CAMDEN — At this week’s West Bay Rotary meeting, internationally-recognized novelist of suspense and mystery Tess Gerritsen shared the behind-the-scenes stories of how she wrote her latest thriller (and 37th book), The Spy Coast. Her source for it was her hometown community of Camden.

The book tells the story of an extraordinary community of retired former spies who migrate to a town called Purity in Midcoast Maine. Upon meeting up over the course of everyday life, they realize they have a host of secrets to share with each other from their common careers and past exploits of more than 40 years ago. The plot thickens as they discover a current espionage plot to neutralize one of their own, the book’s central character Maggie Bird.

Gerritsen says she had long been fascinated with such a storyline, which stems from the real-life experience she and her husband discovered when they first moved to Maine 33 years ago. As she retells it, the very first neighbor they met “used to work for the government but couldn’t talk about it.” And they kept hearing that more and more.

She went on to provide her tips on turning out crowd-pleasing novels.

The first thing, she said, is you have to have an idea, “something you can’t stop thinking about.” It haunts you.

Next, it is important that the idea has personal meaning to you. By way of example, she regaled us with her sometimes horrifying experience of raising a teenage son, rife with unpredictable edgy, story-worthy moments, as many parents can relate.

Along with the personal element, a good story must have an emotional draw. You’ll know this if by using yourself as a barometer, the story grabs you – in any way. More than likely, it will elicit some of that same emotion from your reader. She confessed to an empathic identity with her lead character, Maggie Bird, who “spoke to me.”

Another way to determine if you have a good idea or not is to employ the “what if” technique. Ask yourself, “What if this happened… or this… or this?” and see where it goes. Gerritsen says that she does not work from an outline and never knows when she starts what will happen in any of her novels.

Finally, a crucial element in crafting her stories is research. Who and what the story is about is drawn from history and real life. As a former anthropologist as well as a medical doctor, she said you need to dig deep into the place, its history and origins, the origins of your characters, as well as your own experience.

Another hint is to look at where you live. Often stories are in your own backyard. But always, you need to know your place and your people. She felt she knew many of the long-time Mainers in her latest book.

Gerritsen’s talk was rich in stories from her own life, with still more to write about. Proof that she is a long way from retiring, she shared that there will be more from the The Spy Coast, and it already has a working title, “Summer Guests.” But she can’t talk about it… yet.

About West Bay Rotary

West Bay Rotary is celebrating its 38th year of providing “service above self” here in the Midcoast. The club undertakes dozens of community projects as well as fundraising (and “fun-raising”) events, including its annual “Duck Derby,” Chili Challenge, Toboggan Nationals parking, and more. The door for prospective members is always open. The club meets on Thursday mornings from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., currently both in-person and via Zoom, and each meeting features a guest speaker. For more information, go to: www.westbayrotaryofmaine.org.