Finding Ideas by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #ideas

 

Before a writer can create a book, there must be an idea. I've written a number of books using Katherine Miller and Robespierre. Then the ideas for more stories about her dried up and so I retired her. Then one night as I was falling asleep, and thinking over all the political news and trying to calm myself, an idea. How about involving Katherine in some kind of politics. After all, she is now married to a rich man who might move in those circles.

I tossed this idea around for a bit and knew I really didn't know enough about politicians on the national level of government or even the state area. Put the idea aside for a time. Slowly, I began to think about the mayor of Katherine's town. Yes, I decided. Let's think this over. So I thought and went from her being the mayor's friend and his political rival being the victim of the crime. That didn't suit me. So I put the idea aside.

As I was falling asleep one night, I heard this voice speak. "What do you mean there'll be no Halloween Parade this year." These words began to form other ideas. The COVID epidemic has been declared over in the acute phase. What if the mayor decided not to start the tradition of the Halloween parade now people could move about. This brought to mind Katherine's neighbor and friend, the one with children and foster children. She would certainly be upset about no parade since her children always dressed for the parade and theyhad won a contest one year.

Slowly the ideas came together and I've outlined the plot for Murder and Iced Tea with some new and many old characters. The overweight mayor has a token wife, one daughter who avoids him and a son who thinks father is always right. The mayor also has a friend who acts as a bodyguard. This cast of characters is slowly forming scenes in my head. Someday the book will be written.

All this thought gave me an idea for another mystery series. But that's for another day.