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"The plot of an Alafair Burke thriller doesn't just rip from the headlines. She's one step ahead of them. 212 scares you and keeps you turning the pages into the wee hours."
— Harlan Coben
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The Stories Behind the Story
Saturday, July 25, 2009
I am writing the author's note for 212, the next Ellie Hatcher novel, to be published in the spring. Like all of my novels, this one was inspired by several real-life stories. In Angel's Tip, I wrote an author's note that specifically identified all of the cases of young women who went missing from luxurious settings that inspired the plot of that novel - Imette St. Guillen, Jennifer Moore, Natalee Holloway. (Unfortunately, that list of similar cases could now include one involving missing woman Laura Garza.)
This time around, with 212, it's not one type of case, but several news stories -- some you've heard of, some you haven't. There's also a couple of real-world Web sites mentioned in the book that seem too bizarre to be true, which means I couldn't have made them up.
How much do readers want to know about the stories behind the story? Does the revelation of those ties between life and fiction make the novel richer? Or does it ruin the magic and feel too "ripped from the headlines"? Labels: 212, Imette St. Guillen, writing
posted by Alafair Burke at 7:54 AM
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Michael Connelly on up-to-the-minute changes
Thursday, June 25, 2009
 The Washington Post had a terrific profile this week on Michael Connelly. I was especially interested in the last minute changes he had to make to The Scarecrow after the Rocky Mountain News, which he references in the novel, ceased to exist just before print day.
I've also had to make changes to novels because of real world developments. My next novel, 212, has a plot line involving an actual website devoted to mean-spirited, anonymous college gossip. It bodes well for humanity that the website has gone under, but it did require me to fictionalize the name of the site. Luckily, the book wasn't on its way to the printer like Michael's. The fact that he could fix it in one page as he did shows he's a master. Have you read The Scarecrow yet? It's another terrific Connelly novel.
In other news, I have a new Facebook Page. Please follow me there! Labels: 212, Michael Connelly, writing
posted by Alafair Burke at 9:23 AM
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