If your spy kills someone in Africa, hyenas may eat — and digest — all the evidence, even the bones. Kids books can be a great source of plot-turning trivia.
These come from National Geographic.

50 Awesome Facts (About Everything) | Mental Floss

http://mentalfloss.com/article/58321/50-awesome-facts-about-everything?bypass=1

How do you name your characters? Some of mine just pop into my head, but I have favorite names that I keep starting with and need to change later.
One character got his name when I saw a comination of letters on a license plate and wondered what it could possibly mean.
I also use Social Security data to pick names that were popular in the decade my characters were born or to find surnames I might not think of.
Here’s a list that explains what some names mean. I can imagine calling a woman who owns a cupcake shop Baxter.

30 Family Secrets Hiding in English Surnames

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=58605

I’ve read books this good. Now my goal is to write one.

10 Things That Happen When You Can’t Put Down A Good Book
http://www.buzzfeed.com/nathanwpyle/things-that-happen-when-you-cant-put-down-a-good?s=mobile

Is your protagonist a hero? If that’s your goal, read this and see if he or she has these traits. What happens if your bad guy has them, too?

To Succeed, Be the One Everyone Can Count On | Inc.com

http://www.inc.com/howard-tullman/to-succedd-be-the-one-everyone-can-count-on.html?cid=readmore

For quite a few years, Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, has published its annual Mindset List. It started as a way to remind professors of what their incoming freshmen know and don’t know.
The Mindset List is also a great resource for writers who forget how quickly time passes. The first item on the new list, which was released Tuesday, is a sad reminder that this year’s college freshmen were starting kindergarten on 9/11.

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2018/