Where do story ideas come from?
So very often right from your life. Case in point today something happened that I didn't want to waste time with but couldn't tear myself away from. I was supposed to be cleaning the house but all that got cleaned was the dishes, the window by the sink and the backdoor, i.e. all places that afforded me a good view.
It started with a picture I put up on FB of the abandoned house next door and this post I made at ten to four This abandoned house was nearly hidden from view until this summer. And it is my view from my kitchen and bedroom (so thanks). I hoped they'd knock it down. Well today someone is out there and I'm watching them as I wash dishes. I'm fairly sure they don't know what they're doing. A few weeks ago they made a half-assed attempt to remove the asbestos shingles (and then quit because most are still there). Now there's one hillbilly in an excavator using the bucket to knock on the walls while perched on a hill. There's literally no one else around. I'm not sure if he's just trying to bust up the porch or bring it all down (He knocked out the bay window while I watched). So how long before he's buried in old house and I'm calling 911? I closed the curtain and went into the back room.
And my friend MKF said 'this is story fodder, you should be video taping it.' I was too busy and it was too hot for that but since it happened I found myself unable to look away. What follows is a series of FB posts.
4:45 OMG now he has the excavator halfway IN the house while demolishing the bottom (with the second floor still intact) What could possibly go wrong? (no lie he was literally bashing around the bottom without bringing the top down first)
6:15 Well,the house just crashed into the middle of it. Don't see the dude. Hmmm
6:30 Good news, he's still alive and slamming the dying house. Just noticed he has NO safety gear on as he wrecks this asbestos ridden deathtrap, no respirator, no googles, not even a hard hat. Go redneck go.
7:00 Dies. Now he has the excavator bucket stuck in a tree near the house he didn't remove first (seriously hysterical as he's thrashing the bucket trying to get it out)
7:50 And as night falls, the house is 98% down and our intrepid hillbilly heads off into the sunset
8:40 I was WRONG! They didn't ride off into the sun set. They were somewhere getting fuel to set the rubble ON FIRE. I couldn't figure out who was knocking on my door at 830 pm but it was a neighbor My entire apartment feels like it's ready to ignite on the side facing the blaze and I had to call the fire dept. Apparently we ALL did. OMG this place. (Oh by the way there really aren't hydrants here)
9:30 So five fire trucks, two police cars and lots of other rednecks all showed up. The fire is still burning but it's manageable now. Not sure if anyone went to jail. I doubt it. I'm pretty sure I still see him out there with his shovel (because yes that's what he brought to help with the conflagration) but I'm betting someone got fined out the butt for this. Best part is, that'll be burning outside my bedroom on a night that I NEED to get to bed early because I need to be up at the crack of dawn to get to a doctor's appt before work.
I don't feel like I can share my friends' responses but trust me they were funny too. I am dying laughing at the stupid. Yes this needs to be in a story somewhere but no one will believe anyone is this dumb.
And that's where ideas come from.
It started with a picture I put up on FB of the abandoned house next door and this post I made at ten to four This abandoned house was nearly hidden from view until this summer. And it is my view from my kitchen and bedroom (so thanks). I hoped they'd knock it down. Well today someone is out there and I'm watching them as I wash dishes. I'm fairly sure they don't know what they're doing. A few weeks ago they made a half-assed attempt to remove the asbestos shingles (and then quit because most are still there). Now there's one hillbilly in an excavator using the bucket to knock on the walls while perched on a hill. There's literally no one else around. I'm not sure if he's just trying to bust up the porch or bring it all down (He knocked out the bay window while I watched). So how long before he's buried in old house and I'm calling 911? I closed the curtain and went into the back room.
And my friend MKF said 'this is story fodder, you should be video taping it.' I was too busy and it was too hot for that but since it happened I found myself unable to look away. What follows is a series of FB posts.
4:45 OMG now he has the excavator halfway IN the house while demolishing the bottom (with the second floor still intact) What could possibly go wrong? (no lie he was literally bashing around the bottom without bringing the top down first)
6:15 Well,the house just crashed into the middle of it. Don't see the dude. Hmmm
6:30 Good news, he's still alive and slamming the dying house. Just noticed he has NO safety gear on as he wrecks this asbestos ridden deathtrap, no respirator, no googles, not even a hard hat. Go redneck go.
7:00 Dies. Now he has the excavator bucket stuck in a tree near the house he didn't remove first (seriously hysterical as he's thrashing the bucket trying to get it out)
7:50 And as night falls, the house is 98% down and our intrepid hillbilly heads off into the sunset
8:40 I was WRONG! They didn't ride off into the sun set. They were somewhere getting fuel to set the rubble ON FIRE. I couldn't figure out who was knocking on my door at 830 pm but it was a neighbor My entire apartment feels like it's ready to ignite on the side facing the blaze and I had to call the fire dept. Apparently we ALL did. OMG this place. (Oh by the way there really aren't hydrants here)
9:30 So five fire trucks, two police cars and lots of other rednecks all showed up. The fire is still burning but it's manageable now. Not sure if anyone went to jail. I doubt it. I'm pretty sure I still see him out there with his shovel (because yes that's what he brought to help with the conflagration) but I'm betting someone got fined out the butt for this. Best part is, that'll be burning outside my bedroom on a night that I NEED to get to bed early because I need to be up at the crack of dawn to get to a doctor's appt before work.
I don't feel like I can share my friends' responses but trust me they were funny too. I am dying laughing at the stupid. Yes this needs to be in a story somewhere but no one will believe anyone is this dumb.
And that's where ideas come from.