Goodreads asked Lissa Oliver:

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

Lissa Oliver I can't actually think of any mystery in my life, so perhaps that's why I enjoy escaping into mystery and adventure through books. I don't expect I'm alone in sharing a common mystery in "where do things disappear to after I've put them in a safe place?" The Borrowers no doubt arose from that, but there could be a parallel universe containing our prized possessions and our puzzled counterparts wondering why they keep finding things they don't ever remember buying. There's one plot, anyway!
My grandparents passed away before I was born and my parents are gone now, too, so there could be plenty of mystery surrounding my grandfather. My mum once mentioned he served with a particular battalion in the army, which I later found out was renowned for the complete opposite of what my mild-mannered, gentle grandad was remembered as. So many characters in a compelling story have a hidden past, and the things someone was forced into in a time of war could well make for a surprising background.
Already my mind is ticking over - did a disreputable person change his or her outlook as a result of regretted actions? Or did a commendable person have to live with the guilt of actions they could not avoid, or did they behave heroically in avoiding such guilt? A lot of possibilities already. That's how great books get written, by always wondering "what if..?"
When I first wondered about this question I thought perhaps I was missing out on something, so lacking was I in mystery, family skeletons or any sort of excitement. Having considered it more, I think that's for the best. A peaceful life provides all the more time for reading and writing books and there's more than enough mystery in those!

flag