…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
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
Just a
reminder (one of many) that A Well-Kept Family Secret is now available in audio
format.
