Goodreads asked Charles Todd:

How do you get inspired to write?

Charles Todd CHARLES AND CAROLINE: When we start a book, Bess or Rutledge, the first step is going to England to see just where it ought to be set. But how do we know a particular village is the right location? Something will trigger our interest, and we stop to look around. The more we see, the more intriguing that place becomes. It might be the geography, the people, the backdrop of a village’s history, or even the appearance of the village itself. Wolfpit in THE GATE KEEPER is, like most of our settings, a real place, with an interesting past that was intriguing. And before very long, we could see a plot unfolding, characters taking shape. We could see where the bookstore ought to be, and where Mis MacRae and her aunt lived, and the house where Stephen grew up. Frequently we change the name of the village so that we aren’t stepping on the toes of the present-day inhabitants while we plot murder in their midst. Sometimes, if we’re very lucky, we come across a little known bit of village history that plays into the tale that’s taking shape. Or something that we can twist into a different viewpoint. You never know what you’ll find. That’s always so exciting. There again you might spend an hour or two in a village and never feel a thing. No spark, no insight. So you get back in the car and drive on…

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