Ask the Author: Susan Schreyer
Answered Questions (2)
Susan Schreyer
Ideas for stories come from so many different sources -- fans, news stories, bits of history, a comment made in passing, the subplot from an earlier story I've completed ... the list goes on and on. When one catches my interest, I'll play the "what if" game and see how my characters respond.
Because I write mysteries, I'll often start with a crime. I may not know who the victim is or even why, but it's something I let my imagination play with. I'm one of those writers who is happy to discuss the "what ifs" with critique partners, and I often find something they mention will send me off on a track that I hadn't anticipated. It's fun, it's play and it's a great way to exercise one's imagination. I work out the details when I outline, so not knowing how I get characters from point A to point G won't bother me.
Because I write mysteries, I'll often start with a crime. I may not know who the victim is or even why, but it's something I let my imagination play with. I'm one of those writers who is happy to discuss the "what ifs" with critique partners, and I often find something they mention will send me off on a track that I hadn't anticipated. It's fun, it's play and it's a great way to exercise one's imagination. I work out the details when I outline, so not knowing how I get characters from point A to point G won't bother me.
Susan Schreyer
My most recent book, Carried Away, although it features my mystery series characters, is not a mystery, but a romantic comedy -- not what I usually write! It's also 3rd person, and from three separate points of view ... also what I don't usually write. The idea came from a fan, who wanted to know what happened at Thea and Paul's second wedding. "It couldn't have been good," she said! I took it as an opportunity to stretch my writing skills and learn how a different genre is constructed. It was fun! I am very pleased with the result and delighted that fan took the time to tell me what she wanted to know about the characters.
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