Goodreads asked Neil Low:

How do you get inspired to write?

Neil Low My stories are both character driven and plot driven, and that combination keeps me inspired to write. I like to start out with an old, true police case I've found while researching old homicide cases or other police records. Many of my stories come from there, particularly if I read one where the police did a very fine job of investigative work. Then I infuse my characters, private investigators Alan Stewart and Vera Deward, who are often assisted by police detective, Ben Kearney. Once I get my characters briefed on what I want them to do, they often take off on their own and leave me to catch up and take notes on what they've been up to. Of course I was a detective myself and I continue to work in police work, having commanded almost every section on the department. So I know police procedures and have a boiler plate in my brain of how an investigation should go down. I've done hundreds of interviews, and I know how they work and what tactics to employ. My problem is finding the time to write...

flag