Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Preparing to Start a New Book

Because I'm in the final editing stages of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery I've been working on, it's time to start thinking about the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery.

On my own blog, I'm asking readers for ideas about what might happen to the ongoing characters. Somethings are fairly easy to figure out because of what happened in the last book. Of course, I want there to be conflict and emergencies--and at least a bit of romance.

Mainly though, I need to come up with an idea for the main plot/crime which will probably be a murder. So--who should it be? A good person or bad? Who would have wanted this person to die? And there needs to be more than one with motive and opportunity, since I don't want the readers to know "who done it". What should be the cause of death?

At the same time, I always like to have other crimes for the men and women on the Rocky Bluff P.D. to work on--since that's the way it is in real life. Of course I've been gathering a few ideas--but I'd like to have some unusual crimes.

With any book with new characters, I'll need names. Fortunately, I've been to a couple of graduations and have kept the programs--many, many interesting names to peruse and choose from.

I do have one character's name--the winner of my last contest, I'll just have to figure out who he'll be. I always have to make sure it's someone who won't have to be in the next book.

And then there's the title. Unlike the last book in the series where I had the title before I wrote the book, I'll have to come up with something new.

So--if you readers of this post have any ideas, do contact me. You can email me if you like at mmeredith@ocsnet.net or just write it in a comment.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith




2 comments:

Morgan Mandel said...

It's often hard to say goodbye to a new book and begin another. I'm almost through writing a sequel to one of my romantic comedies, and intend to write the last book of a thriller trilogy next, which will mean changing gears. However, variety is the spice of life!

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I think of going from one book to the other as donning a different hat and writing persona. Thanks for the comment, Morgan.