“Hi, I’m Rod, where are you from?”

Ok, I admit, it sounds like a cheesy one-liner, but seriously, where are you from? As authors, we are constantly seeking the next idea, the idea that might turn into a sellable book or article, the idea that just may put our names on the lips of readers and book sellers. I stumbled onto my recently published book idea quite by accident – although the idea lay dormant in my brain since childhood – and it forced me to realize that every writer had a chance in a genre that we never think about.

I was born in Tampa, Florida. Back in 1960, before I was born, there was a civil rights sit-in at a local Woolworth’s store. Like incidents happened during the same time by young African Americans in high schools all over the South. Here in Tampa, those with knowledge of the city’s civil rights past knew about this historical event, but the newer generation have no idea of the plight their grandparents regularly faced. Right in the middle of downtown, the old Woolworth’s building is sitting there, vacant, dilapidated and abandoned, but on the corner stands a historical marker sharing the story of the time when a group of high school students decided to force a change into the known Jim Crow laws. It was just a part of common life back then, and they weren’t going to continue having any of it.

Two schools participated in the event, Middleton and Blake High schools – both Black schools – and on any other occasion, the biggest local rival schools at the time. This event would change that as a handful of students made it their goal to arrange and execute this sit-in that changed the situation in my town. Both my parents were students at one of the schools when this happened. Their parents forbade their participation, but many of their friends joined the fray.

Walking through downtown one day, I happened to stop right in front of the sign while awaiting traffic so that I could walk across the street. I glanced up, read the sign, and immediately sprung the birth of my newly published picture book Grandma Luther King.

Likewise, a story can spring into your head. Towns have historical events: Rosa Parks and Montgomery, Alabama; the massive immigrations at Ellis Island, New York between 19th and 20th centuries; 1929 Stock Market crash and how it may have affected your municipality (NOT A TOWN EVENT). What happened in your town or state? Is there an event that might even have a personal connection to you or a family member?
The publisher of my picture book loved the story and reveled that there was a personal connection to me.

Maybe a few interviews with locals and with family members might spark an idea for you for your next book. As an author, you have a great gift, your way of managing and mastering words. Weave a storyline to bring that local historical event into a manuscript that can wow a reader and submit it to an agent or publisher.

Our lives are rich with history, our pasts have many stories to share with newer generations of readers. These stories may take the shape and form of fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, graphic novel, or even – like I did – a kid’s picture book.

Now is a great time to investigate and search through local histories and even family historical events that might be shared in a published book with the reading masses, so once again – where are you from?

BIO
Rod Martinez writes juvenile, middle grade & young adult. Growing up on Marvel Comics and Twilight Zone, the inspiration was inevitable. After a challenge by his son to write a story about him and his friends “like the Goonies’ but based in Tampa”, his first novel “The Juniors” was published – and the rest as they say – is history. Check out his picture book “Grandma Luther King” by Flint Hills Publishing at https://amzn.to/3WZCMuT