Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I love reading novels where characters’ faults or virtues play a role in determining their fate.

Take me, for example. I did something stupid on Wednesday that could have taken my day on a completely different trajectory, had I been unluckier than I was. I went to the grocery store to get some of the ingredients for the breakfast casserole on the food blog.

It was already raining, but lightly. I hate carrying things around with me, so I impatiently just hurried into the store without my umbrella. When I came back outside, it was pouring. Most people were intelligently waiting near the door for the rain to let up (which it did in about 3 minutes.) But….I was impatient again and dashed across the pedestrian crosswalk. Note: I did not have my children with me. I tend to use my brain a lot more when they’re around.

It was raining, I was in a hurry, and a young man in a car was, too. He tore out of the parking lot area, swerving left toward me as I ran for my car. He slammed on his brakes and I froze like the proverbial deer in the headlights. I looked at him—pale 20-something with a goatee and a shaken expression, still holding a cell phone to his face. I rested my hand on the hood of his car.

Now, let’s look at this as far as plotting goes. Both my impatience and the young man’s put us in the situation. But what got us out of it? If he hadn’t been as young as he was, maybe his reflexes wouldn’t have been quick enough to stop on a pin like he did. Honestly, his reflexes were a lot faster than mine—I could only stop, not even try to avoid the car.

What are your characters’ virtues and vices? Are they stubborn? Naive? Are they nosy? Do they have an inferiority complex or a superiority one?

What are their characteristics? Do they think quickly on their feet? Are they meticulous? Gifted? Slow? Adventurous? Shy?

It’s interesting to think that you could take one character out of a plot situation, plug in a different character and have a completely different situation happen. What if a distracted mommy had been driving the car that nearly hit me? What if I’d had road-rage (on-foot rage?) and angrily pulled out a gun when I was almost run down? What if I’d been a child and too small for the person to see me?

The next time I get stuck with a plot problem, I’m going to play around with this scenario a little. Maybe I’ve just got the wrong character in the situation. Perhaps the scene was meant for a different character.

And I’m going to start carrying my umbrella.

Please join me today at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for a little Southern comfort food—a little dish I like to call “Breakfast for Supper.” Yes, it’s a breakfast casserole and highly adaptable. Please pop over and check it out.

I promise I’ll be on my home-base on Friday. :) You’ll find me here tomorrow with some tips for character-driven plots.

Today my interview on Lesa’s Book Critiques posts. Honestly, I’ve been more excited by Lesa’s review than anything I’ve gotten from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, or Mystery Scene. That’s because of Lesa’s occupation and my affinity for the place where she spends a great deal of her time. Please head over to her blog to find out more! :)

Hi everybody.  Today Pretty is as Pretty Dies  is being featured on Lesa’s Book Critique blog.  I was really excited by Lesa’s review.  She’s a library manager and professional reviewer and reads a ton of books.  It means a lot to me that she liked mine.

On Wednesday, Lesa’s interview with me will run, so I hope you’ll return for that.

I thought I’d share with y’all a little about my Memphis, TN research trip. I needed to make the trip to put the finishing setting touches on my Memphis barbecue mystery (book one’s deadline is September 1.)

First of all, some handy tips if you’re writing a book set in a place you’re not living in:

It’s very helpful to have a friend in the town to drive you around and explain what you’re looking at. I was lucky enough to have friends of my husband’s family in Memphis. They were able to give me some interesting background on the city and even provided some newspaper clippings they’d kept for me on the street flipper phenomenon (something I knew nothing about.)

Remember to research small things as well as big. I had to do quite a bit of fact-checking. Some of my research even bored me: if residential neighborhoods were within walking distance of Beale Street, if a particular park had playground equipment or if it were simply an entertainment venue-type, etc. This is detail-oriented stuff, but if someone from Memphis reads my book and throws it across the room in disgust….well, that wouldn’t be a good thing.

Call the local Chamber of Commerce. Explain you’re a writer, basing a series in their town. See if they can arrange discounts for you.

Bring your business cards. When I walked into the very elegant Peabody hotel and talked to the manager there, handing them my business card made me look a little more legitimate. Especially since I was rambling on about murders.

Keep those receipts. This is just smart business sense. Keep track of your mileage, your food costs, ticket costs for attractions, etc.

Bring a camera. I looked like a major tourist and took about 400 pictures in Memphis. No, I’m not kidding. But digital cameras make that easy and I’ve got 2 more books (at least) based in Memphis after this one. I took pictures of even the most random things. Who knows what I might need for material later on?

The Good the Bad and the Ugly: Personal Notes from Memphis

The Good: My inlaws’ friends were wonderful guides. They asked me what information I needed for my book. I had a backstage pass for the ducks at the Peabody, I had free food at the Rendezvous restaurant…they were awesome! In addition, my husband’s dad and his wife watched the kids for me and the kids had a wonderful time in Memphis—fishing, shopping, etc. Oh…and Graceland? Oddly peaceful.

The Bad: It was a long drive to Memphis from Charlotte—10.5 hours of driving. That’s at the upper limit of what we’ll drive as a family. But at least the drive was pretty. In addition, although we stayed at a very fancy hotel, we all stayed in the same room. I now realize that my 12 year old son snores and my daughter talks in her sleep all night. Did I mention I’m an insomniac even in good conditions?

The Ugly: When you ask a 7 year old if she thinks she might throw up and she says no……just head for the toilet right then. Do not believe her. Because she’ll just upchuck all over you…..and I know. It’s like they’re in denial or something: “If I say I’m not going to throw up, then I won’t throw up….”

One more note: I know readers will ask why I’ve set a book in a location that I’m not as familiar with. The answer: Berkley Prime Crime asked me to set it in Memphis. I’m nothing if not amiable! :) And it’s a lovely city….I had a great time discovering it.