"I always think in ensembles. I like to think about the team as almost its own character. It has its own arc and people need to have points of connection with each other. They need to have points of conflict with each other, and somehow all of that needs to tie together at the end. So it's starting broad and then eventually narrowing down to the nitty-gritty of what actually happens in a story and how it affects the people involved.They are young adults. They're written for young adults, but I think they're for everyone. And I certainly hear from a readership that's very diverse, and I think the common theme that people tend to come back to is that they do see themselves at least a little bit in some of the characters. Maybe not who they are today, but who they were at one point, and the characters are always going on a journey that parallels the mystery. So it's not just about solving the crime. It's about figuring out who you are. And also figuring out your relationships with the other people who are caught up in this crime with you."Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her books include the One of Us Is Lying series, which has been turned into a television show on Peacock and Netflix, as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and Nothing More to Tell. Karen's critically acclaimed, award-winning work has been translated into more than 40 languages.https://www.karenmcmanus.com@writerkmcon Twitter - Instagramwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org