Bestselling authors and teachers answer questions in Authorlink interviews about where they get ideas for their stories. 

INTERVIEW: THE SECRET OF SNOW CONNECTS US TO FAMILY

“I always start with what I call a “big question.” It’s something that I’m wrestling with and want to try and answer, and something I think readers are struggling with as well. “–The Secret of Snow, Viola Shipman, Wade Rouse
(Graydon House) 

INTERVIEW: JACQUELYN MITCHARD CAPTURES EMOTION OF MOTHERLY LOVE

 “I was inspired after a chance encounter she had with a woman in a coffee line at a hotel years ago.”–The Good Son, by Jacqueline Mitchard (Mira Books)

INTERVIEW: RIOTS INSPIRE DEBUT ABOUT MONTICELLO REFUGEES

“These stories are my reactions to recent events in my home state of Virginia, from public spectacles to smaller more intimate moments.”–My Monticello, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (Henry Holt & Company)

HOW I GOT THE IDEA FOR ‘WE ARE HOLDING THE PRESIDENT HOSTAGE’

“I can trace a direct line from that book to my characters in ‘We Are Holding the President Hostage.’ Another influence was the fact that I had grown up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in the neighborhood that was the headquarters of Murder Inc. and had observed in person many of the gangsters who were part of that era”.– The late Warren Adler (Authorlink Writing Insights column) 

SEARCH FOR A GOOD READ INSPIRED DENTON’S THE HIDEAWAY

“The short answer is that the story came from me not having anything to read. Now, a little explanation: Reading is such a great escape for me, and I tend to get antsy if I don’t have a good book to sink into at night. I’d been having trouble finding something good to read, so I remember asking myself, ‘If I could pull elements together to make a perfect story, what would it be?’”--Lauren K. Denton, The Hideaway  (Thomas Nelson, 11 April 2017)