Story Ideas

Terri Shiavo is gone and is the world any better for it? The debate will rage on and the issue will eventually become cloudy and all those, from both sides, will make the murder/mercy killing their own issue. Both sides will solicit support and money to promote their own causes and Terri’s parents and siblings will be without. We all owe Terri thanks for making us all take a good look at ourselves. Hopefully the recent actions aren’t the beginning of the slippery slope but rather a warning for our nation to pull our heads out of our butt.

As promised yesterday I was going to bounce a few story ideas off you. So here are a few ideas I have started and stalled on at various stages.

Novels:

Collision Course

This story is about a woman, Jillian, in her late thirties who is a college basketball coach who takes her annual vacation with her old college buddies. Every year she meets her three best friends from college at her grandfather’s cabin at the Oregon coast. This particular year she runs into trouble. On her cross state trek to the cabin she meets up with four meth tweekers who plan to rob her.

The tweekers are Snake a 29 year old ex-con, Ron and Rod 31 year old twins, and Trinity a 16 year old runaway who is battling demons of her own. They have hatched a plan to rob anyone they can snare to raise money for their habit. After several attempts that fall apart for various reasons they happen on a tired and unsuspecting Jillian.

The collision between these two completely different worlds leaves Jillian first begging then clinging for her life.

A Father’s Revenge

This story is about a young boy of 16 who is arrested and jailed for doing something no one should ever be compromised for doing. In his own home, while playing hooky from school he is caught masturbating by a mail deliverer. The mail carrier, a woman, notifies the police. The boy is arrested. During his short stint in jail he is raped and humiliated by older cons. Embarrassed and violated the young boy takes his own life.

The father a simple laborer who had no means to fight the authorities or protect his son decides on avenging his son. He begins his string of revenge murders by first killing the mail carrier, then the judge and works his way through those he perceives guilt in his son’s death.

The case is worked by a character I have created named Keegan Atchison. Keegan is a single, forty year-old, detective who is raising a teenage daughter. The troubles of corralling a teenage girl and a serial murder have there time with Keegan.

Beaver Hunt

This story is about a young boy, Bobby Whalen, growing up in rural Oregon in the 1960-70s. His mother is widowed and has the responsibility of raising him and working at a local plywood mill. She just happens to be the first female to ever work inside the mill in a job normally handled by a man.

The summer between seventh and eighth grade Bobby employs the help of his best friend, Thad and Thad’s dog, Pirate to help him rob a beaver trap left by an older boy who has bullied Bobby for the last year. The goal is to steal the beavers from the traps and then sell the pelts in order to buy a blue Schwinn stingray bicycle at the local Western Auto store.

The story primarily takes place during that summer and the events that the two trap thieves’ endure.

Shorts:

Triangle Trees

This story is about a fifth grade boy and his first love. This is the same boy in the ceramic room.

Willie

This story is about a young man of eighteen and what happens during a summer job prior to leaving for college. Willie is the fellow he commutes to work with on a daily basis. Willie is a strange man who has so many quirks and weird adventures that leave the young man in constant awe.

The Wood Pile

What happens to three boys who stumble upon one of their friend’s father having an affair with the widow living next door? This story explores the curiosity that junior high boys have with sex and how they can or cannot keep secrets.

Muse

This story deals with schizophrenic artist, writer and how a voice in his head can lead him to destruction by society and eventually by his own hand. This one is pretty sad.

Street Preacher

This story is about a street preacher Sam Goodall and a bar owner’s daughter that falls in love with him. At first she despises him and he is ambivalent towards her. They eventually grow to respect and then to love.

These are only a few that I have done some extensive work on. I have a few more that I have been playing with and will share at a later time. What I need from you is input on what you would like to see completed and what you would do with any of these stories. I am open to sharing any ideas you may have and have no qualms with anyone trying their hand at any of these stories themselves.