From my office window, I watched, mesmerized, as a large hawk glided effortlessly in the sky. I’d seen the hawk on several occasions and I was always impressed with him. I didn’t know much about hawks but, on this particular day, I decided to learn more. So I Googled the subject. And what I learned became an important part of the book I was writing: Secrets in Storyville, a small town mystery.
That got me thinking about some of the other characters,
plots and settings I had used in my previous novels and I realized that many of
my ideas came from places and/or people I’d seen in my neighborhood or in the surrounding
area.
One day, while sitting on my porch, I saw a tall, skinny man with a long gray ponytail walking his cat on a leash. For some reason, that got my attention and the man became John Berkley in Mixed Messages, my first Malone mystery. John also had a role in the second book, Unfinished Business.
Another day, I was driving not far from where I live and I
spotted a dark car with tinted windows pulling out of a driveway. An everyday occurrence,
right? But this time, it made an impression on me. I wondered why the windows
were tinted and the scenario I created in my mind was the basis for a major
character: Lawrence Berger, an albino.
The creative process amazes me! A writer never knows when a
sight, a sound, a smell or a few words overheard will trigger an idea. And it
usually happens when we least expect it.
I’m currently working on the second small town mystery: Murder at Maple Ridge. The setting? It’s
based on a house I’d admired for years, about forty-five minutes from where I
live. I love old houses and, like the Victorian in my Malone mysteries, this
house fascinated me.
The point I’m trying to make is that, if you want to
be a writer, you don’t have to travel to exotic places to find inspiration.
Just look out your window and if something catches your eye, like the hawk, let your imagination soar.
