Real Mysteries
Where do you get your story ideas?
People ask me that all the time. The truth is that story ideas come from many different places. I pay close attention to people, to what's happening in the world around me, and especially to what might happen if things go sideways. I watch the way the light bounces off a dark lake and wonder what might be under the surface. Daydreaming is a good technique. Nightdreaming too. But coming up with ideas takes more than just letting your mind roam free. That's why I do a lot of research. I know, research sounds kind of boring. But that all depends on what you're researching, doesn't it? I love to research the weird, the unexplained, the mysterious. I figure if I find something interesting, readers might too. What really happened to Amelia Earhart? Who was D.B. Cooper and did he get away scot-free with all that money? How did a small rowboat wind up floating in a lagoon in one of the most remote places in the world?
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Check out some of my favorite unsolved real-life mysteries by clicking below.
Riddles
Brainteasers, head-scratchers, fabulously clever word play. Don't you just love riddles? People have been riddling each other for a very long time. Can you believe that the world's first recorded riddle is more than 4,000 years old? And did you know there's a riddle sculpture in front of the CIA headquarters building that still isn't solved?
In my mystery novel, my main character has to solve a series of riddles. I won't tell you those riddles now, but I'll share a few of my favorite riddles here. Like this one:
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It is weightless, but you can see it. Put it in a bucket, and it will make the bucket lighter. What is it?
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For the answer and to check out more riddles, click below.
