Plot Twists
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| The nasty one stands alone. It was called an SOB and lived up to it. |
Nope. I'm just having a post-vacation, where-do-I-start-working-when-I'd-rather-play sort of day.
Since it's Wednesday, I suppose a post is as good of a place to start as any. So, here it goes...
Saturday, a few friends and I set off for a lady's weekend. Our trip started with the flight from Pittsburgh. While we were waiting at the gate, my friends were busy phone-shaming me and I was busy explaining how royalties work and why- as a multi-published author- I still had an iPhone BC, when an entire hockey team showed up to join our flight.
I graduated from Marshall University. I know how team tragedies make for great movies. Suddenly, I'm no longer worried about the phone. There is a plot forming. One where my tragic demise boosts book sales and my phone is found and auctioned off on eBay for millions. Rachel McAdams can play me in the movie. Be sure to tell her to wear the socks.
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| (They also shamed my easy on/easy off airport shoes and socks) |
But then...plot twist. Whilst visiting the bathroom, my friend couldn't make the infrared censors work. Of course, that means she's a zombie. Or maybe a vampire. Whatever she is, she lacked the body heat to get herself the proper amount of paper towels from the automatic dispenser.
Forget tragedy. This was now a horror. I knew...at some point during the flight, my friend was surely going to bear her fangs and either go for brains or blood. Then when the too-handsome-for-real-life hockey team hit the city, lead by the matron with the vintage phone (still to be played by McAdams- remind her about the socks), they would terrorize the city of Boston.
But we landed safely. No crashes. No monsters. Just a Lyft waiting to to take us to the hotel, a hostel without private bathrooms.
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| Hoodie robes compliments of the Revolution. |
You're right! New plot twist. I don't think I need to explain this one. Four middle-aged women check into a hostel and become prey to a serial killer. Most likely, we'd die first. Wait, maybe we'd die second. The doorman/concierge was a black guy, so he'd probably die first. You know how Hollywood hates to let a black man live to see the end credits.
Fortunately, there was no serial killer. Even the weirdo banging on the shower doors looking for a lost cell phone turned out to be harmless.
At one point, there was the set up for us to be in the plot arc of a Hallmark Classic. This story involved bailing from a Lyft in three lanes of stalled traffic to find a parade. We'll pretend a nice, handsome cop pointed us in the right direction and to thank him, I whipped out my vintage phone and showed him pictures of one of my single nieces and they fell in love and lived happily ever after.
In reality, the cop seemed annoyed and I don't recall what he looked like. There was no parade. Only a marathon and they don't throw candy at those.
Back at the hostel for our last night, the fire alarm went off. We actually had our very own all is lost 2:00 AM moment! As we exited the building in our pajamas, I thought, so this is the final plot twist. Full-circling back to a tragedy. I wasn't a fan of this plot arc. It's a bad way to do a movie, burying the action that close to the end. But no worries. The fire alarm was just a red herring to keep everyone awake. There was no disaster. Just someone trying to cook chicken in the middle of the night.
In the end, the weekend was a feel-good sort of chick flick. Four childhood friends going on a middle-age journey. It's the kind of story that reminds you what's most important in life. The people. The friendships. The comfort of knowing someone will always have your back.
My favorite kind.
No one dies. Audience sighs. Roll credits.
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| Me, Melissa, Candy, and Steffie |
Adding this one to my to read list!
Charles Suddeth has published poetry, picture books, middle reader’s books, young adult thrillers, and adult mysteries in English, Cherokee, and Turkish. He is active with Green River Writers and leads a monthly SCBWI Social. He lives in Louisville and teaches for the Jefferson County Schools.
About Stone Man
After U.S. soldiers attack twelve-year-old Tsatsi’s Cherokee village, his family flees to the Smokey Mountains. Facing storms, flood, and hunger, they’re forced to go where Stone Man, a monstrous giant, is rumored to live.His family seeks shelter in an abandoned village, but soldiers hunt them down. Tsatsi and his sister Sali escape, but Sali falls ill and is kidnapped by Stone Man. Tsatsi gives chase and confronts the giant, only to learn this monster isn’t what he seems.
Their journey is a dangerous one. Will Tsatsi find the strength to become a Cherokee warrior? And will they ever find their family?
Print ISBN 9781939844620
Driven to Stone Man’s trail...
EBook ISBN 9781939844651
Release date – October 8, 2019
Find Stone Man: And the Trail of Tears at: Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
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I love all the potential plot lines that your trip could've taken on. Still, I'm pleased that it turned out to be a chick flick. Sounds like a bunch of wonderful new memories.
ReplyDeleteThe less dramatic the plot, the better it suits real life.
DeleteIt sounds like a fascinating weekend! I stood on that same spot with my sister a couple of years ago. Boston is sooo full of history, Loved it, and we went for a drink at the original Cheers site. You can write a story of intrigue about this weekend....
ReplyDeleteWe didn't manage to see all the historical sites, so we'll have to go back again.
Deletehaha well it is good that there was no plane crash or serial killer out to pick you off one by one. A chick flick in real life is the better outcome indeed.
ReplyDeleteMost certainly! I wouldn't last long in a horror movie.
DeleteI love all of your potential plot twists! I guess I may be part zombie since I have a hard time getting automatic sensors to work. Lol. Thanks for the sharing the narrative arc of your fabulous weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure how they work, so don't go banking on being a zombie just yet.
DeleteThere are stories everywhere and you were certainly looking!
ReplyDeleteI know! My problem is never a lack of stories, but the lack of putting them on paper or computer.
DeleteThat is such a fun story you created with so many twists, loved the possibilities!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It is fun to imagine all of the what-ifs.
DeleteEnjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat a fun trip! I love the plot twist game. My writing business partner and I do that when we take days trips together. No one is safe - everyone we see is possibly involved in some nefarious activity.
ReplyDeleteIt's the best game to play!
Delete"No one dies. Audience sighs. Roll credits."
ReplyDelete~ I couldn't help but sigh and smile by the end.
Then I succeeded in my goal. :)
DeleteSounds like an awesome trip! And everything turned out such fun!
ReplyDeleteIt did. Barely a hiccup!
DeleteIt does sound like you should write one of those fun ladies' weekend adventure. Glad no one died and I love your airplane shoes.
ReplyDeleteThat would be fun to write one of those, but don't you know, as soon as I say that, my mind goes blank.
DeleteThank you for the shoe support. It's good to know there are other people with good taste in comfortable/practical footwear.
Yep. Everything is fodder for a story!
ReplyDeleteI dunno about you, kiddo. You don't have nearly enough imagination... HA! I loved all your imagined plot twists, and like everyone else, I'm glad you ended up having a chick flick of a good time. Sounds like it was a blast! (Definitely worthy of a do-over!)
ReplyDeleteOne day, I'll head south and we can plan some plot twists IRL.
DeleteAh post-vacation. I know it well. I think I'm stuck in permanent post-vacation ;)
ReplyDeleteIs the cure for that to get to work? And it's weird. I also enjoy working. It's the getting started that that's hard.
DeleteOh what fun. Oh what plot twists. And fodder for at least a dozen different books:) And to have friendships that have lasted your entire life--oh what a gift.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Charles. Your book sounds so intriguing.
I am very blessed. Really and truly blessed. Marvelous life long friends and new ones. I have a gift for finding wonderful people.
DeleteAfter all that, the culprit chicken chef should've served the (presumably) Cajun style dinner to all. Glad you had a fun girlie outing.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Charles.
I like your ending. I'm all about getting served food.
DeleteWhen I started to read, I knew you were off to a fun start, but had no idea it was going to be this hilarious:)
ReplyDeleteBloody hell, thanks for sharing such a great weekend!! I'm sure your friends were also sad to go back to reality.
PS: So glad to hear the SOB wasn't left on the table!! #WasteNotWantNotEspeciallyADodgyHangover :)