You might be a writer if...

     If you are constantly turning everyday things - stories in the news, people you meet on the street, objects you see lying about - into stories, you are probably a writer.

     For me, it’s not that I see things and try to imagine stories. It’s more of an OCD thing. Once my brain grabs hold of something, the story runs away on its own.

     Such it was when I saw my new blogger template. As I suffer from decisionitis, this was not my first choice in template. (It will most likely not be my last either, thus the picture in the post so that once I do change it, people still have a shot at understanding this post). I was going for edgy and fun, something that depicted my books, which are sexy, humorous, murder mysteries.

     As you can see, this is not that.

     But I was completely captivated by this house on the hill, with the clouds rolling by (which you can’t see in the still picture) . I instantly wanted to know who lived there and imagined the door opening and people coming out, going down the path to somewhere charming.

     Before long, I had a whole murder plot going, with Hill House (now named) being a B&B that overlooks a quaint (not yet named) town on the eve of its opening, with a haute English owner and a dead body on the floor. She has to solve the murder or she can’t open and will lose everything. Then I needed to know who died. I didn’t want to know. My brain wouldn’t quit until it had an answer.

     The Mayor, of course!

     And it’s reunion time, all kinds of characters are in town for it, some of them staying at our Englishwoman’s B&B.  

     The possibilities for this template kept coming. My first mystery is about an ex-socialite, forced to work at a morgue, who is accused of stealing the body of a murder victim for the mob. I can see the door of Hill House opening and the real body snatcher running down the path, body hoisted over his shoulder. And the holiday theme options make me giddy. That house can be decked out at Christmas brighter than the Griswolds.

     I’m sure part of it is because I recently moved to the mountains and partly because the header is animated it invites something to happen next. But until this story is done in my head,  down on paper or someone else strolls out of that door, this is my template. So let me know what you think of it.

     Writer friends – what’s the craziest thing that has given you a story?