I would imagine that all writers
are inspired by someone or something they have read - be it a childhood story
that so stimulated the imagination that they embarked on wild adventures that they
would later write about - or, perhaps, reading a gritty page-turner and
realizing that that neighbor down the street who peers out the window with wild
eyes through a crack in the curtain is a villain who needs a story.
And I am no
exception. There are two authors to whom I’m grateful. The first is Harper Lee who
wrote with such poetry that every time I read To Kill a Mockingbird I am once again totally immersed in her
beautiful words. The sounds, the smells, the ‘feel’ of Maycomb become so real
that I can’t put it down, even at the twentieth reading! I will never
write such a book. I spent years trying to find a story in my heart that
equaled it when I finally dawned on me that I didn't need to. It’s
been done - perfectly.
But, I also realized what was
most important to me about To Kill a
Mockingbird. Harper Lee made me want
to write. It took a while, but at the ripe old age of fifty-nine, I finally found
stories that I can tell in my own voice – cozy little mysteries. They’re not great
American novels, but they are fun, little books that can take you out of
yourself for a few hours. And with the stressful lives we all live, I think
they serve a valuable purpose.
The second author who
inspired me greatly was the one who actually gave me a kick start to write Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My. Her
name shall remain unrevealed for two reasons. The first reason is that I've forgotten it.
The second reason (and the
reason I've forgotten it) is that the book she had written was so bad that I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I complained loudly that “apparently anyone
could get published and I wonder who she slept with to do so” or words to that
effect. My charming husband, Tom, then said, “Well, why don’t you write one
yourself?” And a book was born.
So thank you Miss Lee and
Miss Unmemorable for the inspiration to craft words and the incentive to begin
the process.
Check
out mystery writer, Patricia Gligor, at http://pat-writersforum.blosgpot.com.
