Finding Things to Write About

It’s a strange time right now, strange, and disconcerting even. Lock Down, comes and goes, then comes back again, and we are all learning how far away 1.5 metres is, or if we don’t others might well tell us to back off!

And even though the writing project I’d imagined would take up the rest of my writing life isn’t really actually happening now, I’m still getting lots of writing done, some of it fiction, other parts non fiction, and the writing ideas are arriving often. It seems that everywhere I look and every new thing I see, gives me new things I could write, or write about.

So finding things to write about is seemingly not a problem for me, certainly not at the moment. And I’ve been getting ideas for the novel series I have on my list of writing projects to get back to, when my brain decides it’s actually time to do that. The novel series is a series of Cosy Murder Mysteries. I have a main character, I have a lovely little town where the murders happen, I have quite a few people who live in and around the town. And I have a bad guy who is going to get murdered too, at some stage of the series.

Today I began a novel writing exercise that relates to my series (the ‘At Talloola’ series, where Meredith Webster is the amateur sleuth, finding the killers, when the cops aren’t doing their job). The writing exercise is one more or less of my own devising, or maybe something I once read somewhere else. I used the homework for my writing group from last week, to get something written to strengthen my novel series.

The homework is to use this as a writing prompt – ‘I wish I could hear …’ So I twisted the homework and asked Meredith the question, and then the two of us, Meredith and I thought we would ask another character of my ‘At Talloola’ series the question to see what she said. This is what it all looks like:

“Homework to hand up on 16/7/20

‘I wish I could hear …’ 

I wonder what Meredith wishes she could hear? I’d better ask her, perhaps tomorrow.

Sorry Meredith, I wasn’t listening, humble apologies. Oh, did I accidentally just make a joke? Haha!

No, seriously, I’m listening this time, is there anything you wish you could hear Meredith? 

Ah, an honest answer from the Mayor of Talloola … I don’t think you’re the only person who’d like to hear that!

So the mayor is an habitual liar, how does a person in your position deal with that? How do other people deal with it, I wonder. Maybe you and I can find out, Meredith. What do you think, shall we ask some questions, do you think? Carefully, of course. Who shall we ask first? 

Gert? Ah, a simple one, we both know we can trust her, she’ll understand what we’re doing, and why, I think. She’s a very astute person, is dear old Gert!

So Meredith and I went around to her place, but she wasn’t there. We were about to head off back to the council, when we heard her, calling out, “Miss Meredith, do you have a minute for a chat? It isn’t private, Carolyn can come too, of course.”

So we went over to the Talloola Museum, and followed Gert through to the sheds at the back, wondering what on earth was going on. Soon enough though, it was clear that whatever was going on, was not a pretty thing. There were scratches on the dirt in the yard there, like something heavy had been dragged along, either to, or from, the shed that held the old Talloola Fire Engine, which was a star of the Talloola Christmas Party held at the oval every year.

Gert didn’t say a word, and Meredith and I were too intrigued to break the silence … what was it that had been dragged? and had it been dragged to the shed, or from the shed?

We’d find out very soon, I think. My mind was flicking around all over the place,and my heart was bang, bang, banging away, in alarm, or excitement, or some such thing, for sure. I’d find out more, and then …”

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As you can see from this little piece, my mind is definitely still thinking about that writing project, even though it hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind, it’s still there at the back. I thing Meredith and I are doing to have lots of fun over the rest of my life. as we work on catching killers in and around Talloola!

I have the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle that I’m always thinking about of course, looking for possible articles, and ideas for attention grabbing front page pieces. And there is the “Plague Invasion” anthology, which is rapidly approaching the closing date for submission of works for consideration. As the editor of this, I’m looking for poetry and prose that is written in response to Covid-19. Anything and everything. I received an interesting piece yesterday a bit of science fiction, but it is based on our possible true future, with pandemics, and referring to our 2020 one we’re living with right now. Fascinating stuff!

So much happening, so many writing options, and of course our writing group has just ended our poetry competition, and the judge of the junior section has done her part, and found some award winners for us. I look forward to hearing from the other judge (of the Open section), and then letting the winners know. There are things to be discussed regarding this, with other writing group members.

There will be more news about this on another occasion.

I’m also quite interested in putting together a non fiction book regarding my personal and philosophical thoughts on what life is all about … Life is a smorgasbord, and I want to write the menu!