OZ, Dreams, Nightmares & Mayday!

Many authors will tell you that some of their inspirations for stories and novels originate from nightmares or dreams.

That is often true with me & when I write them down, the premise of a story jumps out of my written words. 

                  Some are very scary!  

The Scarecrow in "Wizard of Oz," was based on L. Frank Baum's recurring nightmare where he was being chased by a scarecrow. And with Baum's vivid imagination that Scarecrow led to a great character in the "Wizard of Oz." 

Later he wrote six children's books, 55 novels and 82 short stories. Groups of children, including Baum's four sons, regularly gathered in his office and listened to his imaginative tales of Dorothy and her friends in the magical Land of Oz. It is said that Dorothy was invented as the courageous daughter he always wanted, but never had. She magically maneuvers through unfamiliar and unpredictable situations in the Land of Oz. The Scarecrow becomes her friend.

I belong to a Dreamer's Group that meets once a month. Our leader, Cynthia Richmond, is a dream expert. We share our dreams with her & “Zing”… we learn what they mean in our regular life. Our dreams, or nightmares, explain what our sub-conscious is mulling around.

Often, thankfully, they reveal a complete scene or plot for me.

I often dream about a dog named "Somewhere." I have never had a dog, or even knew a dog with that name.  But this wonderful animal, a golden retriever, often comes to me during a dream, standing protectively besides me. In my next novel, "Somewhere," is there. 

What are your dreams telling you? If you need help in interpreting them, Cynthia Richmond’s books on Amazon are very helpful.

Fact of the month: Why do ships & aircraft use 'mayday' as their call word for help?

It's because the French word for 'help me' is m'aidez and is pronounced, 'mayday.'

So now you know!

Please download or order my novel, "Visions of Evil," on Amazon.com and then leave me a great review!

The Perfect? Murder & November Musings

                    Thoughts on November 12, 2012

 1.  Thanksgiving is one of the most hurried holidays. It’s November 12th and the stores are decorated for Christmas and playing Carols. I know it’s a marketing tool, but I believe that buying gifts for Christmas has become way out of hand. 100 gifts under a tree is ridiculous, unless you have 100 in your family. Give the money you spend for gifts, (probably are hated anyway) to a charity or a needy family.  

       2.   Isn't ironic that the director of the 
       Central Intelligence Agency couldn't keep his affair secret?   
       There’s a lesson to be learned. What? Perhaps it’s integrity 
       or  maybe your sins will catch up with you, no matter whom /where
       you are.
   
     Things I've Learned From Crime Solving TV Shows.

1.      If you are the beneficiary of your planned victim’s 
life insurance policy stop now. They are going to know it was 
you and why you did it. 

2.      If you plan to poison your victim whatever you do, 
do not, use antifreeze.  They always find it. "Thankfully, I don't have any."

3.      If you work in the medical industry and plan to poison someone don’t steal the drugs from the place of your employment. That’s the first place they look.

4.      Do not do a web search for any kind of poison. They will seize your computer and find out what you've searched for. "OMG, I'm F***ed."

5.      If you plan to hire someone to kill your victim while you are away so that you have an alibi go with a professional one. The plumber’s friend will squeal and give you up.

6.      Should your victim bleed on your carpet/floor don’t try to clean it up with bleach.  Blood seeps into everything and it will be discovered. So before you kill your victim  put down a tarp and dispose it along with the body.

7.      If you plan to set your house on fire to cover the evidence of the crime, make sure the flames burn the body enough so that they can’t find the nick on his breastbone indicating that he was stabbed before the fire.  

Be sure to put a cigarette in the victim’s hand, so it will look like he/she started the fire. If they are not smokers, you have a problem. "Geez, I don't hardly know anyone that smokes, anymore."

8.      If you plan to place your victim in a car and then roll the car over a cliff, make sure you put the body in the driver’s seat. "Well, I don't think I'd make that mistake." 

9.      The authorities always examine stomach contents during an autopsy.  Don’t feed your victim or eat with them somewhere. The food will lead them to you.

10.    If you are trying to make it look like someone broke into your house and randomly shot your victim,  don’t throw the shell casings in the washing machine, the toilet, or the planter outside the door. Investigators will find them. Hiding a gun or knife under the bed or throwing it into the back yard isn't a good idea either. 

11.     If you want it to look like a suicide, make sure you think about “bullet entry trajectory.” No one can shoot themselves in the back of the head from 5 feet away. "Unless, of course, they are a trickster."

12.     If you plan to purchase anything to be used to commit the murder, pay cash and burn the receipt. And remember – stores have surveillance cameras.  Wear a wig & a fake nose. And don't dress as a pirate.

13.     Whatever you do don’t complain about your victim within six months of murdering him.  Don’t tell anyone you’d be better off if he were dead. Don’t solicit anyone you know for fast gun sales or reputable hit men.  They’ll rat you out so they can see their name in the paper.

14.    If you do have a co-conspirator and you get caught, which you will, make sure you get to the District Attorney first. I don’t care how much you think he/she loves you they’ll sell you out for a plea deal every time.

15.    Self defense is hard to prove if the victim was shot from behind, while kneeling, laying down or sitting.

16.    If you have books about murder/poisons, or you have episodes of your favorite crime shows on your DVR, don’t try to commit the perfect crime. It looks fishy and no one is going to believe it is just a coincidence. "Well, guess I better clean house."

17.    Don’t write novels about murderers and psychopaths, like Visions of Evil. 

        "Damn, I don't stand a chance."              

  Have  a Happy Thanksgiving. We all have many blessings.

          Over the river, and through the wood, To Nana’s house you 
          go,  the car/plane knows the way to carry you there, through 
          the white and drifted snow....

Well, no snow, but I’m blessed that a few of my family members will share this special holiday with me.  And it’ my birthday week!

Mystical Journey of Writing & Are you in my Novel?

Writing is a mystical journey. 

Whether I’m at the post office, a parade, shopping, visiting family or friends, I’m constantly watching, observing and taking notes in my mind. Writers often say, “Be careful, you may end up in my novel.” There is a bit of truth in that statement, but my characters are created completely in my mind. 

The true writer is more of a medium. They are like a conduit for the people they write about. My characters speak through me, using my voice, my body, my mind, to tell their story. They may have a few traits, habits or actions of people I’ve met in my life, but they are never the same as anyone I’ve ever known.

“Draw your chair up close to the edge of the precipice 

                            and I'll tell you a story.”  
                               F. Scott Fitzgerald

I've had a few people that are certain that some of the characters are based on them. That’s not true, but it is possible that they can see parts of their personalities or traits in one of my characters. And I’m sure there are bits of me in some of them too. 

Visions of Evil has settings in several places that are near where I’ve lived or visited in the past. The Nebraska ranch, the Denver area, San Diego and Sedona. Jake Tansey, is a sick creep, that unfortunately, I’ve know different sides of him in real life. The main story line for him, however, was taken from a true crime between Del Mar and La Jolla, CA. I couldn’t have made that part up.      

I've always been enthralled by the settlers who came west in the 1800’s or before. It was a tough trip and a rough life even after they reached their destination. And women, especially, were pitted against great odds. I hope when you read Visions of Evil, you will see the underlying strength in Pearl, Lulu and the others. Did their particularly hell really happen? Yes, the characters told me it did.

Visions of Rodeo, my next novel, is another story of a survival. The characters have told me their tale, both male and female. Ty is a jewel of a man who suffered terrible consequences. Rodeo, begins as a vulnerable, sweet teen and then her life, as she known it, is changed forever. I’m blessed that these two characters were channeled into 
                                          my mind. They now feel like friends.  

There are shades of truth in every novel/story, but not necessarily my truths. The thoughts and ideas, observations, come from minds of people who are often very different from me. I can’t take responsibility for them.    “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” ― Stephen King

Once I had someone contact me stating that one of my stories was critical of the physically challenged. I never understood that comment. What do readers bring to the reading of my novels and short stories? I’ll never know, but I believe whatever it is, influences their interpretation of what they read, differently from others.

I try to keep my mind and heart open to all my characters. Yes, even the awful ones. But ultimately, they are responsible for themselves. Of course, some of my beliefs, inspirations, observations, memories, my research and knowledge, are weaved into the pages, but what I write is not all from me. And that’s the truth about all fiction.  

Of course it might still happen that someone thinks a certain character might be about them. The name starts with the same letter as their own name, they drive the same car, talk or walk the same way. These are simple coincidences. Really! 

Except you. Yes, you. You know who you are. You're going to be so sorry for the things you once said, the things you never did.  And the whole world is going to read about it. I'm kidding!    Then again...