Inspiration Dawns
It's been a quiet day. The propane truck filled the tank, and I did the grocery shopping. The only thing of note that happened is that I came up with a setting for my next book. I haven't got a plot yet, but at least I have a place. Oh, and the name of a protagonist. Hey, it's a start.

I was thinking about fan fiction a few days ago, and wondering what it is about certain series that make them so popular with fan writers. Aside from affection for the main roles, I think the prime attraction is that there are LOTS of characters in the series. The more characters there are, the more romantic/sexual combinations there can be, and the more latitude there is for writers to play with those combinations. Given the time travel element that exists in one way or another with so many series, all of those characters, past and present, are available to the creative fan writer. Wow!

These musings were probably brought on by re-reading the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I'm up to "Sourcery" and am newly amazed by how many named characters the author has tucked into his books. Even the walk-ons who are created and killed off in only a couple of paragraphs have personality. It's a wonderful feat of writing.

Yep, that's it. The formula for success must be the application of crowds. My next book will have a cast of thousands.