Monday, September 20, 2010

ONE MAN, ONE TRUCK, ONE . . .?

My brain just got a new wrinkle…
Trying to figure out
The man…
And the truck…
I saw yesterday.
I mentioned a few weeks ago in my blog…
That I’ve started noticing people more…
As research for great characters in novels…
Or just to be more aware.
Well, yesterday…
I saw a pickup truck go down the street…
The likes of which could only be from a freak show…
Or a Stephen King novel.
The truck was an old . . .
Well, I couldn’t tell…
Because of all the hundreds…
Of dirty dolls and stuffed animals…
Covering every inch of the truck…
Except the windows and tires.
There were lots of filthy Barbies…
Some torn, saggy Disney figures…
A large Alf doll…
Many sizes of grey, naked, weather-worn baby dolls…
And a grimy Kewpie doll as the hood ornament.
Who? What? WHY?
The man driving looked just as strange…
Thin face, long straggly beard.
But I won’t say anymore because…
He could be some kid’s grandpa.
(Dear Lord, I hope not)
I mentioned this weird man with his even weirder truck to my daughter…
Who used to live in the same neighborhood a year ago.
Yup, she had seen him but had no more information.
My mind doesn’t want to go to the place…
Where wild and freaky scenarios dwell…
At least not today while I baby-sit my two grandkids.
But…
I’m going to the yearly retreat of my writer group…
At a cottage on a lake north of Ann Arbor…
Where a bunch of us writers will brainstorm plots and characters and such.
Maybe a plot about this man and his truck will be fleshed out.
It’ll be interesting to see what my fellow writers come up with.

Always, Em-Musing

4 comments:

Tana said...

I love the observing. I'm doing that right now too in hopes a new WIP will come to me before October. Have fun at the conference!

Jennifer Shirk said...

He sounds like he's got a story for sure. :)

I'm jealous. I always wanted to go on a writer's retreat.

Elana Johnson said...

Isn't it great when you can get inspiration for something from merely observation? I think so. And uh, creepy!

Joanne said...

I love finding inspiration in the every-day. It somehow keeps the writing real. Enjoy that retreat :)