Secrets from the Idea Attic
Where old ideas gather dust… until they become trouble.
My attic is full of half-forgotten treasures—old recipe boxes, chipped teacups I couldn’t part with, mystery novels with cracked spines, and perhaps a suspicious trunk no one has opened in years.
Writers have another kind of attic. Mine lives in notebooks, margins, sticky notes, and scraps of paper tucked into odd places.
That’s where story ideas go when they’re not quite ready.
A line of dialogue. A character name. A murder method—okay, several—I wisely decided needed more research. A note that simply says: What if goats found the body? Yes, that is an actual possibility.
Some ideas arrive polished and ready. Others get carried upstairs to the “idea attic,” where they sit quietly for months—or years—until one day they begin rattling around and demanding attention.
And the funny thing is, some of my favorite story elements have come down from that attic.
A clever dog who sniffs out clues.
A lakeside cooking club where gossip flows as freely as coffee.
A black cat with opinions.
A suspicious box of chocolates.
Even a few quirky characters—I’m looking at you, Ivy and Nadine in my new series— may have started as scribbles I nearly forgot. And, don’t tell my mom, but together those two have many of her qualities—a zest for life, fun, and misadventures.
Anyway, that made me think there’s something comforting about unfinished ideas… they aren’t failures, they’re seeds. Sometimes they simply need the right season.
Maybe that’s true beyond writing, too.
Dreams we put aside. Projects we mean to revisit. Recipes we saved “for someday.” Books we’ve been meaning to write… or read.
Sometimes the good things are just waiting in the attic until we’re ready.
And speaking of attic discoveries, I’ve been rummaging through mine lately while working on my new series, Cooking Club Murder Mysteries, and it’s reminded me how often old ideas return wearing entirely new disguises.
Which makes me wonder… what’s tucked away in your idea attic?
An old hobby you want to revive?
A story you’ve always meant to write?
A recipe card from your grandmother?
A dream you’ve been meaning to dust off?
I’d love to hear. Because around here, even forgotten ideas may be clues. And sometimes… clues lead to cake.
Recipe Corner: “Attic Treasure” Crumb Bars
These remind me of the kind of recipe you’d discover on a flour-smudged card in an old tin.
(Use your favorite jam—blueberry feels especially mysterious.)
Easy Jam Crumb Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup jam
Mix butter, sugar, flour, oats, vanilla, and salt until crumbly.
Press half into a greased 8x8 pan. Spread with jam. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top.
Bake at 350° for 35–40 minutes until golden.
Best enjoyed while plotting your next adventure.
A note from your favorite Small-Town Detective Dog (from the Cooking Club Murder Mysteries)
Tango’s Paw Prints 🐾
Hello!
Tango here with my Detective Tip of the Week: Never ignore an old scent trail
Humans have a habit of thinking something is no longer important just because it’s been sitting around for a while.
A forgotten object.
A quiet corner.
A clue that no one has noticed in days.
But not me.
Old scents tell stories.
They linger. They shift. And sometimes… they lead right back to the moment everything changed.
So if you’re trying to solve a mystery, don’t just look for what’s new.
Go back. Take another look. Follow the trail no one else thinks matters.
That’s where the good clues hide, because sometimes the oldest clues lead to the best discovereis.
(Unless it leads to squirrels. Then all bets are off.)
—Detective Tango 🐾
Thank you for spending this time with me in my Idea Attic.
Until next time, keep a recipe nearby, a good mystery on the table… and watch out for what may be hiding upstairs.
Happy sleuthing,
💙 Emmie
Crime and Croissants is available for pre-order!
With lakeside charm, mouthwatering recipes, and a dash of danger, the Cooking Club Murder Mysteries serve up the perfect bite of cozy crime.
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