Sometimes, it begins with a name, that compelling first line, the one that echoes in your head until it’s written down. Other times, it starts with a description that won’t leave my mind.

When I wrote The Ninja Tattoo, I was overwhelmed with the description, but the name wasn’t far behind. I don’t know where the name Teague McMurtry came from. It sprang onto the page with a description and details about him before I knew what was happening.

Inspired by something that happened to me, The Ninja Tattoo was my way of exploring an incident that was really strange and defied other explanation. I don’t know what compelled the bikers I encountered, but I could discover and explain what happened to Teague.

The first line is simple: Early morning sun set the sky on fire, glistening off the water, momentarily blinding him.

When I wrote that sentence, I remembered…