A reader wanted to know how I start a novel. Do I write a line on a napkin, throw together an idea board, maybe begin an outline? That's a good question I haven't thought too much about. I've written several different kinds of books, and each one put me through a different process.

For example, the first novel in my WHISPERS THROUGH TIME series (the book itself is also entitled WHISPERS THROUGH TIME) has two plots running parallel to each other - one historical, the other contemporary. A mystical, time travel-like experience connects the two plots via the main characters, and creates a real mystery. Both plots are based on fact and contain real people, but the contemporary storyline itself is fictional.

The second novel in this series (JOURNEY OF THE HEART), which I'm working on now, is built the same way. Both these books require story boards and outlines just because the concept is complicated and I need to keep my head on straight, but more often than not twists in the plot come directly from research and jump right onto the page.

I believe the first paragraph of any book is the most important, and the first paragraph almost always comes to me, unbidden and in the middle of the night. My newest novel, entitled TIP THE PIANO MAN, was published by The Wild Rose Press and released in 2024. It starts this way:

"Piper Callaghan pushed the concealed sliding door in the back of the closet to one side and squeezed through the small opening, listening closely before she finally stepped into the bedroom, just as Mama taught her. The house was silent. When she spied the twisted body lying in a pool of blood on the cracked linoleum floor, she crossed the room slowly and stared down at it. An icy numb feeling slid into the pit of her stomach and settled there."

I've written about fourteen full drafts of this novel over the years, but this opening paragraph has remained the same.

Finally, I have a handwritten idea notebook that I often carry with me, especially if I know I'm going to be waiting somewhere for a while, and I've bookmarked hundreds of websites that have tickled my imagination while I'm waiting. I also love to watch facial expressions; terrific stories can come from facial expressions, even if you're wrong!

I hope I've answered this question adequately. Please keep them coming!