“Where do you get your ideas?” It’s a commonly asked question by my readers and friends. And it’s a good question, but one without a specific answer. Sometimes the idea for a story can start with a snippet of a sentence overheard while shopping, or a news story on the radio or TV. Sometimes I think of a place I’d like to write about or an event like a wedding, and then I begin to think of who would be at that place or event and why. That leads to thinking about who the characters in a story are going to be.
The great thing about having a series, is that I know I have a cast of characters, each of which I’ve known for a while now. That doesn’t mean I don’t learn new things about them, in fact it happens all the time. And when you place the members of that cast in a new setting or place, new and surprising things are bound to happen.
Another frequent question I’ll get from people that I know is something like, “Isn’t Danny so and so?” or “Quincy is you, right?” For those who haven’t read my books, Quincy (short for Quinella, don’t tell her I told you) is my main character. Danny is her best flower friend. Many times people who know me or the people in my life, will assume I based my characters on people that I know. It would be very convenient to have walking embodiments of all the characters in my books. I could just write down everything they say and do without having to come up with anything new. But that wouldn’t be very fun. It isn’t to say that I don’t take pieces of “characters” I’ve known in my life, or that I’ve encountered in any situation and use those pieces along with others to create a character in a book. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Some of those pieces come from something Aunt Thelma used to say, or something Cousin Brad used to do, or the way Coach Jones used to talk to us at halftime.
They say write what you know, and to some extent, that’s what I’ve tried to do. I wrote the flower shop mystery series, and guess what? I own and manage a full-service flower shop. While the setting is something I know, if I wrote about the actually daily occurrences, it might make for a boring book. A pretty picture book, maybe, but not very interesting fiction.
The flower business is great for getting a peek into a variety of emotional experiences for customers. On a daily basis, we are witness to the highest and the lowest points in a person’s lifetime. I’m honored to be part of a profession where I play a small part in those moments. Those emotional moments can and do give me ideas for stories too.
So the answer to the big question is: everywhere. I get my ideas from everywhere. So be careful, someday you, or more likely a piece of you my just end up in one of my books!
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Annie Adams is the author of The Flower Shop Mystery series, and is a contributor the Happy Homicides anthology. She lives with her husband, two giant dogs, and two too giant cats in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. When not writing she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van. She's a member of Romance Writers of America, the Utah chapter of RWA (URWA) and the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA (KOD).
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A holiday bonanza! A collection of
traditional mysteries to celebrate the holidays, written by by thirteen
bestselling and award-winning authors. Heartwarming, brain puzzling,
craft-centered, and character driven reads that’ll keep you entertained
for hours. Nearly 800 pages of reading material, plus a special Recipe
and Craft Bonus.
Included are:
Kiki Lowenstein and the Rowan Branch
– (Joanna Campbell Slan) When Horace Goldfader is accused of murder,
Kiki learns how difficult it can be to maintain peace on earth—and to
keep her deathbed promise to her late friend, Dodie.
Cara Mia Delgatto and the Misdirected Gifts
— (Joanna Campbell Slan) Two waylaid items cause Cara to take a break
from her booming retail business and follow her heart. Can a sprinkling of holiday magic create a “happily ever after” ending for all involved?
The Christmas Dog — (Joyce and Jim Lavene) A woman running from her deadly past finds hope, and a dog, at Christmas.
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If you'd like a chance to win an e-copy of Happy Homicides simply leave a comment on this post sharing why you like to read holiday themed mysteries. Leave your comment no later than Wednesday, October 28 2015 at 11:59pm EDT along with an e-mail address so that I can contact you, should yours be the lucky comment. Please participate in the rafflecopter as well!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This cozy book sounds just perfect reading material for the cold winter months.
ReplyDeleteWhen we made suggestions to the cover artist, that's exactly what we were thinking. Thanks for noticing, Jen.
DeleteWow Annie! What a great source of inspiration and storytelling. I never thought about how flowers are so much a part of emotional times in life. Thank you, Kathy, for being a part of the Happy Homicides blog tour!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to be a part of this tour!
DeleteWonderful interview - I also love the way you connect with the emotions and situations of your customers in real life, sharing them in fictitious stories.
ReplyDeleteAnnie is so right. When you think about it, flowers are like airports. They go with highly emotional moments, don't they?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Jen Scott! You won an e-copy of happy Homicides, but you neglected to leave an e-mail address. Please contact me at cozyupwithkathy @ gmail dot com.
ReplyDelete