I’m often asked how I get ideas for my books. I always want to answer, “Where
don’t I get ideas?”
I get character ideas by people watching. I travel quite often, and while I
really detest the whole traveling experience, I use my time wisely—I watch
people. I study them. Yes, even been known to snap a picture of one with my cell
phone because of a certain hairstyle, or quirk, or expression. All of this
information filters down and finds its way into a character. Some of my favorite
character traits used have been gleaned from strangers in an airport.
Newspapers, television, and yes, even those true-crime shows all provide fodder
for my plots. No, I don’t see something or read about it and then just change
minor events for my story. I play a game called what-if. For example, I’ll hear
a story about a woman who shot her husband for having an affair. My mind starts
the game: What if the woman had hired a private detective to get the “goods” on
her husband? What if the private detective had a grudge against the husband for
some wrong years ago? What if the man wasn’t having an affair, but the private
detective made it look like he was, just so his wife would kill him? Oh, what if
the woman didn’t even suspect her husband was having an affair, but this guy who
had a grudge against the husband pretended to be a private detective and sent
incriminating evidence to the wife? . . . and so my mind goes.
I even get ideas from the medical magazines you read in waiting rooms at
doctors’ offices. For instance, the germ of an idea for the last book in the
Justice Seekers series came about while reading a medical article on
familial DNA. I started playing What If again…what if someone committed a crime
and familial DNA helped solve the crime? And thus the last book of the series
was born: STRAND OF
DECEPTION.
Ideas are everywhere, you just have to look for them. Now, back to the what-if
game... What if a writer was on tight deadline? What if she kept playing on
email and the internet instead of making her word count? What if . . .
Comment with your own "What if" questions and answers, and you'll be entered
to win a copy of STRAND OF
DECEPTION!
An excellent premise because what if's never end and are always captivating. (Sharon Berger 11:13am August 8, 2014)
What if a family's dog, named "Digger," dug up part of a body, that another member of the family thought they could get away with burying, after commiting a murder? We all know how this story ends. Your book sounds quite interesting, and I enjoy reading medical thrillers. I haven't read one in quite a while, so this book will top off my Summer reading quite nicely. Congratulations on your book!! (Peggy Roberson 12:28pm August 8, 2014)
What if's are just that, What If's! Marilyn Collins (Marilyn Collins 5:14pm August 8, 2014)
The what if's have been driving me crazy. I have began with the what if my father wasn't release from the hospital, he would be alive, what if I told my cousin that something is telling me this trip is a bad idea, he would have been alive. OK, my life is nothing but life and death decisions. (Kai Wong 7:33pm August 9, 2014)
Now that you called my attention to it, there are a lot of "what ifs" in life. (Anna Speed 2:18pm August 10, 2014)
What if I didn't read this blog I never could have answered this question! (Denise Austin 2:57pm August 10, 2014)
What if you had to write your way out of a dilemma? What if you couldn't pick up your pen from the paper and had to write continuously for 5 minutes like I did in a creative writing class. It makes you want each word to count, because you can't "correct" as you go, but your fingers itch to make the changes. (Alyson Widen 4:13pm August 10, 2014)
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