I just had to share my new logo before I launch into my blog post today.
Like many other authors, my road to being published has not been an easy one, but I've always stayed true to what I love to write and to myself. I'm so grateful for everyone at BWL Publishing, especially Judith Pittman who has received so many of my crazy emails, and Michelle Lee who creates amazing covers!
I printed off two copies of this logo to hang on my wall. I figure it will take several days to actually sink in and a few pinches to my arms to make it real!
Now on with the blog....
I recently realized I collect news stories the way some people collect coins, dolls, or books. They help motivate me and get my creative juices flowing. How can you not be inspired as a mystery writer to read, "Man in ICU after pharmacy mistakenly gives him opioid"?
Or "She said her husband drowned during vacation. Police say she killed him."
Or "Twin acquitted of murder in Hawaii crash that killed sister."
Or "Woman thought her house was haunted until she found her ex-husband living in the attic."
In fact, a news story about a woman's disappearance helped fuel The Bookstore Lady where the main character is on the run from the mobsters she was working for. While Katie wasn't so good at hiding, she managed to eek out a whole new life.
Sometimes, I get caught up in the idea of an outline or a story line that I get stuck and not sure how to move on with a novel. So I surf the web and stumble across one of these headlines. There are usually some great nuggets to help me move forward. For example the one about the woman and her ex-husband is already entwined in a story line for an upcoming Glitter Bay mystery.
Aside from collecting news stories, I also collect lines. One of my favorite was one I used in my novella Murder on Manitou. "I was a drinker with a writing problem." I make it a habit to write down lines I hear whether on television, in a coffee shop, or at work. In fact, I have dozens of napkins, slips of paper, and post-it notes filled with one-liners. Eventually, most of them find their way into my novels and I forget where I heard them or even as prompts for writing meetings.
Here are a few examples of lines I've heard, or read, that caught my attention:
"I like to keep my mind active by plotting revenge." (Who? Me?)
"It's kind of like dating your ex-husband." (Sort of goes with the first one...)
"I can't go to Hell. Satan has a restraining order against me." (Again. No comment.)
"Creativity is one drug I can't live without." (Okay, this is just me on a daily basis.)
"When I found out I had cancer, I turned vegan." (Yup, this one is making it into a book!)
Even images on the Internet or television don't go unnoticed. Things like a dog pulling a little girl away from a lake or cats hiding items beneath the couch. In any good mystery, evidence is not always in plain sight. What if the cat or dog hid it? What if the cat knocked a fishbowl into a crime scene? Any number of scenarios can arise from a single sentence, a news story or even a silly cat video?
Writers, what sort of things trigger ideas for you? Are you flattered when people "borrow" your best lines or a bit put out?
Have a wonderful week!
Diane Bator
