An 80’s Movie Explains Everything: The Inspiration for My New Novel 48 States

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT Is Evette Davis, the author of 48 States

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

I may be dating myself, but there is a scene in a classic ’80s movie called Working Girl, where the young assistant has to prove she didn’t steal a business plan and is asked to explain how she came up with the idea. In response, she pulls out a collection of seemingly random news clippings that when strung together validate her idea. 

48 States is a similar story.

I interviewed a panel of female veteran authors for a literary festival at the San Francisco Main Library, around the same time I was reading about the explosion of fracking in the United States. National Geographic published a feature about people who moved to North Dakota to work. One of those highlighted was a mother who left her family behind to drive a haul truck in Williston, ND, because the pay was so much better. I’d also been reading about Japanese Internment camps and had been surprised to know that the entire effort to relocate Japanese Americans had been done by Executive Order, meaning without congressional approval. If you put all of that in the blender of my imagination, you get 48 States. The book took five years and went through several major plot revisions, but the central themes I was interested in: extremism, domestic refugees, and, of course, women who transform themselves, remained the same.  

 Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

I usually write a chapter plan, by hand—in pencil—mapping out points of conflict along the way to ensure readers are kept on the edge of their seats. I did a lot of research and map reading for 48 States. I knew the story would take place in the west and that I would need to get a good handle on streams, rivers, highways, and hiking trails. I also spent time learning about how the United States monitors energy production. I developed character profiles and spent time writing down their backstories and thinking about the territories and what they would be like if they existed. The plot flowed from that rich backstory.

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

For 48 States, the central plot of River, a woman trying to figure out who she wants to be after years of tragedy, and Finn, the man she finds standing in the middle of the road, who disrupts her plans, stayed constant throughout. I had a clear vision for the two of them from the beginning. What was tricky and changed over time is the villains and their motivations. Previous versions included more than one aggressor, including foreign terrorists on U.S. soil. In the end, I decided to keep it simple, and of course, the world changed. Red is over the top for a reason, but his actions, however outlandish, drive the book’s drama and they are plausible. But the plot for 48 States is much more intricate than Red. It’s a series of two-person relationships that each evolve (or devolve) until the six of them converge.

 Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I have more story ideas than time to write. I keep ideas in notebooks and journals and sometimes if I need a break from what I’m working on, I will start writing a piece of the story or a character bio. I love that I have enough ideas to keep me busy for another 10-15 years. It’s always nice to know you have a creative project. In my case, I have a romance series, a spin-off of my urban fantasy trilogy involving a security firm run by super-naturals, and a few stand-alone novels.

How do you choose which story to write next if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I’m not sure, this is the very question I am asking myself. I have another novel being published in early 2023 and then I have to choose what comes next! I may have to ask my readers.

 I have six cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed), and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I have a black lab who usually curls up in her bed next to my desk. I like her company, but I usually send everyone else out of the room and ask them to leave me alone for a few hours.  (Everyone being my husband and daughter.)

Evette Davis is the novelist who created the “Dark Horse” trilogy, including novels Woman King and Dark Horse. The final installment will be published in 2023.

Sarah Adlakha On Writing World War I

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview.

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Sarah Adlakha, author of Midnight on the Marne which is set during the heroism and heartbreak of World War I and in an occupied France in an alternative timeline.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

Midnight on the Marne wouldn’t exist if one of the main characters, George Mountcastle, hadn’t found his way into my debut, She Wouldn’t Change a Thing. In She Wouldn’t Change a Thing, George appears in one of the late chapters as a ninety-four-year-old WWI veteran who’d experienced a phenomenon similar to my main character (repeating certain parts of his life) when he fought in the Second Battle of the Marne during WWI. He turned out to be a crowd favorite, and I couldn’t wait to tell his story. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

I knew the basic premise of George’s story, and since it had already been laid out in my first book, I didn’t have the liberty of changing it too much during the writing process. I also knew that I needed a strong female lead to balance the story being told from a male’s point of view, so I created Marcelle – a French nurse working on the front lines who also doubles as a spy for British intelligence. The story sort of morphed into Marcelle’s as the plot was more firmly established, but I think I found a nice balance between the two.

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

I’m a plotter through and through, so my overall plots don’t seem to change much throughout the drafting and editing process – unless of course my editor points out significant concerns. I spend a lot of time with my characters in my mind before I write their stories, so their actions – or the way they’ll respond to various situations - are pretty well established before they’re put through anything. That’s not to say things don’t change during drafting and editing, but when I have a completed novel in my hands and look back at the original outline and chapter summary, there typically aren’t drastic changes. 

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

My mind is always going, always creating stories. When I was in college, my friends would tease me about the stories I created about random people we might pass in the mall or at dinner. It was never anything malicious, but more a made-up character study – like something you might do in a creative writing class. For example, if a mom walked by in a hurry with her young son, I might create a scenario where she was a single mom who was supposed to be heading to a job interview when her son awoke with a fever. She couldn’t take him to school or daycare, but she didn’t have anyone to watch him – and she couldn’t miss the interview – so she had to call her son’s dad who worked at the mall but was rarely involved in his life. And then that would be the launch point into the plot where a hostage situation at the mall would ensue and she would learn of it while she was in the middle of her interview. Now that I’m an adult with a job and a writing career and a family to care for I’m often forced to rein in my imagination to get things done, but I certainly don’t have a difficult time coming up with material. 

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I let the characters decide for me. I prefer to read – and write – character driven novels. So, while I might have a fantastic story idea, if I can’t seem to cast the right characters in my mind, I know there will be something missing when I put it on paper. I also run my ideas by my agent before I start anything new. She’s heard quite a few, and she’s typically very supportive of my plans, but she’s also very keen and realistic about trends and movements in the market, and she knows where my strengths lie.  

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

My six-year-old dog and my seven-year-old daughter are almost always by my side. It doesn’t make for the most conducive writing environment, but that’s what my life is right now, and I certainly am not wishing it away. When I’m drafting and editing, I need complete silence and no interruptions, so most of my hard-core writing gets done after everyone is asleep at night. My pup stays by my side day and night, but he’s not much of a bother – just when I’m having a late-night snack. When it’s time to head to bed, I usually have to wake him up, but then in the morning I let him sleep in while the rest of us drag ourselves out of bed and start all over. 

Sarah Adlakha is a native of Chicago who now lives along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her husband, three daughters, two horses, and one dog. She started writing fiction shortly after retiring from her psychiatry practice. Her debut novel, She Wouldn’t Change a Thing, was a CNN most anticipated book of 2021. Midnight on the Marne is her second novel.

Death and Transportation: How Hating Her First Job Led Sara Bennett Wealer to Her Next YA Book Idea

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Sara Bennett Wealer, author of Grave Things Like Love which releases today

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

The idea for Grave Things Like Love came to me years ago, while I was working my very first job out of college. I was the transportation reporter for the North Hills News-Record in Pittsburgh, PA, and I HATED it. I yearned to write features, not file stories about gas prices and road construction. One of the small communities I covered had a big yellow Victorian house with a funeral home in it. I’m not sure how I first learned about them—perhaps it was through covering a death that occurred while I was working on a weekend. But I was fascinated by how the family lived upstairs and ran the business below.

I wish I could remember the name of the funeral home. I can still see it so clearly in my head. I also clearly remember them allowing me to spend a few hours there, touring the place and talking with them about the business. I’d planned to write a feature story, but ended up getting a different job and moving to Missouri. I always remembered, though, how interesting I thought it would be to grow up in that setting. It seemed like the perfect young adult novel. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

That was the hard part! My first draft, which took a long time to write since I was dealing with the deaths of both of my parents (how appropriate!) and revising my first Delacorte book, Now & When, wasn’t really a romance, it didn’t have a ghost angle, and I killed off one of the main characters (who got resurrected as a love interest when I decided to go in a new direction).

Elaine, my main character, originally was embarrassed by her family’s business and a major loner. The story wasn’t much fun, so I decided to lean in a little more to the things that people are curious about when dealing with death. I allowed myself to fold in a ghost story, which was inspired by the idea that Elaine could have a love interest who wanted to be a ghost hunter. I allowed Elaine to be more of a regular teen, who might be frustrated sometimes with peoples’ misconceptions of her family business, but who finds the whole thing sort of mundane—until she starts discovering voices from the past. From there, the plot came together much more naturally. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

Not really. I feel like things always evolve as I write them. Often the story I think I want to tell ends up being something totally different by the time I’ve shared it with critique partners and editors and let it marinate. I’m a big reviser!! 

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I usually don’t have a shortage of ideas, but many of them I don’t feel confident in my ability to pull off. Ideas for the longest time came from elements in my life—relationships I remember or something one of my kids did. Those are always just a starting kernel, though. None of my books is truly based on real life. 

Lately, I’ve been more intrigued by ideas than real events. I’ve got one whopper of a story I want to try and tell, and I’m terrified I won’t be able to make it work. For that reason, I’m starting to think I really need to try. 

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I honestly go with whichever one feels the easiest. Sometimes I’ll have the main character’s voice already, or an idea of a few major events. In that case, I’ll get started and see where it takes me. Sometimes I’ll go with whichever idea feels like the most fun. I have to enjoy what I’m writing, otherwise I won’t be able to power through the inevitable slog phase, when everything feels hard. 

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I have a ton of pets and I love every single one of them! My poodle mix Ruby will curl up with me if I’m writing in bed or on the couch. If I’m in my study, my Shepherd mix Foster is in his bed a few feet away. I find their presence comforting, and getting up to feed them or let them outside can be a great way to clear my head when I need it. Cats can be distracting, as I’m sure you know, when they decide they want to lie right on your keyboard or nuzzle your face when you’re trying to edit. But when my grey tiger Muffin decides to curl up in my lap, I feel truly lucky. Those are always good writing session! 

Sara Bennett Wealer grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (the “Little Apple”), where she sang with the choir and wrote for her high school newspaper. She majored in vocal performance at the University of Kansas before deciding she had no business trying to make a career as an opera singer. She transferred to journalism school, where nobody cares if you can hit a high C or convincingly portray a Valkyrie. Since then, Sara has been fortunate to make her living as a writer. She started as a beat reporter, then went on to work in public relations and advertising—even theme park design. Sara lives in Cincinnati with her husband and daughters, and she still sings when her schedule allows—most recently with the May Festival Chorus, the official choir of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.