One
question I get asked a lot is, “How do you come up with this stuff?” The answer is that my mind is constantly
churning ideas, and it’s much easier to “come up with stuff” than to turn it
off! However, as a writer, I’m always
looking for unusual things to write about so I’m (hopefully) not pigeon-holed,
as many writers end up being. I look for
inspiration in everything that I do and experience, but these are a few of my
favorite ways to get those creative juices flowing.
Music
I
always develop my stories to music. When
I re-read through certain scenes I have written, I can actually hear my
“soundtrack” playing in the background.
Along the same lines, there are certain songs that when I hear them
played, I’m immediately transported into the middle of one of my books, right
inside the scene as if I were really there.
I like to put on some music and completely relax, letting my mind
wander. The music has to fit the mood of
the scene, and sometimes if I find the perfect song, I wear out the replay button.
TV/movies
Let’s
be clear—I am NOT in any way suggesting plagiarism here. That being said, as a mystery writer, I find
CSI very helpful. Before I started
watching, I had no idea about how the science behind forensics or the process
of decomp worked. I remember seeing one
episode where the killer was using laughing gas to immobilize his victims so
that he could set a fire and make it look like they had died accidentally. The reasoning was that laughing gas doesn’t
stay in the lungs for long, so it’s nearly impossible to find during an
autopsy. I wanted to go a little farther
than that, and finally spun an idea about a killer mixing lethal combinations
of meds that the victims were already taking.
Inspiration, not plagiarism.
Friends and family/
Life experiences
Write
what you know! If something funny or
interesting happens to you, put it in your next novel. I do. I’ve
used certain interesting quirks from people I know in my characters. And my heroines always have at least a little
bit of myself in them.
People watching
I
love to people watch. It’s fun to go to
a crowded place and watch humans interact.
You can learn a lot just by watching facial expressions and body
language, which are two things that are very important in writing. If you can accurately describe a character’s
expression and pair it with fitting dialogue, it’s like giving your readers a
glimpse into your own imagination. The
better you can describe people, their appearances, and their interactions with
others, the better your writing will be.
New places
The
last two times I went to the beach, I came home with new story plans. There’s something about staring out across
the beautiful, rhythmic ocean that inspires the romantic side of me. The funny part is, neither story was set at
the beach, but it was inspiring just the same.
Conversely, if you’re setting a book in a big city (that you don’t live
in), go and visit and get the feel of the area.
Don’t be a tourist—act like a local.
The same can be said of small towns.
Even if you live in a small town and your setting is much like where you
live, go and visit another small town in the area. You might find some interesting places or
characters that you can use.
The
bottom line is that inspiration is everywhere.
In the hectic way that most of us live our lives, it’s difficult to
appreciate our surroundings. Take time
to stop and smell the roses—they might just inspire a bright, beautiful idea.
Thanks, Caroline!
IT’S JUST A LITTLE CRUSH by Caroline Fardig is a #1 Bestseller on Barnes & Noble’s Humor and Women Detectives lists! IT’S JUST A LITTLE CRUSH will be on sale for $0.99 through October 24th. Get your copy today!
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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-just-a-little-crush-caroline-fardig/1115238564?ean=2940148471011
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Book blurb:
The sleepy town of Liberty hasn’t seen murder in…well…ever. Residents are stunned when the body of a young woman is found strangled, and reporters at the Liberty Chronicle are thrilled, rather disturbingly, over the biggest news story to hit town this century.
Lizzie Hart has even bigger problems. Lately, she can’t seem to concentrate on her job as copy editor at the Chronicle with the new hunky investigative reporter, Blake Morgan, swaggering around the office. How can a girl work when she’s using all of her energy combating Blake-induced hot flashes and struggling to repress the giggly inner schoolgirl that’s constantly rearing her dorky head? It’s a good thing that Blake barely knows Lizzie exists.
Lizzie Hart has even bigger problems. Lately, she can’t seem to concentrate on her job as copy editor at the Chronicle with the new hunky investigative reporter, Blake Morgan, swaggering around the office. How can a girl work when she’s using all of her energy combating Blake-induced hot flashes and struggling to repress the giggly inner schoolgirl that’s constantly rearing her dorky head? It’s a good thing that Blake barely knows Lizzie exists.
After an odd string of events, however, Lizzie begins to wonder if Blake is really as fabulous as she has fantasized. When Lizzie and Blake find a co-worker dead, Blake’s personality changes completely—and not in a good way. Even though the police rule the death as an accident, Lizzie immediately suspects foul play and senses a connection to the recent murder. She is determined to bring the killer to justice, but is having some trouble getting her Nancy Drew on thanks to the pesky stalker she’s picked up—Blake Morgan. Wait, didn’t she want him to follow her around and pay attention to her? Not like this. Blake has turned from cool and smooth to cold and downright scary, making Lizzie wonder if he should be next on her suspect list.
About the Author:
CAROLINE FARDIG was born and raised in a small town in Indiana. Her working career has been rather eclectic thus far, with occupations including schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom. Finally realizing that she wants to be a writer when she grows up, Caroline has released her debut novel, IT'S JUST A LITTLE CRUSH, now a #1 Bestseller. She is currently hard at work churning out a second novel in the LIZZIE HART MYSTERIES series. She still lives in that same small town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
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Media inquires:
I love the sound of your book, Caroline and look forward to reading it.
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