Inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places, even on a travel channel.
The other day, I found myself spiraling down one of those unplanned internet rabbit holes. I started with a YouTube documentary on combat trauma and somehow ended up watching a travel program about Montana’s quiet, rugged landscapes on GoUSA TV, a channel that highlights lesser-known parts of the United States. Montana isn’t exactly a top-tier tourist destination, but something about its raw, isolated scenery really got to me.
That’s when an idea started to take shape: what if I blended everything I’d watched that night and set my next novel in this underrated American state… with a soldier as the main character?
As a writer, you learn to pay attention to the smallest details. Sometimes it's an overheard conversation, a tiny news headline, or, in this case, a travel show no one expects to lead anywhere. But it did. And just like that, my latest work-in-progress—or WIP, as we writers like to call it—was born.
This new WIP is a crime thriller centered around a U.S. Army soldier who returns to his Montana hometown, hoping to put distance between himself and a haunting past. But the homecoming is anything but peaceful (of course). Instead of finding solace, he runs straight into old wounds that never quite healed.
The story is set in a fictional town that once thrived during the heyday of the smelting industry. Back then, it was a vibrant place full of promise. Now, it’s just a shadow of what it used to be—marked by economic decline, abandonment, and mysterious events that left lasting scars on the community.
One of the most intriguing parts of the plot involves an abandoned amusement park, but that’s a detail I have to keep under wraps for now. What I can say is that this eerie, rusted place plays a key role in the story’s unfolding. And yes, there’s definitely something sinister behind those locked gates.
That’s all I can share for the moment. There’s still a long road ahead before the manuscript is ready for release, but I thought it was worth giving you a peek into the creative process. Sometimes, a story starts in the last place you'd expect, and that’s exactly the kind of surprise that makes writing so addictive.
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