About a year ago, writer/editor Rob Lopresti asked me if I’d be interested in writing a story for his anthology titled, CRIMES AGAINST NATURE: New Stories of Environmental Villainy. I said yes immediately. I admire Rob and was honored to be asked. Also, I loved that half of the authors’ royalties would be distributed to an environmental group of our own choosing. And then, the line-up of authors was fabulous. So all seemed good until I had a deadline and realized I had no idea where to begin to begin the story.

I’ve written plenty of short stories. But usually I start with a character. Who is the protagonist? Why does she care that someone is killed, and what is she going to do about it?
But in this case, the starting point was quite specific. Or as Rob wrote: Each of these mystery stories explores one of the ecological problems we face.
He sent a list of possible topics we could choose. They included acid rain, desertification and waste disposal. How do you write a mystery about waste disposal? (I’m sure someone in the anthology has done it brilliantly, but it defeated me.) I needed to find a way in.
So I began cogitating and panicking, and then I remembered a news article I’d read about a man who, while taking a selfie, fell into Mount Vesuvius and survived. The Italian government was furious because they had to spend a fortune getting him out, and this on top of concerns about tourists who were clogging Venice and trampling and littering and destroying.
Overtourism. The phenomenon whereby certain places of interest are visited by excessive numbers of tourists, causing undesirable effects for the places visited.
I began to think about the sort of person who would fall into a volcano while taking a selfie. Then I began to think about what it would be like to be her daughter. And what if she ran a tour group? In Costa Rica. Where she offered to take people as close to active volcanos as possible. And what if someone on the tour was murdered? Finally, I had a place to begin.
Eventually, this became my story, Eruptions. I decided to donate my money to the Corcovado Foundation, an organization that works to protect Costa Rica’s natural habitat.
What environmental issue would you write about?
SUSAN BREEN is the award-winning author of The Fiction Class and the Maggie Dove mystery series. She is the 2024 winner of the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition. Her new novel, MERRY, is forthcoming from Alcove Press in Fall 2025.
First, love the cover. Which environmental crime would I write about? There’s so many. NPR reported on a couple who started kayaking during Covid. Now they do it just to pick up trash in the Anacostia River. What a cool couple, but you can see the story possibilities here.
Lane, I love that idea. I can totally see murderous possibilities!
I love your process for coming up with a story. So often, my ideas, like yours, are inspired by real-life events. As they say, stranger than fiction!
That’s so true, Connie. I often read a news report and think, if I made that up, no one would believe me.
Really neat learning how you came up with this story idea, Susan. I’m always interested in learning more about the genesis of a story~
Thank you, Marni. I feel like I was especially focused on process in this story.
Susan, you wrote a terrific story on a subject I would not have thought of. By the way, the wonderful cover was created by JT Lindroos. https://oivas.com/
Thank you, Rob. That cover is incredible.
Congratulations on the anthology, and what a great story idea! I love the idea of someone falling into Vesuvius, of all places. My stories seem to start with objects rather than people, and then I keep thinking, what’s up with this THING? Who uses it? Why? What for? etc….
That’s wonderful, Emilya. I’ve never thought of starting with an object.
I loved reading about your process, Susan! What’s funny is my story also touches on overtourism and the influencer / selfie culture. I was inspired by news articles I read, such as the tourists who flocked to see the super bloom near Lake Elsinore and trampled the flowers. Or the tourists who fell off cliffs taking selfies. I think it’s great people want to see the beautiful poppies or national parks, but there’s a delicate balance between appreciating nature and causing damage, either to themselves or the wildlife.
Thanks for telling me, Sarah. It’s such a serious problem because I don’t think people take it seriously enough and the results can be catastrophic. I’m thinking of ambulance drivers who couldn’t navigate roads in Hawaii because they were blocked by tourists watching the volcano erupt. Can’t wait to read your story (and if you’d like to write about it on Miss Demeanors, just let me know).
Susan, I loved reading how you crafted characters and plot through the setting and theme. And the method behind the murder? You had me thinking of all kinds of novel ways to off my characters!
Thank you, Lori. Always good to be an inspiration. 🙂