December Challenge: Day 8 - It Starts With a "Whoa!"

Good evening! Hope all is well with you. I've been mulling over what to write about today. Several ideas popped into my head, but I'll go with this one. How my brain works an idea is complicated. Whether it's in writing or problem-solving or planning, I have a process. Let's take writing, for instance. I get this idea, some kind of inspiration from people watching or reading an article in the news or just a random personal thought where I might think, "Whoa, now that would make a neat story!" For example, when I wrote my latest project, a mystery, a cozy mystery, I had been watching Arsenic and Old Lace on the classic movie channel. I do love Cary Grant 💓. He plays the role of a  Broadway play writer. His two elderly aunts are kooky as they come. They've decided killing off lonely old men who've come to their house as potential borders is the charitable thing to do. So they poison them with a dose of arsenic in their wine. It's comical. It's dramatic. It's full of murderous fun. 

I decided a cozy mystery set in a Bed and Breakfast with a cast of actors and theater buffs would be great to write. There are the Bellwethers, elderly siblings as crazy as the Brewster sisters. Some references to the Golden Hollywood era, then throw in a murder or two, a bit of romance, and lots of quirky behavior to complete the set-up. And there I had a beginning, someplace to start. Then, the hard work started. Write the story!

Here's one of my pitmad tweets for Boarding With Murder that I used during the Twitter contest last night...

Paradise B&B, the perfect place for a relaxing stay in a quaint and friendly town, but a killer is lurking. The elderly Bellwether siblings are accused of murder, and new B&B owner Alexis wants to help, if only they didn't act so guilty. Cozy spin on ARSENIC & OLD LACE. #pitmad #M

And that's how it's done! 

Enjoy your evening!