Where do novels come from? Just as “mighty oaks from little acorns grow,” novels also begin at a specific point, which even the novelist may not recognize until looking back much later. Some writers start with a character—someone they saw at a bus stop, or one that simply springs into their minds and won’t go…
Author: susankimmelwright
Writing my way through life....
Things I’ve Missed
I love bookstores, but was too busy reading (while my husband drove through a pretty little Midwestern town on our road trip) to notice we were passing one. When he pointed it out to me, I jumped out and hustled inside, where I spent a very pleasant hour, browsing the shelves and chatting with the…
The Years the Locust Has Eaten
We just received a rare visit by the 17-year “locusts” or, more properly, cicadas. Many people hate their loud, insistent whirring in the trees—and their thumb-sized winged bodies everywhere. I love them. I think they’re beautiful, and love their summer music. Partly, I know I’m fascinated with them because of their long years underground, and…
Paths
I think mystery readers—and writers—share a fascination with paths. What will happen if I go down this way? What might I find over that way? Maybe there’s a body in the tangle of bushes, or an abandoned house behind that crumbling wall. Of course, our paths aren’t always physical. We’re constantly choosing: to go to…
Susan Kimmel Wright 