define the universe in which the story takes place. Lucky, Marshmallow and Jordan's story takes place in Bali, Indonesia, a beautiful and enchanting island. Bali is bursting with vibrant colors, rich history, and cultural traditions from which I could draw inspiration to bring Marshmallow and Jordan's world to life!

Frequent Ask Questions:
Q: How long does it take to do the research?
A: The research is a continuous process throughout the production, as I often discover new things when I start working on a chapter. I like to look for inspiration and problem-solve along the way. However, it took me over six months to begin writing the story's outline and another few months to prepare to write the book.
Q: Why is the research taken so long?
A: There is a lot I have to find out; for example, I don't know much about paraplegic living and sports. I also have a secret confession: I didn't know much about basketball and water polo before working on the book. So... that's why the research is taking forever.

To give the story extra love, I draw inspiration from my childhood memories and those around me. This helps keep the imaginative fantasy world grounded and with a sense of realism. Lynn, Paola, Dad, and Nenek are caricatures of my family and best friends. I pretty much directly copy their personalities, hobbies, quirks, and even their name and put them in the book. Piglet is also hidden in the book as herself, not as an elephant.

Once I have gathered and organized all of my ideas, sketches, and research materials, the next step is to create an outline for the entire book. This outline will be broken down into chapters, each with a summary of what will happen in that chapter. The purpose of this outline is to serve as a guide for me to follow as I create the book.