The Flow of Ideas

My first creative writing teacher in college suggested keeping a file of interesting news stories in case you ever became strapped for story ideas.  He said it would come in handy in defusing writers block.  I took him to heart, but somewhere between our townhouse and house, I misplaced the file.  It's a good thing I have yet to miss place my mind though my husband will say that I lost that a long time ago.  I still remember some of the items I cut out.  One of which led to the creation of my mystery novel, MURDEROUS DESCENT.

A famous Hollywood star, whose first wife had met an untimely death, lost his second wife.  She drowned in a backyard swimming pool.  The death was ruled accidental.  However, the writer in me thought it would make a juicy story.  So a sinister plot was born.  The opening scene has the unsuspecting wife having her head smashed against the side of the pool while a blizzard rages outside the enclosure and her husband sits crouched in their bedroom.  Did the husband have a hand in her death?  Well, you'll have to check out my book to have the answer to that one.  I hate it when someone gives away the ending.  It's available on amazon.com. 

My problem is not necessarily the flow of ideas.  It is the lack of time to put all of them down on paper or in today's tech savy world on a disk.  My mind is always active with story possible story ideas or settings and the ideas come from a wide variety of settings.  My sixteen years teaching in the public school system introduced me to a colorful class of characters who often find their way into many of my pieces as well as my time as a stay at home mom.  I cannot say that I have based any characters on one particular person.  They are more of a blend of people from my life that I have met and observed.

I can't say it's the same for all writers, but for me I have always been more of an observer.  Perhaps it is my shyness again coming to the forefront or a characteristic that helps to make a writer.  In the classroom, I always taught my students that writers observe.  It is that acute skill of observation that helps get the details in a story just right.  As a writer, it is your job to transport the reader into another world.  You want your reader to be able to smell the sea air or experience the dirt kicking up onto the legs of a runner or feel the terror of the helpless victim as she takes her last breath.  It is a skill that you develop and then continue to refine with each piece you write. 

Two ideas in particular have been begging for attention.  One came from my recent experience in the Spring Lake Five Mile Race.  I love Spring Lake as a backdrop anyway, but this race is the perfect place for a well-planned murder.  I've been carefully working out the details to this one on my morning runs.  The second came from my time spent around the hockey rink.  I bristle at the term 'hockey mom' and would never want to be identified as one.  However, I do have a terrific page-turner in mind with one at the center of the plot.  Now all I need is more time in the day to write.

Next up:  Why mysteries?