Life Writes the Best Stories
When I think about crafting compelling fiction, I believe the most authentic storylines come from our own experiences. My enemies-to-lovers romance with Taylor's dad is a perfect example.
We worked together at a local hospital—same unit, same floor—and I genuinely could not stand the sight of him. I would walk into rooms, see him there, and either roll my eyes and leave, slam things around loudly to show my displeasure, or simply tell him he needed to leave because I needed the space.
When I moved to night shift, he started coming in early every morning, always finding his way to the conference room where I sat doing my charting. He knew I couldn't stand having him in that room with me, but there he was. Every. Single. Morning.
I thought I was doing a pretty good job ignoring him until one morning when Luther Vandross came on the radio and I found myself singing along to every word.
That's when I distinctly heard him say, "She likes Luther Vandross. I'm going to have to add his music to my repertoire."
I remember thinking, "What self-respecting man likes Luther Vandross? What is he playing at?"
But that moment—that one comment about Luther Vandross—was our turning point. Our enemies-to-lovers story started with music, workplace tension, and a man willing to expand his musical horizons for a woman who didn't like him at all.
You can't make that stuff up! Real life provides the emotional authenticity that makes readers believe in love stories, even when they follow familiar romance conventions.
From Dreamer to Discovery Writer
I never set out to be a romance novelist. After leaving my HR job in 2016 to become a freelance writer (which didn't go as planned), I stumbled into book writing almost by accident. It wasn't until I won a publishing package and wrote my first book, Jump into Positivity, that I realized seeing my name on a cover would change everything.
After publishing Yellow Car Bingo, chronicling my journey as a mother navigating special education with my son on the autism spectrum, I challenged myself during National Novel Writing Month to write 50,000 words. What emerged was a compilation of six short romance stories that would eventually become individual novels—including my first romance, Siobhan & Grayson: A Love Half-Baked Romance.
But then my mom passed away, and my writing life came to a screeching halt. I couldn't finish my Love Half-Baked series because mom had read everything, and I didn't have the heart to polish that work without her input.
During a Zoom call with an author whose book resonated with me, she said three words that changed my thinking: "Write something new."
I swear I heard my mom whisper in my ear, "That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time."
That guidance launched my River Bend Romance series. Book one, Refuge in a Storm, opens with the line: "Things have been different since mama passed"—exactly what I felt when I wrote it.
Stories Hiding in Plain Sight
My characters and stories come from plain, everyday experiences and the ordinary people I encounter. That person in line at the grocery store, a conversation overheard at a coffee shop, the way someone handles a difficult situation at work—these moments spark ideas.
When Taylor's dad and I were dating, I contracted the flu and he walked five miles from his house to mine every Sunday so my mom could go to church. Another time when I was sick, I gave him a list of about 20 books I wanted and told him to pick up one or two. Between him and his father, they bought all 20—and these weren't short books. They were 250-300 pagers, because at the time, if a book didn't have at least 250 pages, it wasn't worth my time.
These moments? Perfect bits and pieces to incorporate into a romance novel. Real life gives us the best plot twists.
I'm a die-hard pantser—a discovery writer. I don't know a huge portion of my story before I begin writing. When I started Shelter in the Storm, all I knew was the female main character's name and that she did something as a teenager she wasn't proud of. That's it. Oh, and that there would be a happily ever after. The story didn't take shape until I began writing.
Modern Tools for Ancient Stories
A few months ago, I ran a "Name That Character" contest in my newsletter. Readers submitted character names, and I chose three winners. With just these character names and no plot, I turned to AI as a brainstorming partner.
Let me be clear: AI is a tool, just like a hammer is a tool. My dad was a master carpenter who built the desk I write at today. The hammer didn't build that desk—my dad did. But the hammer allowed him to work more efficiently and create an end product he was proud of.
I use AI for outlining (though I don't follow outlines anyway), character development, visualization, and brainstorming. It handles the prep work that would drive me crazy and take the joy out of discovery writing. But AI can't capture real experiences like my enemies-to-lovers story with Taylor's dad—the genuine moments of friction, surprise, and connection that make fiction feel real.
The heart, the substance, the relatability—that comes from my commitment to representing real people living real lives.
What Matters Most
Throughout this journey, I've learned that crafting fiction that matters means creating characters of substance while following genre conventions. My goal is simple: write characters that everyone can relate to, draw stories from everyday moments, and create fiction that speaks to real human experiences.
Whether it's a sweet romance or a cozy mystery, I want my readers to find pieces of themselves and their world in my stories. Because the best fiction? It comes from authentic human experiences—from the ordinary moments that turn out to be extraordinary when you pay attention.
So the next time someone asks where my ideas come from, I'll tell them the truth: They come from life. From Luther Vandross songs and hospital conference rooms. From five-mile walks in the cold and stacks of 300-page novels. From grief and gratitude and the whisper of my mother's voice telling me to write something new.
They come from everywhere, if you're willing to see them.
P.A. Bumpass is the author of the River Bend Romance series, including Refuge in a Storm, Shelter in the Storm, and Hope in the Storm. Learn more at luckyturtlemedia.com