By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Tweet this: Once Upon a Time
It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. Thunder didn’t rumble, and lightning didn’t streak across the sky.
In fact, it was a summer day in Houston—99+ and the pool felt wonderful. My grandchildren and I were laughing, splashing, 
and enjoying Popsicles.
“Mimi, will we always be able to swim in your pool and play together?”
“I hope so,” I said.
“What about when you’re really old?”
“You might have to help me get in and out of the pool.”
My grandson showed his muscles. “I can do that.”
I smiled. We grandmothers love our grandchildren fiercely. No words can describe the she-bear love that first started with their parents and now their children.
That day in the pool, a story began.
The idea simmered for days and weeks.
The grandmother was feisty, witty, lovable, and knew how to use a gun. She was my kind of woman, but what role would she play in my story?
What if she inherited three grandchildren, ones she never knew existed.
What if she was more terrified of caring for those children than she was facing a firefight?
My story idea didn’t evolve overnight, but started with a single what-if thought. When I took the premise and set my characters and plot in Houston, my city, it came alive. It’s important for me to drive the same streets as my characters, see their homes, eat at their favorite restaurants, select the coffee house they’d frequent, listen to their dialogue, and learn their unique problems, challenges, strengths, and goals. Story is birthed in truth, a single thought that is credible. When I look around me, I see potential for real people, real stories, and real victory.
Once upon a time, a story idea dropped into a writer’s mind . . .
Look for Trial by Fire, a Novella eBook available NOW from Tyndale Publishing.
What amusing events do you recall from your children or grandchildren?
Tweet this: Once Upon a Time
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable 
characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.jhcdev.com/diannmills.
Comments 15
DiAnn, I saw on the CWC email today that you are now the co-director of BRMCWC! I’m so happy to have you in that place. My memories of your encouraging words in 2007 never dim. You are probably the reason I’m still writing. I’ll look forward to seeing you there next year.
Even though I wasn’t present, this is my favorite story about my grandson.My daughter’s family was at the beach for a weekend. As they prepared to dinner after a busy day of splashing through water world, she missed Mason, four years old at the time. She called him and he didn’t answer and so she called again. Still no answer. So in a stern voice she called, “Mason Allen McKeithan, come here right this minute.” He peaked around the corner with the Gideon Bible held up to his ear. In her sweetest voice she said, “Honey, what are you doing?” Mason said, “Mommie, you told me God speaks to me through the Bible and I’m just trying to hear what he wants to tell me.” I will cherish this as long as I live. He’s sixteen now and still wants to know what God has to say to him.
Hi DiAnn,
I have 5 grandchildren, each one with stories. But the first one involved my first grandchild Dustin. We were at an All You Can Eat restaurant. We noticed that Dustin(who wasn’t yet 2) was taking his jello, picking off a piece and eating the rest. When asked what he was doing, he said : ‘like Grandma’…I was eating peel and eat shrimp and he was copying me!
I love this story about where you got the idea and the novella was wonderful! (As if that’s a news flash! LOL) Gonna feature it on my blog soon!
And of course, I love that your books are set in Houston! You can take the girl out of Houston but you can’t take Houston out of the girl!
The funniest things happen with grandchildren, no matter what their age. Jonathan is now 20, but when he was five he wanted to be a dinosaur. He was very adamant about it, and he kept insisting no matter what his almost 8 year old brother told him. Finally the older one said Jonathan couldn’t be a dinosaur because they were extinct. Jonathan replied he didn’t care if they did stink, he was going to be one. They were in the back seat of our car and Rex and I were biting our tongues to keep from laughing as we listened to their conversation.
I love this glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of your story. Your imagination makes me smile, along with your larger-than-life characters. My precious husband told me, many years ago, “You can’t write books yet because you haven’t experienced life.” Amen to that!
Hi Rebecca, but you can take what you have experienced and write a terrific book. Thanks for posting!
Sunday I was in church with my granddaughter (3 1/2), she was singing and wearing a loose dress so twisting o make her dress swing. She stopped, pulled me close to look at my earrings and count the beads, then she pushed my side to get to my other ear and counted those too. then she pipes up “Gramma you have dirt on your eyes, you need to go wash them (eyeshadow)”. I tried so hard not to laugh out loud as were all the other women around us. My princess!
Hi Mary, our 4 year old princess was with us last weekend too. Oh the things they say . . . about getting old.
My first grandchild, a girl, is due in August.
And my daughter lives in the Woodlands, just outside Houston. She manages the Del Frisco restaurant there.
Hi Elizabeth, I know just where your daughter works. Small world! Congrats on that first grandbaby.
I was rocking my grandson one day. He was getting pretty big and starting to hang off my lap, but still wanted to cuddle. I said “What in the world am I going to do when you are too big to hold? I’ll be so sad.” He said “Then I’ll hold you.” Tears, of course.
Hi Ann, oh, that’s so priceless. I hope you never forget his sweet words.
DiAnn, every one of my novels has developed from such an initial thought. People ask us where we get the ideas for our books, and my answer is always, “From what’s happening around us.” Thanks for sharing this story with us. We look forward to the novel that resulted.
Thanks Richard – a writer just experiences life and writes about it.