I don\u2019t know about other authors, but my ideas (for nonfiction as well as for fiction) have always come from life experiences, my interests, my curiosities, things I know, things I want to know more about, and my desire to teach and give back.<\/p>\n
When readers tell me how much they enjoy the characters in my book\u2014how when they ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Oliviaposter-225x300.jpg\")
read one of my stories they feel as though they\u2019re spending time with old friends\u2014that thrills me. Some say they\u2019d like to sit down over coffee with some of my characters. Some say they\u2019ve learned more about relationships by reading my Klepto Cat Mysteries. When I hear\/read statements like these I am beyond thrilled. What better compliment can you get than that your characters come across as real and that people actually develop an emotional connection to them?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had some interesting experiences related to my own emotions during the writing process with the Klepto Cat Mysteries. There are some scenes in some of the books that I cannot read or edit without choking up and sometimes actually weeping.<\/p>\n
There are times when I hesitate putting one of the cats in a dangerous situation. I can\u2019t ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Cats-in-window-2015-196x300.jpg\")
bear to write a scene where the cat is suffering or frightened. How do I work through this? I talk myself through the decision\u2014promising a happy and safe ending. You must have conflict and suspense in a story in order to hold the interest of the reader. It\u2019s essential, but sometimes it\u2019s hard on the author. I don\u2019t want to see a favorite character or an animal suffering. If I devise that happy ending to look forward too, then I\u2019m able to write that scenario. Am I too attached to my characters? Perhaps. Is that wrong? I don\u2019t know\u2014it\u2019s just how it is for me. Maybe it\u2019s my emotions that make for a better story. This concept is not something I\u2019ve explored with my author friends.<\/p>\n
The biggest question people have for me\u2014since I\u2019ve produced 51 books in the Klepto Cat Mystery series and have two more in the works as we speak\u2014is how do you come up with the story ideas? I mean it\u2019s one thing to devise and imagine a scenario\u2014but an entire book? 51 totally different storylines? Yeah, I can\u2019t explain that either, anymore than someone can explain why they\u2019re psychic, athletic, poetic, nurturing, artistic\u2026 It\u2019s how my brain works, I guess\u2014how I\u2019m wired. And I\u2019m positive that my many years writing articles for magazines has helped with that. Think about how elastic your thought process has to be in order to stretch to the limits that my Klepto Cat Mysteries encompass. All I can say is it\u2019s my super power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I don\u2019t know about other authors, but my ideas (for nonfiction as well as for fiction) have always come from life experiences, my interests, my curiosities, things I know, things I want to know more about, and my desire to … Continue reading