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/
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