The idea was originally from a short story that Farmer wrote for an anthology, which she withdrew and then expanded after realizing it was too closely tied to her own life.[1] The novel is partly inspired by Farmer's experience of rescuing a Mexican immigrant from dying in the desert,[1] as is evidenced in the theme of illegal immigration.
On her personal website, Farmer says she wrote the novel for her son, who is dyslexic.[1] Also on her website, Farmer notes that swear words were removed from the manuscript before publication, and that she wished the novel were 50 pages longer.[1]
Farmer chose the scorpion symbol because El Patrón, a main character in the novel, is from the Mexican state of Durango.[1]
Farmer based many of the novel's characters on figures from her life, both in childhood and present day.[1]
