Behind the Book, Guest Post, Mysteries

Guest Chick: Barbara Howard

Happy Wednesday! Patricia here. It’s my pleasure to welcome Barbara Howard back to Chicks on the Case. Barbara’s chatting with us about author inspiration and purpose. So get your coffee, tea or juice, then sit back and enjoy. Welcome back, Barbara! The coop’s all yours.

The Evolution of My “Why?”

When I first sat down to pen my debut mystery novella series, I had a head full of tangled plot threads and characters who wouldn’t stop talking to me. Like many writers, I was driven by an almost compulsive need to get these stories out of my mind and onto the page. But as I reflect on my journey as a mystery author over the years, I’ve come to recognize how much my purpose—my “why”—has evolved.

I believe inspiration and purpose are two distinct forces in a writer’s life. Inspiration is the spark, that moment when disconnected elements suddenly align into a story idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere: an overheard conversation at

a coffee shop, a peculiar headline, or even the way shadows fall across the face of an empty building at dusk. As writers, we’re particularly attuned to these moments, our minds automatically asking “what if?” when something catches our attention.

But purpose? That’s the engine that powers us through the difficult middle chapters, the third revision, the days when the words refuse to flow. And this is where my evolution has been the most profound.

In the beginning, my purpose was largely self-centered (and I don’t mean that negatively). I wrote to prove I could. I published to validate my storytelling abilities. Each positive review felt like confirmation that I belonged in this community. Each reader who correctly guessed, or was completely surprised by, my carefully constructed twists was evidence of my craftsmanship. My purpose was wrapped up in my identity as a writer and my need for affirmation.

There’s nothing wrong with this starting point, in my opinion. Many of us begin here. But somewhere along the way, perhaps after my first full-length book, my purpose underwent a transformation.

Now when I craft my stories, I’m thinking less about developing my plotting skills and more about creating a sanctuary for my readers. I’ve come to see my books as safe havens where readers can rest for a while, escaping the relentless demands of their everyday lives. The intricate puzzles and suspense I create are no longer just expectations of my genre but invitations to play, to engage, to temporarily set aside real-world concerns.

This shift has changed how I approach everything from character development to pacing. I ask myself different questions now: Will this plot twist energize or exhaust my reader? Does this character feel like someone worth spending time with? Have I created enough moments of respite between the tension?

Don’t misunderstand, I still aim to challenge readers with complex characters and surprising revelations. But my purpose now centers on the reader experience: providing not just entertainment but emotional nourishment, intellectual stimulation, and a welcome retreat from whatever storms they might be weathering.

This evolution hasn’t made writing easier, if anything, it’s raised the stakes, but it has made it infinitely more rewarding. Because now, when a reader tells me they stayed up all night with my book, I know I’ve done more than tell a good story. I’ve created a world where, for a little while at least, they felt at home.

Authors, have you ever revisited your “why” for writing and found that it’s changed?

Readers, if you were a character in a mystery novel, would you be the detective, the red herring, or the surprise twist at the end and why?

Barbara Howard is the 2024 and 2025 Board President of Great Lakes Fiction Writers and the author of mysteries, romantic suspense, and contemporary romance featuring strong female leads and diverse casts. A former Department of Defense Project Manager and KPMG Eastern Region Project Leader, she brings a sharp, layered perspective to stories that explore love, trust, and the lingering impact of the past. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Authors Guild, Crime Writers of Color, and Great Lakes Fiction Writers. Now back in Northeast Ohio, she enjoys treasure hunting, tending her garden, and plotting her next whodunit.

Website: https://barbarahowardbooks.com/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20487490.Barbara_Howard

31 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Barbara Howard”

  3. Welcome, Barbara! I don’t think I’ve deliberately revisited my “why,” but I think it has changed. At first, it was all about me: could I do this and it provided an exercise in creativity that energized me. But as you said, now it’s not just about providing entertainment for me, it’s about doing the same for my reader.

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  4. Interesting thoughts on purpose and inspiration. As a reader, if I were a character in the novel, I’d be the sidekick urging the protagonist along and tossing new theories in the mix. That or the unwitting victim!

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  5. Thanks for your insights, Barbara. I guess I’m not very introspective. I write simply because I enjoy it. If I can create something for someone else to enjoy too, so much the better.

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  6. Barbara, thanks so much for joining us on Chicks today! It’s great to meet you, and what a cool author background and library. I love your writing process. It’s funny, because as a former writer-for-hire for series books, it used to be my job to think *only* of the reader (and following the strict guideline “bibles.”) Decades later, I’ve only recently started thinking about my “why”–making readers happy is still number one, but I’m learning to think about what makes me happiest, too.

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  7. Hi, Barbara! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I started writing because I had a story that wouldn’t get out of my head. As I wrote that story, my then undiagnosed depression subsided somewhat. It was a welcome unanticipated benefit.
    Over the years, I continue to write because making stuff up is still fun and it still keeps the, now diagnosed, depression at arm’s length. I’ll take that 2-for-1 any day. Cheers!

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    2. Hi J.C., Ah, you know first hand how transformative our stories can be in the emotions of our readers. I’m glad your path led you to become a writer for your mental health and for the enjoyment of those who read your words. Stay the course. 🙂

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  8. What a fascinating subject, Barbara. And now I’m thinking about my own writer’s journey. Like you, I started out with a “I’m gonna prove I can actually write a mystery novel!” purpose.

    But then–once I in fact did that–moved on. Now I think a lot more about the reader’s experience, and whether or not the story will be compelling to others rather than me.

    Welcome back to the Chicks today, and thanks for this fun blog post!

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    1. Hi Leslie, The “moving on” part just happens, doesn’t it? Then one day you’re miles down the road and notice something new out of the driver’s side window and wonder, “This looks different. When did we get here?” 😄

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  10. What a thoughtful post. I never considered this. I have had several different writing careers and each came with its own motivation. I wrote plays because characters began talking to me. I wrote magazine articles to support my playwriting habit, eventually transitioning into TV for the same reason. I wrote my first mystery to prove I could write a novel, not a script, and it was my favorite genre. Now I write my series because a) contracts! and b) I’ve created families of characters I’m attached to and at least a few readers are too.

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  11. Hi Barbara: Thank you so much for visiting us today! What a wonderful and thought-provoking post.

    On the author side, I always hope to engage readers through the story (whether they enjoy the mystery or perhaps think about something new).

    On the personal side, my post-surgeries bounce-back has taken much much much longer than I thought it would, so the other why for me right now is sheer determination not to give up! Just want to keep writing and participating in this mystery-writing community I love so much.

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