Behind The Scenes Of My Romantic Suspense Off The Grid

I love those behind the scenes glimpses into the creative process, don’t you? When directors, artists and musicians talk about the inspiration behind their art. For instance Richard Curtis, writer of the film Notting Hill, has said his inspiration for the movie came while he was lying in bed one night. The idea for the plot came to him as “the idea of a very normal person going out with an unbelievably famous person and how that impinges on their lives.”

The birthday dinner scene in Notting Hill is one of my favourite movie scenes. Ordinary gent William Thacker shows up with famous actress Anna Scott to a friend’s house for dinner. From awkward first impressions to heartbreaking confessions, we get a look at how the other dinner guests react to the surprise guest.

It’s the same with novels, of course. I wonder what arrow of inspiration pierced the author’s interest. Sometimes it’s an idea for a plot, a glimpse of a possible character, maybe the concept is driven by theme, premise, or setting.

Setting was certainly the inspiration for my romantic suspense, Off The Grid, set in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia. The first time I heard about the DTES, infamously known as Canada’s poorest urban postal code, the story ideas started flowing. A historical ‘skid road’ because of the city’s history in timber and logging, it has since fallen from grace and is known to many as the Low Track. An area plagued by urban decay associated with poverty, drug use, and crime. Fortunately, for the many people who call the Downtown Eastside their home, the DTES is also known for its community activism. As developers move in to gentrify the neighbourhood and push them out, activists move to stop them.

The stories behind the statistics were the inspiration for my characters: activist and inner city Dr. Sophie Monroe, ambitious Family Law expert Caleb Quinn, and corporate development kingpin Jason Drummond. I couldn’t resist the pull of the Downtown Eastside. It’s a dangerous place. But hope exists there. Families are formed. To a fortunate few, it’s second-chance kind of place. What better setting for a romantic suspense?

Off The Grid is on sale for 99 cents until January 22nd.

How about you? Have a favourite setting? Small or big? Urban or Rural?

Off The Grid by Karyn Good On Sale For 99c www.karyngood.com/blog/