Friday, August 3, 2012

CODY. WYLIE. IDEN. 3 Views, 3 Authors


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It’s FIRST FRIDAY! Three amazing authors give their takes on one picture in 150 words or less. Their genres, voices, and visions are wonderfully different.

CODY
"It's the color of a ruby." The child's awe-filled voice broke the eerie silence following the storm. "Just like the Book of Legends says."
Murmurs rose and blended into a single, querulous hum: "That's all it is. Legend. Only part ruby. Rest … black as night. Not exactly a slipper."
An old woman stepped forward. "Might be. Fashions change."
The child reminded them, "The Book says she came on the wind."
The hum countered, "Aye … seven generations ago."
The woman said, "I've heard rumors of ominous weather down there."
The leg twitched, accentuating its unseemly length. The crowd, except for the woman and the child, stepped back. The child cried out, "She needs help."
The hum accelerated to an angry buzz: "She's not our kind. What can we do?"
"Whatever we can."
"There could be consequences."
"There's always risk."
"Not if we don't get involved."
"Unthinkable!"

At Amazon
WYLIE
In the dark shadows of the forest Mira stood out like a psychotic rainbow amongst the bland browns and greens. She had always been different; a bit wild, forever disregarding the rules, particularly when it came to fashion. Her choice of colors had never caused her harm; in fact it would often bring smiles and laughter to those around her.  She loved to smile. She loved to laugh. In the forest, she did both as she skipped and danced along the path in her favorite red and black shoes. The bright pinks, yellows and blues of her outfit swirled around her. It was not, in the end, the colors that killed her, though they did attract the fairies. The creatures didn’t harm her either, though their sudden presence startled her.  Later investigators firmly attributed her demise to the 40 foot fall down the ravine. Cause of death: six inch heels.

IDEN
I had two reactions to this picture the instant I saw it. In both, I sense the wearer of this get-up is a young girl dressed up in atrocious cast-off clothing from the seventies or eighties.
Those ridiculous heels, they’re good for a laugh. All kinds of scenes—right out of any sitcom—spring to mind.
At Amazon
Unfortunately, writing crime fiction gives you a crooked bent of mind. The other reaction? A murder scene. The girl discovers, then dons all of the blinding fuchsia clothes her mother picked up in 1978. By the time she senses the killer, it’s too late: the scene turns from humor to horror in an instant. She runs, but the heels trip her just as she attempts to escape. The picture captures the horrific irony that it was the very costume that led to her demise.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Sandra Carey Cody
Sandra Carey Cody's latest book, Love and Not Destroy, examines the ways in which destiny is shaped by family secrets. An infant is abandoned in a carriage shed on the grounds of a small town museum. Twenty-two years later, the body of a homeless man is discovered in exactly the same spot. The foundling, now an adult working at the museum, is haunted by the coincidence and thus begins a search for identity that explores the nature of family, of loyalty and responsibility. Sandy also writes the Jennie Connors mystery series, published by Avalon Books. Her website is: http://sandracareycody.com/

Jen Wylie
At Amazon
Jen Wylie resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.

Matthew Iden
I write fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, crime fiction, and contemporary literary fiction with a psychological twist. A Reason to Live is the first in my debut detective series featuring Marty Singer, a retired DC homicide cop who helps the victims of past crimes while waging his own war with cancer. Marty’s story continues in Blueblood (August, 2012) and Signs (October 2012).
Book link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081MW9LM

Feel free to join in. Add your vision (150 words maximum) in the comments!

8 comments:

Earl Staggs said...

Three very interesting takes on the same picture. To some people, a picture is only a picture, but to a writer, it's only the beginning of a story.

Sandy Cody said...

This was so much fun, Ellis. Thanks for including me with these two talented writers.

I agree, Earl, that an image can set a writer's imagination soaring.Don't you love it!

Polly Iyer said...

I agree with Earl. But as your wonderful experiment continues, Ellis, it's clear that writers see things differently. What a great exercise. Kudos to Sandy, Jen, and Matt for their interpretations.

Mary Cunningham said...

Inspiring exervise, Ellis! I love the different takes on the picture. Such creativity!

Terry Ambrose said...

It's those diverse views of the same scene that make fiction so much fun. A murder or a moment of relaxation? An eye for wild fashion or an uncaring free spirit? What fun!

Ellis Vidler said...

Earl, you said it so well! "To some people, a picture is only a picture, but to a writer, it's only the beginning of a story." I borrowed that comment for a post (but I gave you credit :-)

I love seeing the completely different takes on the same picture. How wonderful to have such imaginations at work.

Kaye George said...

These are always fun and this one is no let down. Thanks for the glimpse into your minds.

Darla said...

I enjoyed how Cody picked up on the 'ruby slippers' angle -- that was my first thought as well -- but brought it into the present and ... oh no, she's still alive! LOL Love the line "accentuating its unseemly length."

The Wylie interpretation was total delight and I laughed out loud at the ending. Love the "psychotic rainbow."

And then I giggled over Iden's "from humor to horror in an instant" ...

This was great -- thanks so much everyone.