Creative Writing - Asking "What if?"

What if?  We've all ask it...What if I didn't go to the store?  What if I'd answered the phone?  What if I'd listened to the little voice sounding off in my head?   It's a question that torments us;  that makes us doubt our choices.
What if?  What if I could fly?  What if I could touch the moon?  It's also a question that motivates us; that brings our imagination to life.
What if? - is my favorite question.  It was the first question I asked myself as I began to write.  It's the question that brought my villian to life...

  (Excerpt from my book)

People had no idea how vulnerable they made themselves and he wasn’t above taking advantage of their follies.  Standing in the darkness, just beyond the patio, he had a perfect view into the kitchen through the large picture window.  He watched as she lifted her hair from her neck; as her mother fastened the necklace; as the light accented her bare shoulders and he imagined himself standing behind her, trailing his fingers across her soft skin, encircling her neck with his special gift.  His special gift – he moved through the darkness, making his way to his treasure…

DS McKnight

     There are times when no matter how hard you try, things don't turn out how you expect.  Take for instance, this Memorial Day Weekend.  My husband and youngest son decided to go hiking.  They are new to this - having only hiked once before.  They left out early Saturday morning,  drove five hours west and found there were no camping sites available.  Apparently, Memorial Day weekend is big for campers and hikers.  Reservations were needed. 
     I felt a little guilty, especially as my middle son and I had decided to go to Myrtle Beach.  What could be better?  Little did we realize, Myrtle Beach was host to Bike Week.  Oh my!  Bumper to bumper traffic.  After what seemed an eternity, we arrived at Broadway at the Beach.  Broadway is one of my favorite places to visit.  It's got everything - shopping, food and fun. 
     The first thing on the agenda was food.  We were starved.  We choose to eat at The Liberty.  (It was yummy!) However, before the food arrived, I was itching....and it didn't stop....and by the time dinner was over, I had the hives.  Yikes!  Needless to say, the trip was cut short.  We were homeward bound.
     And the hives?     Oh, they love me....
                                                 have been with me for the last 24 hours....
                                                                                 and I have grown to love Benadryl.

DS McKnight

Weekend Getaway

Years ago, my husband and I decided to take our son on a weekend getaway.  We opened a map, closed our eyes and touched our finger to the paper:  Aiken, South Carolina was our destination. 
We pulled out of Beaufort, SC and headed in a northwesterly direction.  The beauty of this trip is that we choose to travel the backroads.  We went through little towns that seemed lost in time.  We ate at little diners where comfort foods are a specialty.  We stopped at roadside stands and bought pumpkins and goards.  We fell in love with visiting small town America. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I was born to city life.  Hardly.  I can remember when my home town didn't even have a traffic light.  But that trip...and seeing those little towns through the eyes of a visitor, awakened in me the love of living in and visiting small towns. 


I thought about my home town and those I have visited over the years...a little memory, a dash of imagination and wa-la...Parson's Cove was born.  Parson's Cove is my kind of town.  It's full of wonderful...and not so wonderful people.  But it is a place that feels like home.  So, come on down.  I'll be at Salty Dog's Pizza - the last table - saving a seat for you!

An exerpt from my novel: 

      The delicious aromas of garlic and fresh herbs hung in the cold night air.  Jenna’s stomach growled reminding her she had missed lunch.  She hoped the pizza would taste as good as it smelled.  As she pushed open the door, Jenna glanced around the café.  It wasn’t what anyone would call high-brow.  The black and white checkered flooring showed signs of wear.  Tables covered with red plastic cloths lined the walls; each adorned with a small ceramic Santa.   An old tinseled tree stood in the corner; its lights flashing merrily.  
                                                                                                                                     -DS McKnight

It's Saturday.  The sun is shining, birds are singing and I am sitting in front of my computer.  Not exactly the perfect way to spend my day...but uninterrupted writing time is a rarity. 

I can't help but feel a little melancholy this morning.  I know its crazy but I have spent so much time in my fictional town with my fictional characters that the thought of finishing their story is somewhat depressing.  I can't imagine my life without them.  I know their secrets; their joys and their heartaches.

Even now, as I sit here typing, I hear their voices calling to me....and I will answer.  They have a story that needs to be finished and peace that needs to be found.  As Sarah, one of my favorite characters stated:

“I am tired, Chase - tired of living a partial life; tired of being tied to a past that is long gone and a future that will never be.”

So I journey back to Parson's Cove...to Sarah...and the others who are waiting patiently to finish telling me their story.

                                                                                                                            -DS McKnight

The end is getting closer....
I have written over 62,000 words.
Approximately 13,000 more to go -
and my novel is complete!