by Shannon Baker
One question writers often get is: How
much of you is in your main character?
With me and Nora, I can answer, not
much. Nora is an avid environmentalist. While I’m concerned about the
environment and I recycle, watch my water usage, take care to save energy and
drive a fuel efficient car, I’m hardly an activist. Inspiration for Nora came
while I lived in Flagstaff and worked at an environmental non-profit, The Grand
Canyon Trust.
One way Nora and I are very much alike
is in our love for Boulder, Colorado. My first experience with Boulder was in
1971, when my family moved there. I was in sixth grade and fell in love with
the Flatirons. Downtown Boulder was the hippy epicenter and though I was too
young to participate in that scene, something about Boulder resonated with my
soul. We only lived there a year and we moved on.
When I got to restart my life, I chose
Boulder in 2003. This time around, I spent as much time as possible hiking and
biking in the mountains and the foothills before life took me away. I landed in
Flagstaff, AZ. Not a bad place and the inspiration for the Nora Abbott Mystery
Series. At the end of Tainted Mountain,
the first in the series, Nora feels like she needs a place to start over. And
where else would she choose but my favorite place, Boulder.
I was thrilled to steep myself in
setting, picture the quirky inhabitants, bask in the shadow of the Flatirons, revel
in the majesty of the Rockies. And then, wonder of wonders, I got a call from a
former colleague recruiting me to join a startup. Me, Nora, Flagstaff, Boulder.
Art imitating life imitating art.
For a few months I didn’t have to
imagine Nora’s surroundings. I biked the same roads, hiked the same trails,
drank beer in the same outdoor cafes. Wait, I don’t have a scene where Nora
drinks beer on the Pearl Street Mall. I probably should have.
Alas, my stay in Boulder ended too soon.
As one friend put it, I’m an itinerate writer. But Nora’s Boulder story is just
beginning. She’s due to hit the shelves March 8th. If you’ve ever
wanted to hang out in the People’s Republic of Boulder for a bit, get your
heart rate amped by murder and weapons of mass destruction, and find out how a
non-profit really works, consider picking up Broken Trust.
As for me, I’m currently writing from
the windswept prairie of southwestern Nebraska. I don’t envision Nora winding
up here anytime soon.
2 comments:
What!! you're in Nebraska now? Love your post, Shannon -- and you seem to do well wherever you are!!
494 days, Vicki, then we're off to Tucson. You know, it's been in the 80s there this week. We'll have a room for you!
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