Goodreads asked Stephanie Barr:

What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Stephanie Barr That's a good question. On the one hand, at least compared to most of my characters, my life is pretty dull. On the other hand, there are mysteries in my life that have found themselves in the build of my characters, if not driving the actual plot of a book: What makes people do stupid things, even if they're not stupid? What drives a child to be more moral or thoughtful than his or her parent(s)? What does love really mean?

I find myself exploring these kinds of questions as I build characters and as they interact. That's not an exact answer to your question, but it's where I put myself in my books. The plots are exercises in what-if generally far beyond my own experiences.

flag