Retired Lexington Middle School teacher Linda Maguire has written a murder mystery in her new career as an author. She discussed her novel, “The Principal,” with editor Jerry Bellune.

Q. Where did your idea for a novel come from? A. I had the privilege to work with many great principals over the years and knew at least 20 of them quite well. However, having encountered more than one difficult principal, some of these inspired my ideas.

Several characters were already in my head. As I developed characters from my growing-up years, funny times, people I loved, treasured high school friends, experiences and remembrances, I wove memories throughout the story.

More than half the characters were created and others embellished.

Q. What spurred you to turn it into a book?

A. Conversations teachers voiced about their frustrations. For years I wrote things down that people shared. I wanted to write a book when I retired.

My writer son Mark Wallace Maguire said, “Mom, write and get it out. Forget agonizing over ever bloomin’ sentence, just write.”

The first 6 months of retirement I wrote between 4 and 5 hours a day. I was exhausted and mentally drained. I drew from personal remembrances and made lots of stuff up,

Pat Conroy inspired me when he said, “Take what you know and embellish it. That’s why it’s fiction.”

Q. How about your own teaching experience?

A. I loved teaching. I became a teacher because of my 5th-grade teacher, Mary Jo Riggins, in Jacksonville, FL. I had some gifted teachers and knew which ones I wanted to emulate.

I was privileged to teach with a fantastic group of dedicated educators at Lexington Middle School. I experienced great administrators and some that were as difficult as snakes.

I began teaching in Baltimore with a wimpy principal who was scared to death of the kids and locked the door of his office during class changes.

My teaching career here began with Gilbert High School principal Bobby Whitehead, one of the finest principals I have known because of his integrity and love for his faculty.

My father-in-law Harold Maguire was a strong educator, principal and superintendent. He is in the book.

Having lived in Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, and North and South Carolina, over the years I’ve known many principals.

Q. How much became semi-autobiographical?

A. I don’t think one separates his or her life from what they write. Conroy’s writing was a catharsis for him if or some of his pain.

“The Principal” has those elements from some personal pain and what I witnessed around me.

I am partially in the book as several characters. But it is not an autobiographical story of my life or teaching. It is the story of what too much power can do when it is released unmercifully.

This applies in many situations whether it be schools, businesses, or even churches. I re-wrote the ending several times. My husband liked it. I didn’t. One morning about five a.m. I had an idea and re-wrote the ending. After printing it out, he read it and said, “This is it.” I felt like I had birthed another child.

Q. How would you advise readers who are thinking of writing their own book?

A. After I published, I got comments. Everyone gets them, and they usually go like this. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to write a book.”

Many folks have one story that sticks in their head and want that to be a book.

My advice to would-be authors is, “Do it. Don’t wait. Sit down and start writing. Be serious about it, and get it done.” I say that to everyone. Start writing today.