Ask the Author: Erin E. Adams
Answered Questions (6)
Erin E. Adams
Hey! I saw you found my previous answer to this. Great! If you want more, I also did an issue of my newsletter about inspiration and tackled a bit of the setting there too. You can find it here:
Erin E. Adams
Hey! Oh yes, this is a constant balancing act. Two things here. One, only reveal one key piece of the mystery at a time and track all of it through to the end. That way you are only sharing just enough information to keep readers hooked. Two, plot the mystery backward! If you know where you need to get to, start your main character as far away from that goal as possible. Then take each logical step backward till you get to the beginning. The distance between the start and the conclusion is where your tension lies. Also, accept that some people will guess your ending no matter what. The fun part for readers is seeing how you pull it off. You can also use a red herring or two to throw people on the wrong track, but the red herring must be as plausible as the true culprit. Something that I did starting out was look at thrillers I loved for their structure: what reveals happened and when? Were they character reveals or plot focused? How did they change the story? How did they change my protagonist? How did all the clues add up to the whole of the book? Finally, pulling apart how someone else does something can inspire you and guide you in your own work.
Erin E. Adams
Hi Angie! Thanks for your question. I grew up in the Johnstown area! It’s my hometown and I have a complicated relationship with it. I explore this in JACKAL. While there are plenty of stories set in the rust belt, aspects of Johnstown’s history make it an excellent setting for mystery/horror: The landscape, divisions of class, small town sensibilities, historic tragedy, and so much more. It’s a place full of texture and layers, making it an excellent setting!
Erin E. Adams
Hey Felicia! Thank you for this question. I grew up in the Johnstown area! Specifically Westmont, which is right next door. When I started writing JACKAL I kept including details about the Johnstown flood and other historic events. It got to the point where things were so specific it made sense to set it there.
Erin E. Adams
I get up and go for a walk with my characters and their conflicts.
Erin E. Adams
Getting to look under the hood of a story and learn how it all works. I’m a sucker for structure and theory. I love learning why we love the stories we do and challenging them.
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