1 week ago
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In 2016, a fun bout of unemployment provided the perfect opportunity for me to write my first book. And nobody was more surprised than I was to see how much this activity has radically changed my life. A big one is opening up to new ideas and techniques in writing, storytelling, and creativity. I wanted to focus on this openness, but explaining what goes on inside my bonkers mind when I write requires some prep time.
Today, we have endless entertainment, nearly infinite knowledge at our fingertips, and people are sharing their ideas/opinions like never before. I have always been a sponge for ideas, and it is an amazing time to be alive.
Besides being interested in writing articles, there is a new addition to the part of my mind that processes this endless information stream. After I digest what I initially found interesting (in a non-writing article or other source of information), a secondary analysis takes over. To explain, here is something I stumbled across last week:
Fewer People Are Dying in National Parks. The Ones Who Do Tend to Share This Trait.
The article discusses death statistics from the US national parks, and I quickly grasped the basic details. Otherwise, I had the same reaction as you probably did: “Hmm, I did not know that so many people died in the national parks. Mostly men. Makes sense. Moving on.”
Then a different part of my mind turned on. “Alright, enough about that logical junk. What information in this article will add to my characters? Does this change any of my upcoming plots? How can I use this information to craft more effective motivations for character decisions? Should I include a national park scene in my next book?”
As all those questions circled inside my bonkers mind, I did not locate any gems that would help my present writing. Still, this national park information now occupies a tiny part of my writing mindset. What am I looking to achieve? To subconsciously be a better writer.
Still, you might ask, “How would the above information help because that article is not about writing, plots, or other writing-related content?” True, but it highlights a documented difference in how men and women behave in a national park. Thus, this information helps me craft a plot and changes the way my characters behave. At a very high level, my takeaway is that in a peaceful, natural park setting, men act more foolishly, and there is data to support this. So, if I am writing a peaceful setting, my male character might act a bit more foolish because I have documented permission to add such behavior.
Now, you might be thinking, “We have known that men act foolishly since before the first written word. Plus, this article is not a great resource because it is not a peer-reviewed paper from an established psychological/societal expert. Thus, there is no value to a writer.”
True, but in my mind, this gem still stands out. Perhaps this article offers a different way to explain behavior. Thus, this tiny piece of information is now in my writing tool belt, and I am always on the lookout for new tools.
You’re the best -Bill
June 30, 2026
Hey, book lovers, I published five. Please check them out:
Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.
Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.
Cable Ties. A slow-burning political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.
Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.
Pushed to the Edge of Existence. Just when Kim, Gabe, and Emma’s lives start returning to normal, a mysterious government organization orders them to use their telepathic abilities, and then they travel to an alien planet.
These books are available in softcover and in eBook format.
