Monday, December 15, 2014

I Have No Idea...



…what to write about today. Christmas is right around the corner, and as we all know, that means we’ve all been busy. I suppose I could try to come up with something involving Christmas shopping and writing, but that just doesn’t float my boat, nor does it put a hem in my skirt. Aren’t some of the sayings some of us use kind of silly.

Anyway, we went to a gun show yesterday. That could relate to writing. Between the concept of a gun show and some of the interesting people who attended, it could provide fodder for a scene or a book. But, no, I don’t want to go there either.

In “What Are the Odds?” I included a house with a history that’s located out in the desert. The fictional house in the story was based on a real house and some odd things about the place. Friends own the real house and we drove out to visit them after the gun show yesterday.

They have horses, dogs, and they have/had five pregnant goats. One of the goats had two babies on Friday. Another one had two babies on Saturday morning. I’m including a picture of me holding one of the two-day old kids. They are adorable! And, obviously, there are more to come. Get this. At two days old, the kids were already playing with each other. How cool is that?



Two-day old baby goats


 There’s another small (adult) goat named Moonbeam who follows the owner around like a puppy. I never knew goats have personalities. Each of these goats does. There’s another large brown goat named Jack. He smiles the biggest, toothiest grin you ever saw, especially when you scratch behind his ear. Unfortunately, my camera chose the moment Jack smiled to go on the fritz. Oh well… Another time.

 Moonbeam

Although not very Christmasy, it was a fun day. One to be remembered, believe it or not.

Of course, the things that happen to us in real life can serve as a scene in a story, or they might inspire a whole book. I guess it’s all in the way we look at life and the things in it.

Shopping at Christmastime can be quite an experience, especially if you’re brave enough to shop on Black Friday. I tried it once. Never again. However, if you watch people and how they act under those circumstances, you can probably come up with some great characters for a mystery. People aren’t always themselves when it comes to shopping during a huge sale. Mrs. Jekyll can definitely turn into Ms. Hyde during a holiday sale. And people can make or break a story, even if they only have cameo roles.

Well, I guess Christmas shopping can put a hem in my skirt after all. Who’da thunk? Come to think of it, I never would have thought I could include a gun show, baby goats and Christmas shopping all in one post.

One of the pitfalls of shopping is that the older I become, the less I like crowds. This does not mean I’m over the hill! Well, not all the way – yet. Crowd watching can be fun if I’m not right in the middle of it. People say and do the darnedest things; things they’d never dream of during the rest of the year.

What all of this tells me is that every part of our lives can become inspiration, given the right circumstances.

When you read a book, do you ever wonder if what you’ve read has really happened in someone’s life?

When you write a book, do you ever include real life experiences? Even though you’re writing a fictional mystery?

Life is good! And it can be so much fun.

Until next time, happy shopping! Buy yourself some little treat while you’re buying things to make others happy. Remember, books make great gifts.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
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Just a reminder (one of many) that A Well-Kept Family Secret is now available in audio format.

22 comments:

  1. You ask, "When you write a book, do you ever include real life experiences? Even though you’re writing a fictional mystery?" I refuse to answer that on the grounds of incriminating myself. (Wink, wink) Loved the goats--I hope they do turn up in one of your novels.

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  2. LOL Talk about tight-lipped. I'm not sure how I could work goats into a story, but I'll think about it. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  3. To answer your two questions, Marja, yes to both. Actually, I'm reading a book right now and I can't help but wonder if some of the things happening to the main character have happened to the author. Hmm.
    And, I use bits and pieces of my life and the lives of people I've known in my Malone mystery series. Of course, I'm careful to "fictionalize" them. :)

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    1. Life is full of the unexpected, and using these things in stories (fictionalizing them) can make for an interesting story. Love your books and I've occasionally wondered if scenarios in them were from experience or observation. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  4. More likely it's somebody fantasizing - something they'd LIKE to happen to them.

    I like goats, too. I'll tell you a story, sometime, goats at Oak Ridge Nat Lab

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    1. Or something they'd rather DIDN'T happen to them. : ) I'd love to hear your goat story! Thank you for stopping in today!

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  5. I've used lots of things that have happened to me or people I know in many of my books--however not in the exact same way. Good post. Pygmy goats are cute, had a friend who raised them for years. I won't ever write a story about them though. Have never been to a gun show--and I'm avoiding stores during the holidays. And yes, I am over the hill.

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  6. Ah, yes, twists and turns make a story even better. You're quite good at this. Oh, and these aren't pygmy goats, just kids. : ) You'd be amazed at some of the interesting people you see at a gun show. Unfortunately, I have to run to the store today. I'm dreading it. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  7. I'm sure a great many scenes I've read in books come from real life -- if not "as is," then certainly inspired by every day events or news stories.

    Goats can be pretty cute and funny. At a local farm we visited this fall, there is a bridge for the goats to cross, and one older goat was earning cuteness points by begging for food from on high -- and almost everyone raised a hand to offer him some. The only books I can think of that mention goats (outside of Heidi and the Three Billy Goats Gruff) are Sheila Connolly's Orchard series.

    I tend to get more irritable in large crowds these days, but as you mentioned, it can make for some interesting people-watching. I most enjoy this during our summer Concerts on the Square. A friend and I did go out Thurs night and Fri morning for Black Friday sales this year, but we've become pros at mapping out a strategy, and it helps that we seem to need fewer big items every year. At one store, I had an armful of bargain movies, which sparked a fun conversation with the ladies in front of me. For the most part, people in our area were pretty considerate, happily directing us to items we could not find. We've found that you have better luck asking another shopper where they found something, than you do asking most store employees. People in general need to work on their parking lot manners and safety, though. It's amazing how many people blindly step off a curb without looking both ways, often with small children in tow.

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    1. Interesting comments, Heather, and I have to agree with what you've said. As far as goats, I don't know if I could include one in a story or not. Although, come to think of it, I am including some purple cows in a story I'm writing now. : ) I live in Arizona, but we're only five minutes from Laughlin, Nevada, which has several casinos. It's amazing how many people visiting blindly step off the curb and into traffic. (You reminded me of that.)

      I'm glad you had fun visiting with some of the people when you were shopping. My experience the one time I did Black Friday was that people tried to take things right out of my basket. LOL

      Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  8. Everyday activities can be fodder for writing. My husband and I used to go out to dinner and notice couples who didn't talk to one another. "I hope we're never that way," I'd say, but since we've become writers, we rarely speak at dinner. We're too busy observing others or eavesdropping on conversations (easy to do nowadays when people seem to insist by their loud voices that you hear their end of the cellphone conversations). We talk when we get in the car after dinner and exchange ideas and thoughts about people we've just observed. I wonder if anyone feels sorry for us thinking we're just an old couple with nlothing to say to one another!

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  9. Oh, you hit that one on the head. I have to laugh because I remember a guy at the airport who stood in the middle of the area talking at the top of his lungs and looking around to be sure everyone was listening. At least you and hubby talk in the car, and I'm sure you have some pretty interesting notes to compare. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  10. Cute pictures. I don't know much about goats, as I've never met one in person. But I do know one thing about shoppers: I was out all morning buying things I need for the holidays, and I have to say that it wasn't the crowds that bothered me as much as the scents people were wearing. All that perfume, I literally had a hard time breathing. Whew! Some women must bathe in the stuff. And the men were no different. I couldn't wait to get out of the stores so I could get some fresh air. It never used to bother me, but for some reason, it does now. It must be one of the "perks" of getting older.

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  11. A woman after my own heart, Evelyn. Those scents choke me up. A little goes a long way. : ) And goats have turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  12. I continue to marvel at your ability to come up with something to talk about each and every week.

    People who know me well say they see and hear glimpses of me in my books. I know my writing often presents my philosophy of life. In some respects, my books are my legacy.

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  13. So well put, Sharon. I think we often put a bit of ourselves in our books whether we mean to or not. Yes, your books are your legacy (and it's a great legacy), and congratulations on that! Thank you for stopping in today!

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  14. What a lovely, blog, Marja. It is soooo interesting about inspiration. Looking good with the cute little baby goat! Merry Christmas!

    Madeline

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    1. Thank you, Madeline. Inspiration is all around us. Merry Christmas to you and yours, too. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  15. Christmas and goats -- definitely a topic that readers will click on. Cute pix, too.

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    1. Thank you, Elaine. If we didn't have two big dogs, I think I'd be nagging my husband about getting goats right now. They're adorable and personality plus. : ) Thank you so much for stopping in today!

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  16. Adorable kids, Marja. I expect to find them in one of your future books. And I agree that watching people at gun shows and Christmas shopping are great fodder for character develoment.

    Wishing you and everyone who visits your blog a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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    1. I don't know if they'll ever show up in a book or not, but they sure are lovable.

      Wishing you and yours a Delightful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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