Skipper's Choice
Vampires' Buffet
REEL It IN! Write the conclusion now.
Characters John – a vampire and member of Hemoholics Anonymous; married to Julie.
Julie - a vampire and member of Hemoholics Anonymous; married to John.
Candice - human--or werewolf?
Dante - vampire with a fake tan and a tattoo
Margaret - someone at the meeting
Frederica - friend of J&J
Thomas - friend of J&J
Locations
Sunset Supper & Sleep – a food kitchen and overnight shelter for homeless people.
Plot
Do-gooder vampires try to restrain themselves while running a homeless shelter and food kitchen. A new vampire, Dante, leaves with Candice. She escapes him. Dante returns to the shelter and feeds on a homeless woman.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Keep Your Stories Straight
Mystery & Suspense
Iced
Characters
Icepick Schmidt – Real Estate Attorney. Made a lot of money on condo-pushing land grabbers. Called Icepick because of his cold-blooded approach to business. Formerly worked night-shift at Sunset Horizons Mortuary cleaning up bodies. Dating Ramona infrequently. Partners with Pinky Tiberri in exotic bird smuggling scheme. He was in Mexico on a bird smuggling run when Lilli was killed. Currently out of jail on bond. Driving a rental car (white Malibu); his is in impound. Paying for Lilli's funeral expenses.Smoker.
Lilli – Icepick’s ex wife. Found dead on the floor of Icepick’s office. Nasty divorce. Took him “to the cleaners” in the divorce. Known for perfect manicures and Manolo shoes. Medical Examiner's report says cause of death is gunshot to the forehead, but Dandy Dave found evidence that there's another cause of death. Lilli was the Malibu Madame and managed expensive call girls.
Pinky Tiberri – Icepick’s partner in smuggling exotic birds from Mexico. Read ME's report when she went to Sunset Horizons Mortuary. Left suddenly. Drives a truck. Went to warehouse after she left the mortuary. Showed up at LAPD office in jeans and an orange tank top to see Detective Greer. Told Greer about Lilli's after hour activities.
Ramona – Icepick’s on-again, off-again girlfriend.
George aka G-Man - works front desk at Sunset Horizons.
Dandy Dave - works at Sunset Horizons. Preparing Lilli's body.
Ted - Grows a crop in a warehouse space adjoining the Wing Bucket. Builds furniture to sell on the internet.
Detective Dirk Greer - LAPD detective investigating Lilli's death. May be involved with Malibu Madame.
Darryl Halloway - aka Numbers. LAPD financial forensic guru.
Abe Stinson - medical examiner.
Locations
Icepick’s office – On Bilbao Place in Los Angeles.
Sunset Horizons Mortuary – where Icepick worked in the past. Lilli taken to Sunset Horizons after autopsy.
Wing Bucket - Nickname for the warehouse where the exotic birds are stored. Emptied out by Pinky.
LAPD homicide unit office - Dirk Greer's office.
Plot
Body of ex-wife found on floor of Icepick Schmidt’s law office. L.A.P.D. arrested Icepick and released him. He was smuggling exotic birds from Mexico on the night of the murder. A message about an open door prompted Icepick to arrive at his office at the same time as police to discover body. ME report lists gunshot as cause of death, but evidence of head trauma and strangulation are not noted. Someone is trying to frame Icepick. Pinky goes to warehouse to load a box in her truck. Pinky empties out the warehouse. Icepick discovers an ice pick left outside the warehouse. Detective Greer thinks the case against Icepick may be "too easy." Pinky arrives at LAPD office to talk with Greer. Pinky tells Greer that Lilli was the Malibu Madame, but she thinks he already know about the Malibu Madame because he's her inside partner. Pinky claims Abe is involved with MM's business too.
What we don’t know yet: Who dun it? When, where or why Lilli died. Who would want to frame Icepick? Was Dirk Greer involved in Lilli's murder? Abe Stinson?
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Destiny’s Annex
Characters
Matt – Human. Eats frosted cereal. Two ex-wives. Is captured an Destiny's Annex and placed on a transporter. Undercover Special Agent Matt Cooper.
Amand Schuster -Dap calls Matt Mr. Schuster, but Matt claims he does not know Schuster. Schuster has more than one heart. Is President of something. Is dead.
Malthusian Grock Warrior – Doorman at Destiny’s Annex. 2.5 meters tall. Cost to employ him nightly implies significant commitment. Subdued by Rinbin's singing.
RinBin — a Nibelanjer. Lanky, uncharacteristically emotional for a level-headed species. Six hands; three eyes. Arrived in a cab with a Decoder ring. Nibelanjers are notoriously literal minded.. Will not say where he is from. His beautiful singing voice subdues the Grock Warrior. He rescued Matt at Tau Pont.
Ando Weir - Lanky, grey skin, large eyes. Edgy, grating voice. Dap's "flunkie."
Dap Cord - Mastermind hired to kidnap someone in the line. Planned opening of Destiny's Annex to attract the victim and a crowd. Is watching from the club entrance.
Dr. Belkin - scanned Matt to verify him as Schuster. Paid Dap and subsequently learned Matt was an imposter.
Web Mother - person at control center where RinBin reports.
Locations
Destiny’s Annex – a disco. Perhaps not on Earth.
Tau Pont - fifth planet of the Tau Mega system. Rinbin tracked Matt to this planet.
Plot
Matt followed instructions using secret decoder ring found in a cereal box. He took a cab to Destiny’s Annex, a disco. A long line of beings, each with a decoder ring, wait to enter the club. While in line Matt speaks with a secretive Nibelanjer. Cost to employ Grock Warrior as doorman implies a big commitment. Dap and Ando are watching from the club entrance, waiting to kidnap someone in the line. They plan to displace everyone in line to cover up the target. Matt is captured and placed in a transport. Rinbin is left at Destiny's Annex after he subdues the Grock Warrior. Dap calls Matt "Mr. Schuster," but Matt claims his does not know a Schuster. Rinbin arrives at Tau Pont to retrieve his probe and save Matt, in spite of the fact that he was ordered to return home. Matt wanted to be captured in place of Schuster and is angry at Rinbin for saving him.
Romance
Allie’s Choice
Allie is coming back! Catch up and Weigh In now..
Characters
Allie – 27 years old. Divorced. Conflicted about reunion with Drew. Had a crush on Drew since the 5th grade. Drew Pearce – Broke Allie’s heart and left on her 17th birthday.
Jason – Allie’s ex-husband.
Tommy - Allie's son. Attends school.
They - Unknown people who may have been looking for Drew ten years ago for unknown reasons.
Tina - Allie's friend at work.
Locations
Allie’s home – no details
Allie's office - no details
Plot
Slept with Drew the same night he returned to her life. Had not seen him since her 17th birthday. Drew visited Allie to make amends. He did not call Allie after he disappeared ten years ago because "they would have found me." Tommy awakens before Drew leaves in the morning. Tommy saw Allie push a man out the door in the morning. Tina observes Allie acting "weird." Jason picks Tommy up after school and learns that a strange man was at the house.
What we don’t know yet: What's going to happen next? Who was Drew hiding from ten years ago and why?
Iced
Characters
Icepick Schmidt – Real Estate Attorney. Made a lot of money on condo-pushing land grabbers. Called Icepick because of his cold-blooded approach to business. Formerly worked night-shift at Sunset Horizons Mortuary cleaning up bodies. Dating Ramona infrequently. Partners with Pinky Tiberri in exotic bird smuggling scheme. He was in Mexico on a bird smuggling run when Lilli was killed. Currently out of jail on bond. Driving a rental car (white Malibu); his is in impound. Paying for Lilli's funeral expenses.Smoker.
Lilli – Icepick’s ex wife. Found dead on the floor of Icepick’s office. Nasty divorce. Took him “to the cleaners” in the divorce. Known for perfect manicures and Manolo shoes. Medical Examiner's report says cause of death is gunshot to the forehead, but Dandy Dave found evidence that there's another cause of death. Lilli was the Malibu Madame and managed expensive call girls.
Pinky Tiberri – Icepick’s partner in smuggling exotic birds from Mexico. Read ME's report when she went to Sunset Horizons Mortuary. Left suddenly. Drives a truck. Went to warehouse after she left the mortuary. Showed up at LAPD office in jeans and an orange tank top to see Detective Greer. Told Greer about Lilli's after hour activities.
Ramona – Icepick’s on-again, off-again girlfriend.
George aka G-Man - works front desk at Sunset Horizons.
Dandy Dave - works at Sunset Horizons. Preparing Lilli's body.
Ted - Grows a crop in a warehouse space adjoining the Wing Bucket. Builds furniture to sell on the internet.
Detective Dirk Greer - LAPD detective investigating Lilli's death. May be involved with Malibu Madame.
Darryl Halloway - aka Numbers. LAPD financial forensic guru.
Abe Stinson - medical examiner.
Locations
Icepick’s office – On Bilbao Place in Los Angeles.
Sunset Horizons Mortuary – where Icepick worked in the past. Lilli taken to Sunset Horizons after autopsy.
Wing Bucket - Nickname for the warehouse where the exotic birds are stored. Emptied out by Pinky.
LAPD homicide unit office - Dirk Greer's office.
Plot
Body of ex-wife found on floor of Icepick Schmidt’s law office. L.A.P.D. arrested Icepick and released him. He was smuggling exotic birds from Mexico on the night of the murder. A message about an open door prompted Icepick to arrive at his office at the same time as police to discover body. ME report lists gunshot as cause of death, but evidence of head trauma and strangulation are not noted. Someone is trying to frame Icepick. Pinky goes to warehouse to load a box in her truck. Pinky empties out the warehouse. Icepick discovers an ice pick left outside the warehouse. Detective Greer thinks the case against Icepick may be "too easy." Pinky arrives at LAPD office to talk with Greer. Pinky tells Greer that Lilli was the Malibu Madame, but she thinks he already know about the Malibu Madame because he's her inside partner. Pinky claims Abe is involved with MM's business too.
What we don’t know yet: Who dun it? When, where or why Lilli died. Who would want to frame Icepick? Was Dirk Greer involved in Lilli's murder? Abe Stinson?
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Destiny’s Annex
Characters
Matt – Human. Eats frosted cereal. Two ex-wives. Is captured an Destiny's Annex and placed on a transporter. Undercover Special Agent Matt Cooper.
Amand Schuster -Dap calls Matt Mr. Schuster, but Matt claims he does not know Schuster. Schuster has more than one heart. Is President of something. Is dead.
Malthusian Grock Warrior – Doorman at Destiny’s Annex. 2.5 meters tall. Cost to employ him nightly implies significant commitment. Subdued by Rinbin's singing.
RinBin — a Nibelanjer. Lanky, uncharacteristically emotional for a level-headed species. Six hands; three eyes. Arrived in a cab with a Decoder ring. Nibelanjers are notoriously literal minded.. Will not say where he is from. His beautiful singing voice subdues the Grock Warrior. He rescued Matt at Tau Pont.
Ando Weir - Lanky, grey skin, large eyes. Edgy, grating voice. Dap's "flunkie."
Dap Cord - Mastermind hired to kidnap someone in the line. Planned opening of Destiny's Annex to attract the victim and a crowd. Is watching from the club entrance.
Dr. Belkin - scanned Matt to verify him as Schuster. Paid Dap and subsequently learned Matt was an imposter.
Web Mother - person at control center where RinBin reports.
Locations
Destiny’s Annex – a disco. Perhaps not on Earth.
Tau Pont - fifth planet of the Tau Mega system. Rinbin tracked Matt to this planet.
Plot
Matt followed instructions using secret decoder ring found in a cereal box. He took a cab to Destiny’s Annex, a disco. A long line of beings, each with a decoder ring, wait to enter the club. While in line Matt speaks with a secretive Nibelanjer. Cost to employ Grock Warrior as doorman implies a big commitment. Dap and Ando are watching from the club entrance, waiting to kidnap someone in the line. They plan to displace everyone in line to cover up the target. Matt is captured and placed in a transport. Rinbin is left at Destiny's Annex after he subdues the Grock Warrior. Dap calls Matt "Mr. Schuster," but Matt claims his does not know a Schuster. Rinbin arrives at Tau Pont to retrieve his probe and save Matt, in spite of the fact that he was ordered to return home. Matt wanted to be captured in place of Schuster and is angry at Rinbin for saving him.
Romance
Allie’s Choice
Allie is coming back! Catch up and Weigh In now..
Characters
Allie – 27 years old. Divorced. Conflicted about reunion with Drew. Had a crush on Drew since the 5th grade. Drew Pearce – Broke Allie’s heart and left on her 17th birthday.
Jason – Allie’s ex-husband.
Tommy - Allie's son. Attends school.
They - Unknown people who may have been looking for Drew ten years ago for unknown reasons.
Tina - Allie's friend at work.
Locations
Allie’s home – no details
Allie's office - no details
Plot
Slept with Drew the same night he returned to her life. Had not seen him since her 17th birthday. Drew visited Allie to make amends. He did not call Allie after he disappeared ten years ago because "they would have found me." Tommy awakens before Drew leaves in the morning. Tommy saw Allie push a man out the door in the morning. Tina observes Allie acting "weird." Jason picks Tommy up after school and learns that a strange man was at the house.
What we don’t know yet: What's going to happen next? Who was Drew hiding from ten years ago and why?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Dont' Read Anything Titled Musings
I clicked on a link and landed on another blog titled, “Musings on [insert something here].”
Honestly, I do not read anything with “musings” in the title, unless I absolutely have to for some inescapable reason. The very word,musings, means thoughts that are especially aimless and unsystematic. If you don’t take the time to organize, edit, and polish your thoughts before sharing them with me, why should/would I want to give you my time to decipher your ramblings?
I believe a writer must consider the audience and purpose for every piece of writing. If you are your own audience and the purpose is to explore your thoughts—that’s fine, but it’s probably best to keep it tucked away in a drawer or personal file. Hmm, I guess I should be grateful to writers who accurately label their slop as musings so I know not to squander my time reading it.
By the way, my audience for this little rant was mostly me. The purpose—to express my impatience with self-absorbed writers. Hmm, sounds something like musings. But I kinda warned you—“Musings” is included in the title.
I believe a writer must consider the audience and purpose for every piece of writing. If you are your own audience and the purpose is to explore your thoughts—that’s fine, but it’s probably best to keep it tucked away in a drawer or personal file. Hmm, I guess I should be grateful to writers who accurately label their slop as musings so I know not to squander my time reading it.
By the way, my audience for this little rant was mostly me. The purpose—to express my impatience with self-absorbed writers. Hmm, sounds something like musings. But I kinda warned you—“Musings” is included in the title.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
New Prize Winners!
Congratulations to Ivory, JimGrigsby, nubago and saclamb! Thanks for joining the action on TaleBait.
Watch for the Get Hooked--Write Away Contest soon. I'm working on the details now. Who will write the best new hooks?
Watch for the Get Hooked--Write Away Contest soon. I'm working on the details now. Who will write the best new hooks?
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