Friday, January 27, 2023

I Have An Idea! by Vicki Delany

Jenn McKinlay: As a huge fan of the Sherlock Homes Bookshop mysteries, I am just thrilled to welcome Jungle Reds friend and fellow author Vicki Delany. And today, she is letting us glimpse behind the curtain. 


Vicki Delany: “Where do you get your ideas?”

As writers we’re often asked that.  I’d love to get my ideas from the Idea Factory, or maybe Ideas-R-Us. But so far I haven’t found such a convenient place.



What is an idea anyway when it comes to a novel? What does that even mean?

The idea is the spark from which all else flows. Coming up with an idea is pretty easy.  I can give you the ‘idea’ behind one of my books in one sentence. That’s idea is the spark, the germ of the story.

The task now is to turn that one sentence, even one word, into 80,000 words. And that is not so easy.

What has me pondering the origin of an idea at the moment, is my current work-in-progress. I’m writing the fifth in the Tea by the Sea cozy mystery series.  I was in Italy in October with my good friend, the Canadian writer Barbara Fradkin. We were, as one is in Italy, overwhelmed with great art. We’d been to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and were walking through the streets heading for either more art or more food when I told Barbara I was having some trouble coming up with an idea for the next Tea by the Sea book.  One of the paintings we’d most admired at the Uffizi was Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1656).  



(Incidentally, the story behind the famous painting is a mystery writers’ idea in itself.) Barbara laughed and said, “How about a beheading? The main character finds a headless body in a bed at the B&B.”

As I write cozy novels, that wouldn’t quite suit.  Barbara thought some more and said, “a headless doll then. A gift, given anonymously at a bridal shower.”

Bingo! I had my idea. A headless doll is rather creepy, but not out and out gory or repulsive.

What the idea does, in this case the decapitated Raggedy Ann doll given as a shower gift, is provide the inciting incident. The point from which all else that happens in the novel flows.  It also sets the scene for character revelations: obviously not all is well between the bride and her friends and family.

How not well?  Someone is murdered later on. Is the shower gift pertinent to the murder? It might not be, but it sets the scene, starts the action, and gives our amateur sleuth character a reason to ask questions.

And, most importantly, it gives me, the author, a jumping off point.

In the Sherlock Holmes bookshop series, the idea is even less than a sentence. It’s a word. In the latest book, The Game is a Footnote, the word is “haunted house”. Okay two words. In next years book, as yet untiled, the word is “séance.” In last year’s novel, A Three Book Problem it’s “country house weekend.”

The idea is the germ from which all else flows.

Another thing most writers can relate to is the experience of someone offering to tell them their great idea, and then suggesting the writer use that idea and they can split the profits from the subsequent bestselling book. Uh, sorry.  If someone provides one word or one sentence, and I provide the other 79,999 words I’m not sharing anything.

Because it’s not the idea, it’s all that flows from the idea.  And that’s the hard part.  Lay down the clues, build the plot, create the characters, put them in an attractive (or otherwise) setting, have a believable sub-climax when the protagonist is threatened or all seems lost. Build it all to a climax and the grand reveal.  Then wrap it all up. 

I have over fifty published books now, and I’ll admit, an idea for something vaguely original is getting harder to come by.  One of the things I’m most struggling with is a way of having the protagonist catch or trick the killer.  You can only have your character eavesdrop on conversations so many times and leap out from behind the curtains to say, “J’Accuse” with pointed finger.  She can only wrestle so much with a deranged killer at the edge of a cliff in a storm at night.

But I’ll get it, eventually, because I started with ‘an idea’.

I’d love to know how the Reds (who have so many fabulous ideas!) generate their own ideas for such amazing and original plots. And readers, any ideas you’d like to share with us?


Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany's eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.


Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it.  Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat.  
 
Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit.
 
Despite Gemma's determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot.
 
Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it?

 

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than fifty: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy.  She is currently writing the Tea by the Sea mysteries, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year-Round Christmas mysteries, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates).

 

Vicki is a past chair of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival.  Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario. 

41 comments:

  1. It certainly sounds as if Gemma and Jayne have their hands full as they find themselves uncovering the secrets of Scarlet House. Congratulations, Vicki, on your newest Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery.

    As for the ideas, I am in awe of the many and varied ideas that writers manage to turn into intriguing tales for readers to enjoy . . . .

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  2. VICKI: I enjoyed reading THE GAME IS A FOOTNOTE. I know the scene with Gemma and the pigs is also based on a real-life experience, right?

    I must admit I rarely read a truly original murder plot. I think readers won't mind if you "re-use" a previous idea/murder weapon used in one of your many previous books!

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    1. The pig incident did happen to me (up to a point). I knew right away it would be marvellous in the book. (Hungry pigs truly are terrifying)

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  3. Congratulations, Vicki! (I'll never catch up with you, LOL.) And I know the feeling of, "Have I used that murder weapon before?"

    I remember early on in my writing career hearing Hallie speak at the New England Crime Bake. She talked about using "Suppose..." and "What if...?" to jump start a plot. I have gotten A LOT of mileage out of those two phrases ever since. Thank you, Hallie!

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  4. I have my copy of THE GAME IS A FOOTNOTE and I'm hoping to start it soon. I adore the series, love Gemma and we read the first book in the series as part of the local library's Mystery Book Club.

    Vicki, I'm curious...have you ever thought of actually having a character come out from behind a curtain and saying "J'Accuse"?

    I'm looking forward to each of your books due out this year and can't wait to get my greedy mystery loving hands on them ASAP.

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    1. No, I never have done that! Hum, might be an idea.

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    2. Love the pun, Vicki! Look forward to reading THE GAME IS A FOOTNOTE! Diana

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  5. Every writer who can take a mere idea and turn it into a full-length story and a good read is a conjuring magician of immense skill, and I take my hat off to them. Thanks for the excellent explanation of the process, Vicki. And congratulations on your latest book. I'm off to find it.

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  6. Congrats on the new book Vicki--you are astonishing! You describe the process perfectly, showing that we get our ideas EVERYWHERE. The headless doll shower gift is priceless, but I'm hoping it wasn't a baby shower LOL

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    1. Baby shower might be a stretch too far. It was a wedding shower.

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  7. Congratulations on your new book, Vicki. I agree with Amanda that any person who can take an idea and turn it into a story is a magician.

    I am intrigued by the picture that inspired the headless doll idea. Paintings and sculptures could provide endless possibilities to authors looking for ideas. Were there other pieces of art that moved you similarly during your trip?

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    1. My trip was definitely about the art. We saw several paintings by still-largely-unknown female artists to do with biblical beheadings, which made us think they were saying something... I particularly loved the Bernini sculptures and discovered a new (to me) Renaissance artist called Giorgio da Castelfranco

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    2. Most of the male artists who depicted the Biblical story of Judith, just showed her with the severed head. I find it so interesting that the female artist depicts the actual act of violence.

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  8. Congrats, Vicki. Like you, my ideas come from everywhere: a snippet of a sentence, and overheard conversation, a story on the local news...the possibilities are endless.

    And I wouldn't split the money either. LOL

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  9. Welcome, welcome welcome! And I love this explanation of how and why writers’ brains work. It is quite the magic, I think, and that first idea is so hard for me, I have to admit. I know there are people who have drawers full of ideas for books, but not me. But you just need one at a time, right? That’s what I keep telling myself. And the ideas show up when you least expect it.
    But every time, I think – – it will never happen again. I will never have another good idea. Anyone else feel that way?
    Congratulations on the new book! It sounds absolutely great.

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    1. Thanks, Hank. Oh yes. With ever single book, I get about half way in and think "this is a total mess. I'll never be able to think my way out of this" and then... I do.

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  10. Thanks for the look behind the curtain. Travel and art would seem to me to be unending sources of inspiration. It's all in how you look at it and where your imagination goes. So amazing that you can pull it all together into a book.

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  11. Vicki, congrats on your juggling act! (Wait, let me count again how many series you are currently writing!) And on your new Sherlock Bookshop book--I'm always on the lookout for new series and somehow I've missed this one! A great dissection of idea to story--fleshing out the idea into a finished story--all those words to flow--that's the part many people don't see when they say "I've got a great idea for a book, if only I had time to write it." You know, a free weekend or so... :-)

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    1. Flora, I highly recommend the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. It is so good that I buy it in hardcover, which for me is one of the best compliments I can give a book/writer.

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    2. Thanks, Jay! That's a compliment indeed!

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  12. Vicki, welcome to JRW!!!! I remember meeting you at my first book conference - Malice Domestic. I discovered your cozy CHRISTMASTOWN mysteries in the book room. Auto buy these books every time a new book in that series is published. And BIG fan of the Lighthouse Library series.

    Congratulations on your Juggling act! The Teashop series and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series are relatively new to me and I read them from the beginning!

    Love how you come up with ideas and expand from one sentence into 80 thousand words!

    Thought of asking the JRW authors who write contemporary mysteries about this idea for a novel since I am writing a historical mystery.

    An Author friend mentioned on social media that a Fake Account stole his photos and set up a Fake account to "meet" women. This is a 21st century mystery.

    If someone was writing a contemporary mystery, WHO would be setting up that Fake account? HOW did they steal the photos? Already know where and when. (From travels to another country and recently). The WHICH could be several suspects then find out WHO....

    And would the person who set up the fake account be a murder victim?

    Just ideas out there.

    Diana

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    1. Fun! Lots of news right now in Canada about houses that have been sold or mortgaged without the homeowner even knowing. Identity theft.

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    2. That happened years ago in Connecticut and now sellers have to provide verifiable identification in order for the transaction to go through. I'm sure that clever thieves are finding ways around it, but at least there is an effort to stop it.

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    3. Clients of a law firm where I worked many years ago were deceived by a real estate scammer who falsely represented himself as the owner/seller of a house they wanted to buy. Fortunately, our clients were able to get their deposit back. The scammer went to jail. Before our clients came along, he had successfully sold a couple of houses that he didn’t own. This is in Connecticut, so it might be related to what Judy mentioned above.

      DebRo

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  13. Life is really hectic at the moment. But! I will always have time for a Vicki Delany. off to find your latest.

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  14. Let me know if you get GPS coordinates for Ideas-R-Us! Mine tend to pop up at the oddest times, almost always spawned by something that is just slightly out of the ordinary!

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  15. Hello, Vicki. I found your discussion of getting inspiration for a new book interesting and useful. I've only written four mysteries, so I'm in a different league, but so far all four grew out of me thinking of a complicated aspect of Swiss life (or, in the case of the upcoming SONS AND BROTHERS, Swiss history) that I knew I'd enjoy researching and then sharing with other people. After that I had to figure out how to fit a murder into the mix. Or, the case of PESTICIDE, which is about organic farming, two murders.

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  16. Congratulations on your latest book, Vicki! I am in awe of authors nourishing that first seed of an idea into a twisty convoluted plot. I'd love to sit down with others and throw out ridiculous ideas that may become stories later. Seeds provided for free!

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  17. Congratulations, Vicki! A new book from you is always a treat to look forward to! Sometimes by the time I get to the end of a book it's hard to remember where the original seed of an idea came from, but you've done a great job of explaining how the process works. Now if it was only so easy to figure out what happens in the middle...

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  18. 50 books - wow! Congratulations, Vicki!! I so agree ideas are precious starting points, and for each of my books or stories I can point to that point. I do write down ideas, even when I don't have a story to put them into. The file I put ideas into is now 108 pages long... None of it ready to be cut and pasted into a manuscript. I think of it as compost.

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    1. Hallie, I LOVE the idea of a compost pile of ideas!

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    2. 108 pages of ideas! You could open a branch of Ideas-R-Us.

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  19. I'm as gobsmacked by 50 books as everyone else, Vicki - congratulations! I've always thought the idea was the easy part (although I've only written 9 3/4 books, so it may just be I haven't stretched to the limit yet. The tricky part is what you did - turning a painting into a beheading into a decapitated dolls head. There's a magic in that I don't really want to look into too closely, for fear of snuffing the fire out.

    I do know if I had $5.00 every time someone approached me and said, "I have an idea..." I'd already be retired!

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  20. "Only" 9 3/4 books. But mighty good ones they are!

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  21. 50 books! That's a stunning number. I love the idea and the characters and stories and setting for your Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries. I am behind in reading them, and I could kick myself for being so. It's one of three series I hope to catch up on this year. I love the clever titles and covers for this series. Congratulations on #8, The Game is a Footnote!

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  22. I love this post so much, Vicki! It's all in the idea. Someday we'll have to have a talk about our ideas that tanked on us :)

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    1. Now that would be a conversation

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    2. Ps. This is me, Vicki, on another device

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