clues at the scene

clues at the scene

Friday, February 28, 2014

A Better Mousetrap

Old reliable, at left.

"The better mousetrap" is a euphemism for an improved version of the un-improvable. Our friend at left is an example: he works and works cheaply. Oh, and you don't have to empty its litterbox.

I'm having some doubts this week as I write something humorous in premise. It has a farcical nature and as such isn't "serious writing." It bothers me a bit.

It is easy for the fanciful to become trivial. I'm setting the story in a mad scientist colony and so, the trite and cliched stereotype is always a danger. There has to be a touch of the familiar without a slathering of the expected.

It is harder than it looks to take a setting, a premise, a character and do something new.

The locked room mystery? Bah. It isn't really as locked as you think.

The rain swept back alley? Probably not where the Toastmasters are hosting their latest gathering.

I'm working on it. I've got some serious changes to consider from the first draft. I'm introducing vermin: synthetic vermin. (Real vermin are too filthy for my particular nefarious mad scientist.)

I'm off to write. You should be too.

If you see anything moving along the baseboards out of the corner of your eye tonight, just ignore it.

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