Five feet in athletic shoes have washed up on the coasts of British Columbia and Washington. Four of them are right feet. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26014848/
I've been following this story for months. It keeps getting stranger. Every time it's updated, the suspense writer in me rubs her hands together and itches for the keyboard. Isn't anyone missing all these feet?? The article said the feet separated naturally from the leg. Not hacked off. That blows my serial killer with a foot fetish theory. But what about creating a killer who likes to leave trophys from his victims in public places?
There was an Oregonian article last year about brothers named for Jesse James and Frank James. The brothers were in prison. They'd had a rotten upbringing, but the paper tried to blame the name choice a little bit for their actions. Hmmm. Antagonists name after real villains. Nature or nurture?
An article about twins who'd lost their twin sat on my desk for months. Their utter sadness and loneliness touched a deep place in me. My heroine could have a twin who died. How would that affect who she is today?
What have you read or seen lately that made your write brain sit up and take notice?
8 comments:
That foot story just keeps getting creepier! I'm anxious for the conclusion of this tale.
I haven't read anything lately that has perked my attention. But in Italy there were a few things. I visited a torture museum filled with macabre devices. Also there are random windows and entrances that lead to stairs. Just tucked between garages. I always wanted to know where the stairs went...
Kendra --- Yeah, that whole shoe with human remains inside is weird. When I first read about it my head went right where yours did and I filed it away for future possibilities. I predict in a year or so, a whole slew of books featuring dismembered feet will show up at the stores.
It's interesting what things spark imagination. You just never know. I can't think of anything recently that I've seen or read that I've used or plan to use except that sorry mess in Mexico where all the prostitutes are being murdered and the cover-up surrounding it. I don't know what I could do with that but it's in my head.
My current goal is to read the city section of the newspaper every day to understand better how government works. I keep running into situations where it would be helpful to know how things are supposed to be run so I can understand how someone can corrupt it.
And Lisa, when I was in China there were lots of stairs like you mentioned -- they led to people's apartments. I think very old cities often have living spaces tucked everywhere.
Interesting blog!
And this is why I DON'T write suspense! LOL- All those feet just makes me ill. I don't do murder, mutilation, or anything else macabre. But I do understand those of you who do when you see something like that.
A story in the paper about a historical place or article about something western gets my write brain working. Or watching OPB and some of their programs will get scenarios flashing through my brain.
Just his weekend there was a wonderful story in our paper about two girls (19 years old), we happen to know, who are raising bucking bulls for rodeos. Now there are a couple of heroines for linked books, don't you think?
Wow, I hadn't heard about the human feet mystery. I need to catch up!
Oh, Kendra, the number of things that spark my story-writing brain could fill a book. Snort. But really, I come across stuff constantly that I do the whole what-iffing thing with. Aside from Lisa's Capuchin friar monument that sparked my macabre brain cells, yesterday, my husband read an article in the newspaper about a trajedy that got me thinking of a powerful women's fiction story. A plane crashed into a house on the coast, killing two little girls inside. That got my mind spinning in a character study kind of way.
I talked with a girlfriend yesterday who told me that one of the boys her son used to hang out with robbed a Burger King with three other boys, stealing $1900 and killing a girl who dared call 911. The kid, who wasn't even inside the building when it happened, was convicted of murder along with his pals and given life without chance of parole. It's all so tragic, for everyone! The families of the boys, the dead girl's parents...
I clip news articles, too. I have this really old one that intrigues me. The titles is: Group targets Americans engaged in sex tourism. It's about Americans who travel overseas with the intention of having sex with a minor. It's a bit too disturbing for me to write about, but I'd love to read a book about a hero who takes down such an operation. The worse the crime, the greater the hero for vanquishing it.
My brain is spinning from everyone's ideas. Torture museum? Utterly cool. I've heard about the prostitutes in Mexico and the masses of women who've vanished. Definitely a story or two there.
I couldn't stomach the plane crash in Garibaldi. It was too painful. I didn't watch the news for two days after the plane crash. And the firefighter helicopter crash on the heels of the first story was almost as bad. I guess I do have limits as a writer. I'll throw in the oversea minor sex stuff, too, but for a different reason.
The burger king story intrigues me. What if that kid was released in 20 years? What would his life be like?
The young female bull trainers also made me stop and think. Definite heroines. Inspiration doesn't have to come from the dark side of life.
Great post!
I'm inspired by the Olympics right now. :) :) :) Weird story ideas keep swirling . . . . .
A torture museum???????????????????? EEEEK!
I agree, Wavy! I'm not getting much done because I'm watching the Olympics. I talked about it on my Monday blog if anyone's interested. http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com But I find a lot of these athletes have conquered more adversity than just their sport.
Paty, I agree and you can actually learn a bit about character crafting by watching! For example, it's not enough to just be the fastest in the world. But, be the fastest in the world AND have a parent dying of cancer? You get a nice mention by the commentators. Fastest in the world AND parent dying of cancer AND whole town paid for parents to come AND barely made the team? Then you get a whole featurette. It's all about layers. :)
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