Over at Bookends author Kimberly Dean has written a great post on writers and their wandering minds. Her new book, What She Wants at Midnight, is written on a the concept that there is someone who bestows dreams on us when we sleep. Interesting concept. (Also one of those-why didn't I think of that-moments.)
But she goes on to ask what we think about when our mind wanders. Is it grocery lists? How we're going to get the laundry done or about an upcoming trip?
I think most writers are a different breed. Do we ever think of mundane things when there's a chunk of time that can be used for creating?
Last night on the way home from a fundraiser I was stopped behind a car whose bumper sticker said "Aquittal". First I thought: lawyer? Then: what if it's a criminal who got away with something? Which led to: what if there's a body in the trunk and the criminal is on his way to dump it? And on to: How about if he's a wacko who kills people and leaves them in the trunks of other people's cars? He could pull into not so busy parking lots, jimmy the lock on a trunk, slip in the body and watch the fun.
What would the average person do if they go to the store, bring their groceries out to their car and then pop the trunk and....
What would you do? Now, if you call the police wouldn't they suspect you? And if you had anything shady in your past-could you risk calling the police? So? What would you do?
My family often tells me my mind is a scary place.
How's yours?
6 comments:
I like that scenario, but I'd say that *most* people would probably just scream, run away and call the police, in that order. Especially because unless the body was obviously dead (e.g. chopped up into pieces or totally decomposed), they might assume there was a live person hiding in their trunk to rob them in their house later or something.
However, for those with serious criminal records, it might present a more sticky situation.
Also, the technical details of trunk-lock picking come into play--for example, if the lock was destroyed such that the trunk could be opened but was then unable to be closed again, the cops wouldn't look upon the car owner with quite as much suspicion as if the trunk lock had no damage to it, I would think. Especially newer cars have these fancy automatic-closing trunks, too...
I've seen a couple of dead bodies. They look dead. Soul gone, life drained. Maybe in a panic someone wouldn't look close enough to know but if they did, they would know.
Your points are good. Now I'm curious and I'm going to go research how to pick a lock of a trunk. There must be a way....
Kimberly's post and article were fascinating.
I often dream solutions to problems in my work so I am a firm believer in the process.
I, like you, tend to let my mind wander at times. Well, most times.
I was driving across a mountain pass in Montana and could see myself in buckskins, riding a paint horse through the forest. It was so vivid, I just let my mountain man wander. No idea if the scene will ever make it into a work, but it's so real and beautiful I would love to use it.
JW
That sounds like a great scene. If you write it maybe it will get a life of its own and the story will follow.
I know sometimes images just come to me and I have to write them down.
"I know sometimes images just come to me and I have to write them down."
Yep, that is how Lonely Nights came about. Part of The Sin was also one of those moments.
I just write them down and sooner or later they find a home.
JW
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