murder.booklocker.com

A while ago I wrote about the happy accidents that some time occur when you’re writing (Unnerved). I could envy the people who know down to the most minute detail what they’re going to write for a particular character and how it works with the rest of story. But I don’t.

I’ve been typing away about a party — who was there, what they were wearing, etc. At the end of the party, everyone goes home but the murder victim, whose body is found the next day. That was my plan. Hadn’t thought any farther than that. I figured the words would just come and all I would need to do is give it a nudge now and then.

So, here I am typing in the description of this character (it’s a Halloween party). Then I said to myself, hmm, the wife. What’s his wife wearing? Does it match his outfit? I took a break for lunch before I answered it. And then, voila, right in the middle of a game of solitaire, it hit me. If he’s there with his wife, well, duh! She’s gonna notice that he’s not there to drive her home.

I made him a widower. How that will impact the story farther on done the line, I have no idea.