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Writers are inspired by lots of things, like the way the fog settles into the treetops, or childhood memories. I’m a quirky person, which means many of my own childhood memories are, as you’d expect, quirky.

I based one of my favorite Haints characters, Uncle Lacey, on a beloved childhood memory. The real Lacey (not an uncle) had only one eye, was delightfully oblivious to treats unless they were physically touching her, would hop like a rabbit through hay fields, and loved to be held like a baby by my big brother.

She was a dog.

She wasn’t even our dog, technically. We shared custody of her with the neighbor, sort of. But she was mostly our dog.

She had that kind of zen that probably meant she wasn’t all there, mentally, but sometimes I thought it could mean she was actually very wise. It was this puzzle in her personality, plus her wild, blond pelt and the creek-clay eye, that bubbled up in my mind when Uncle Lacey was born on the page.

You’ll be able to meet Uncle Lacey, and the rest of the Whitt family, very soon! The latest incarnation of Haints is due to happen in just a couple of months. Mark your calendars for September, folks!

What’s the strangest inspiration you’ve had in your own art? DM or comment!