Contest Winners and Crime Clues

This week, I'll take a look at another of our newer topics. But first, I'd like to announce the winner of my recent contest, "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?"

Laura Malavé offers up her simple techniques for getting new ideas and stimulating her creativity:

I get my ideas by living observantly. So many of us do not pay attention as life and ideas pass by us. For example, on Dateline a reporter showed a picture of himself to random people on the street and asked them if they recognized him. The people thought and guessed but didn't realize it was the same man asking the question. We are so preoccupied with our problems and anxieties that we do not take the time to just observe the world around.

This wonderful world in which we live is full of ideas. A walk through a park can yield ideas for stories about birds, wildlife, gardening, relaxation, maybe even a children's book about a bunny's adventure through the forest. Even the most mundane of places like the supermarket can be a source of inspiration. How about writing a funny piece on the quirks of grocery shopping, or maybe write that old family favorite recipe down for publication.

Observing the people you interact with can also provide a wealth of ideas. What are these people's stories. What are their fears, dreams, hopes, and loves. Where do they come from, where are they going. Make eye contact, notice their names and mannerisms. By living with more awareness, we can disc over a many ideas that are right before our eyes.

For her entry, Laura will receive a copy of Idea Catcher: An Inspiring Journal for Writers. Ths journal, published by Story Press, is chock full of brief exercises and suggestions for journal entries. Categories for exercises include:

• Ideas
• People and Characters
• Conversation and Dialogue
• Observations
• Names and Titles
• Dreams and Anecdotes

A handy little guide for those times when you're stuck, or when you just want to get in some writing practice and don't know where to start, Idea Catcher is sure to stimulate Laura's creativity!

And now for this week's Suite 101 Books and Writing review:

Detective Fiction is an eclectic site devoted to the detective genre. Don't expect to see reviews of novels. Instead, you'll find word searches, original short fiction by contributing editor Janet Kay Blaylock, and reviews of crime-related references.

In this recent addition to Suite 101.com, Blaylock has been all over the board, offering up her own fiction, with clues to the mystery's solution provided the next week. She's done word puzzles with mystery terms, and reviewed The Complete Crime Writer's Reference Book. She recently began a series in which readers can help Detective Frank Malone solve crimes. The first crime, Murder in the Plaza Hotel, is described in bare-bones detail, with a cast of characters, a description of the scene, and a few clues. Don't peek at the answer (in the form of a word puzzle) that was posted the following week.

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