We are honored this week to have Randy Mitchell, author of Sons In The Clouds, guest blog for us! Thanks, Randy!
I always thought a tiny town, one like this, which rarely makes the news or gains much attention, could use a giant shakeup. Something that makes people pace the floors at night, pulls upon their greed, and tests generations of family bonds. It would take a lot to change the lifestyles of small-town attitudes; however, nothing gets peoples attention faster than the lure of buried treasure, so to speak.
Here’s where I’m going with this. I’ve known for a while what I wanted the story to be about, yet, I couldn’t envision some of the plotline I knew lay beneath the surface. So, after plenty of frustration, I did what any crazed writer would do, I started visiting the places I had in mind, and it’s helped immensely
There’s the old gas station turned restaurant/bar in the middle of nowhere (GPS required) where I hear moonshine is bottled and sold after midnight, the historic-looking town square both at lunchtime and way past dark, the biker bar where I was noticeably overdressed (tattoos and pissed-off attitude required for admission), the racetrack down the road where RV’s find new homes and fights are frequent, the neighborhood Drive-In Theatre (home of teenage pregnancies), and of course, Wal Mart, every residents second home (great for people watching while dining on popcorn and beer). To most outside observers, this tiny spec on the map of Texas is a sleepy pit stop. But dig a little deeper and stories can be found.
Think of things this way: Ever spent time at a Truck Stop in the middle of the night (just picture the drug dealing, prostitution, and adultery you’d see), Topless Bar in Washington D.C. (is that Senator #@$& across the room!), Homeless Shelter (imagine listening to the reasons of why many are there), a chic Country Club dinner table (did his wife just wink and lick her lips at that other lady’s husband?), or how about that abandoned, rusty old barn where millions (and Jimmy Hoffa) were accidentally found seconds before burning it to the ground– it stood next to a busy highway for years, yet, if people had only known. But you, the creative writer, envisioned a story inside its patinaed sheet metal while cruising by!
Stories are everywhere; maybe the ticket is spending less time at Starbucks and more at Bubba’s Bar & Grill?
Speaking of the picture above, is that Elvis I see playing checkers?
As an award-winning author and editor, since 1993, 50 + of my authors’ books have sold to Traditional publishers. Many have won awards, been made into films, been featured in Publishers Weekly, and become bestsellers. I also love English Labradors, red wine, and write literary fiction and co-authored nonfiction,
Absolutely love this, Randy! What great ideas about writing fiction! And love the start to this new novel.
Good goin’ all the way around!
Thank you, Susan! It’s an honor to be sharing some of my ideas here with you and your audience. And thank you for the compliments about the new novel, hopefully to be finished soon!