There is no mystery as to why the 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries害羞草研究所� television series grows its fan base every year.

Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, each one-hour drama explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch, a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city害羞草研究所檚 most gruesome murders.

Inspiration for each episode is born in a room where six scriptwriters toss ideas about, latching onto the ones that have the most general appeal.

One of the show害羞草研究所檚 successful scriptwriters is Salmon Arm Secondary 1976 grad Paul Aitken, who will be returning to the community in May as a presenter to the Word on the Lake Writers害羞草研究所橣estival.

害羞草研究所淲e call it the hive; different brains operating in the same space and talking freely generate ideas in other people,害羞草研究所� says Aitken, noting he rarely goes into a new season with episode plans. 害羞草研究所淵ou get way more ideas from other people and way more solutions become apparent.害羞草研究所�

Aitken says the hive gets episodes off to a good start, an integral part of the process as 18 episodes are written and filmed in six months.

Stoked with ideas from the collective 害羞草研究所渂rain,害羞草研究所� scriptwriters break off to independently to write the scripts for their assigned episodes, very occasionally collaborating with another writer.

Research is key, a good measure of which is accomplished by searching the Web, often via Google and Wikepedia 害羞草研究所� except for political information, which is often skewed by contributors害羞草研究所� own agendas and false information, Aitken says.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have the resources to hire a lot of staff so we do our own research; it害羞草研究所檚 a fantastic way to waste time if you are disinclined to write,害羞草研究所� he laughs. 害羞草研究所淵ou learn a lot of stuff you didn害羞草研究所檛 know and it害羞草研究所檚 a pleasurable activity in and of itself. Getting into embedded links is a great way to spend a chunk of your day.害羞草研究所�

Writing less costly but more challenging 害羞草研究所渂ottle害羞草研究所� episodes, which are shot in one location and have other constraints are very appealing to Aitken.

These are a little more dense because the story is all that害羞草研究所檚 being sold 害羞草研究所� no big scenes, no action scenes, no big sets, he says of the more complex characterization process that goes into writing a bottle episode.

The process, although more difficult, is much more satisfying when the manuscript is complete and ready for a return to the meeting room.

害羞草研究所淲e meet together to go over the scripts and we害羞草研究所檙e really mean with each other as we correct the manuscripts,害羞草研究所� Aitken says. 害羞草研究所淧roduction (department) decides on what害羞草研究所檚 filmable and what害羞草研究所檚 not, how many people can be hired and film locations.害羞草研究所�

Each episode has its own production limits, which vary on how difficult the plot is to break (figure out the plotting) and the type and complexity of the world in which the episode takes place.

Production for the new season of 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries害羞草研究所� starts in the third week of May, so members of 害羞草研究所渢he hive害羞草研究所� are now breaking stories for eight different episodes.

Aitken害羞草研究所檚 road to the series began when a friend with an in, got him an introduction and a great opportunity, he says of life after university.

After graduating from SASS, Aitken attended University of Victoria, where he followed a curriculum that included 害羞草研究所渆verything and nothing.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t was, he says, a good way to spend his youth. Following university, Aitken moved to Toronto in 1986 to try his hand at writing for television.

He and his friend with the in were successful in pitching a script for 害羞草研究所淭he Campbells害羞草研究所�, a Scottish-Canadian television drama series, produced by Scottish Television and CTV from 1986 to 1990.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 good money. I害羞草研究所檝e developed a craft of writing for TV so I enjoy that,害羞草研究所� he says of his ensuing successful career. 害羞草研究所淲hen you do anything long enough, there害羞草研究所檚 pleasure in exercising a skill that you害羞草研究所檝e learned. It害羞草研究所檚 also one of the few jobs where you necessarily have to do something different every time.害羞草研究所�

As Murdoch Mysteries enters its 11th season, 150 episodes have aired to an increasingly larger fan base.

害羞草研究所淚 would say every person likes something different about the show; most are fans who love the history, so we all dig into the history,害羞草研究所� says Aitken, who has been writing for 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries害羞草研究所� since 2007 and written somewhere between 32 and 35 episodes.

In between writing for 害羞草研究所淭he Campbells害羞草研究所� and securing a long tenure with 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries,害羞草研究所� Aitken says he bounced around from show to show, something scriptwriters do when they are not involved in a longtime project.

The show has hosted a few celebrities over the years, including Stephen Harper.

害羞草研究所淗e has been a fan, at least while he was prime minister, and his daughter wanted him to be on the show,害羞草研究所� says Aitken. 害羞草研究所淗e pulled some strings so, yes, we wrote a part for him in 2004 and he appeared on screen.害羞草研究所�

Aitken says the network is always looking for marketing value and having celebrities appear on the show tends to bring in larger audiences.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 always a good quid pro quo to have people we know make appearances,害羞草研究所� he says noting former 害羞草研究所淒ragon害羞草研究所� Arlene Dickinson of 害羞草研究所淒ragon害羞草研究所檚 Den害羞草研究所� fame, appeared on the show in a 2012 episode called 害羞草研究所淚nvention Convention害羞草研究所� as a possible investor,

An international component comes from the inclusion of actors from England, whose appearance on the program help UKTV sell the program.

害羞草研究所淎mazingly, the show does very well; every year it has been on, more people come to watch the show than leave the show,害羞草研究所� he says, pointing out most television programs have short lives and that even the ones that qualify as hits don害羞草研究所檛 usually make it past nine seasons. 害羞草研究所淕oing into the second season, we thought we had picked all the low-hanging fruit and were asking ourselves where would we get new ideas.害羞草研究所�

By the third year, everyone was feeling more comfortable and Aitken says he can害羞草研究所檛 see any reason not to keep churning out great stories for the show害羞草研究所檚 fans.

The only scriptwriter to have been with the show since its debut is Aitken. While others have left to start their own shows, or in the case of one very talented writer and 害羞草研究所渞eally good guy害羞草研究所� died, the hive is a relatively stable place.

害羞草研究所淕enerally people get on a show like this, they tend to stay. It害羞草研究所檚 a very pleasurable way to spend your day 害羞草研究所� in the company of people who are funny, bright and interesting, in a job where you make people laugh and come up with ideas,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淪ometimes I get weary of the show and the stress it places, because when the machine is humming, we have to meet the need of that machine and it害羞草研究所檚 a constant stress.害羞草研究所�

In his presentation to the Word on the Lake Writers害羞草研究所� Festival, Aitken害羞草研究所檚 goal is to actually create a writers害羞草研究所� room in which participants create an episode.

害羞草研究所淚 have never tried to break a mystery in a couple of hours; I don害羞草研究所檛 know how that will work,害羞草研究所� he laughs.

Aitken also plans to explain why certain decisions are made in the production of 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� the kinds of things that have to be accomplished in a mystery that wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be done in another show.

害羞草研究所淭here are demands that are not in other shows, there are certain constraints in the form,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淲e take more liberties than others and I will talk about what the process is for breaking a mystery and how we do it in the 害羞草研究所淢urdoch Mysteries.害羞草研究所�

Word on the Lake Writers害羞草研究所� Festival runs May 19 to 21 at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Okanagan College.

Sessions will include both skill development workshops and open forums with authors based on questions and answers in an intimate setting.

A Friday night 害羞草研究所渃af茅 lit害羞草研究所� will feature presenters reading from their published works and a gala banquet is always a popular part of the Saturday night program.

For more information or to register, go to wordonthelakewritersfestival.com.