And to what?
Nothing.
My theory of living in places where I base my books has really worked for me. I love being able to accurately detail the settings and the overall feel of the places. But now I’m starting a book that needs to be a bit of a departure from my cozy mysteries, and I don’t know if I want to have it set in Seattle. It obviously can be, but…
“Is something wrong with your food?” Sebastian asks, interrupting my thoughts.
“No, why?”
“Because you got super quiet and you’re frowning.”
“Oh. Sorry. No, I was thinking about…
Us.
Nope. I don’t want to have that conversation tonight.
He’s looking at me expectantly and I blurt out, “I don’t think I want my book to take place in Seattle.”
One dark brow arches—and have I mentioned how sexy it looks when he does that?—and he asks, “What made you think of that?”
Ugh.
“When I mentioned the meal I make after finishing a book, that led me to think about this book I’m about to start,” I explain. “My cozy mysteries took place in Alaska when I started, and I moved there so my writing would be authentic. After a few years, I couldn’t handle the long hours of daylight and decided to move to Seattle. Now that’s the setting for my stories. Or…was. If I’m going to write something completely new to me, I don’t want to carry anything over from my cozy mysteries. I want readers to have a fresh experience.”
Taking a sip of his wine, he doesn’t say anything right away. But when he does, I know he’s put some thought into it. “I’m not an avid reader,” he begins. “I enjoy a good book, but in my downtime, reading isn’t my go-to activity. Every book I’ve read—whether I enjoyed it or not—I never considered how the author got to that point, you know? In my head, an author gets a story idea and then they write it. But I never considered the process of getting it from here,”—he points to his head—“to the page.”
“Every author’s different. Some will plot a book out for months with meticulous notes and mood boards. Others are pantsers who…”
“Wait. I’m sorry. Pantsers?”
I nod. “Yup. It means they fly by the seat of their pants.”
“Ah. Got it. And which one are you?”
“I fall somewhere not quite in the middle, but leaning heavier toward a plotter. My research just happens with me going out and exploring the city. If I don’t set this new book in Seattle, where am I going? Am I moving? Am I just going on vacation somewhere and set the book there and then go back to Washington to write it?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“When you’re writing, how often do you leave the house for inspiration?”
Leaning back, I take a sip of my wine and grin at him. “Are you always this good with knowing what to ask?” I tease.
“I’m genuinely interested in what you do! It’s fascinating. You explained a lot while we were on the plane, but that was just scratching the surface. I’m not creative like that, so I think it’s very cool learning about how you do it.”
“People ask me all the time and it’s really kind of boring because…I’ve just always enjoyed writing stories. Ever since I was little. I used to love creative writing assignments, and being an author is all I’ve ever wanted to be. There’s no magic to it. Not really. Everyone has a talent or a skill, and this is mine. You’re an IT, techy kind of guy. That’s your skill set and I am in awe of it because I can’t do anything like it.”
“Yeah, but your talent is out there for the world to enjoy. No one really enjoys what I do, per se. They just enjoy how it makes their business run smoothly.”
“Talent is talent, and skill is skill. You’re doing something that helps others; I entertain them.”
“You’re not going to brag on yourself? Even a little? You’ve written like…ten books? And two of them were turned into movies! I mean…come on, Liv! That’s seriously impressive! Do you even realize that?”
I nod. “I love what I do, and when a story flows, it’s amazing. The hardest part sometimes is exactly what I’m struggling with right now—getting started. Which leads me back to where is this story going to be set?”
Sebastian takes a bite of his fish and chips, and I finish my lobster roll.
