I am about to murder someone in my book(s) and he will be gloriously found, while a detective who has been called upon to investigate is cautious to both not betray his own involvement in past events, and do his best to unearth the clues leading to the conviction of the murderer (or will it be a murderess?)
My books will be in a loose chronological order, there will be some flashing back, there will be some overlap, and there will be some future telling. I'm in the middle of the mix now, and diving (delving) into as much of it as I can without doing too much damage to the living soul of the manuscript. I tend to let the dead tell me more than they could have when they were living. It's not the murder, and it never has been for me, it's the cover-up and the disposal of the body(ies) that make my books more interesting; at least for me.
Currently, I am the only one reading my book(s) because I've not published anything dealing with the murder books at this time. I've written several, but I don't like what I've done with most of them; that's the trouble with writers. We can't stop the ink once it gets a good flow to it. I reckon it may be that way for a few painters as well. I dare say there have been a few who should have called it quits but just couldn't release their brush! I fully comprehend the concept. I'm going through the pale now, fleshing out words and transforming my vocabulary at the same time. I am using the handy-dandy Thesaurus to create a new connotation here and there, if not to change the entire meaning now and again. My thing is, I really like double meanings, so if I can bolt a word rather than slay one, I will do that. I want the thing to rivet, not destroy. I want the concept and the premise to damage, not obliterate.
Right now, I'm reading a more contemporary novel involving murder in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is where my murder (well, the murder I'm writing) takes place. I am using words, thoughts, concepts, ideas, and innuendo, as well as closely relating many of my passages to meet and even marry those of other authors. This method will both reiterate that the styles and context agree and that they have been widely accepted. No need to reinvent the wheel, but you know I'll never cross or toss a line. I'll never plagiarise. I'd sooner bleed my last.
For instance, my detective will not be caught dead in a proper coffee house drinking a smooth yet bitter cappuccino, but he will visit the public houses for what he refers to as a "Cup of Joe"; I wonder how many readers know the reason why it's called Joe? I'll explain in my book, as it has been often explained in others. That's the sort of thing I do. I reiterate but never take. Here's a nugget; did you know that the cappuccino was invented around the 1700-1720 timeframe? Interesting. I'd love to study a bit about how they got the milk to froth; steam of course, but I'm interested still in finding out more. My readers will know. I'll find out and let them know. For now, they'll have to Google it I suppose. I know I will.
One of my murders will take place in a close on the Royal Mile. I haven't decided which one yet. One of the murders happens in broad daylight, right in front of the worldly world to see; and no one takes notice. Our fine friend Nick Posh will indeed (and in deed) have his work cut out for him as he detects, sleuths, and otherwise investigates the seedy beginnings of the end of a few. There will be a few. That's another clue - - why stop at two? (OK, I'll stop now.) I'm also writing a poem that will be introduced in the book as well. I'm not sure if the poet dies or if she'll disguise her mannerisms through quill and stain, enough to beg the apologies of others who may have believed her to be less innocent as her hand and mind.
Today, I read of pyrates on the North Atlantic. I read of mystics who fled to the moors before they could be caught, tried, and executed for who and what they were. I read of cannibals, of hungry peasants without enough to eat, and of wild animals roaming the Highlands for centuries. I am breaking down and building up the moments that drain and cascade into my writings. I dream and mend my mind over and over again of the thoughts it has; not wanting to blame Edinburgh or hold her responsible for her crude and cruel past. I am her admirer, but I am also her judge and jury. I will never execute my darling city, but I will expose her. I will not allow her to keep her secrets hidden if they are damned within her soul. She must be saved.
My books (this series) take place between 1920-1935, but in order to accurately understand the men and women of that time I must start about 1000 years beforehand; to create the language, the culture, the barriers, and the breeding. This has been and will be the most amazing journey. I don't have an "Elephant Cafe" from which to claim that I have penned the first words of my novels. I may have to find some really cool place to write a few notes into a notebook so I can claim it and someday they'll hang a plaque to remember the day! J.K. Rowling could have just as easily been holed up in her apartment when she wrote the first words of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". We'll never know the truth; that's not that important anyway, is it? The story of the beginnings of such a great series taking place in Edinburgh's Elephant Cafe is far more intriguing, wouldn't you agree? I'll find a hole in the wall. I'll make it happen. It'll happen.
Photo Credit: Getyourguide.co.uk (Witch and Ghost tours)
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