A Writer's Tale

Make the villain a woman? (Which is sort of what I’ve got in The Glory Bus partial.) 2. Come up with a big, catchy idea. For the background. Of course, the big, catchy ideas have all been used. So it would have to be a variation.

Maybe go with the Hitcher idea that I came up with back November, 1993.

As it turned out, I’d only made some very sketchy notes on the Hitcher idea, back in 1993-But the idea seemed to have potential. The next day, I sat down and explored the possibilities.

Jan. 26,1995

General plot.

A guy is in town. Happens to be in the right place at the right time, and saves a woman’s life. She leads him to her place. Rewards him with the gift of “Drifting”? You can drift from person to person, going along for the ride inside their bodies.

You are there, but separate. You remain aware of yourself, but you know their thoughts, feel what they feel. However, you can’t effect their thoughts or behavior in any way.

You’re just along for the ride.

The gal shows him how to do this. She gives him a ride to show him the ropes. Then explains the limitations.

Warns him that there are dangers especially, you don’t want to be a passenger at the time someone dies. Also, your actual body needs to be someplace safe.

The guy is excited, but nervous about his new powers.

He decides not to tell his girlfriend. She works nights. So shortly after he gets the power, he rides with her. She is great. Loyal, loves him, etc. But maybe when she gets back, he plays “games” with her. Makes a few remarks to let her know that he “knows” something.

This annoys her. Does he admit his power? She wouldn’t believe him, though. Would think he has been spying on her. This could be the beginning of the end.

Excellent way to start.

What are their jobs? In this book, it might be important. What if the gal is a cop? That might be pushing things, making it less “real.” Not a hospital worker. Something to do with a restaurant or bar? Better, something at the airport. What if she ‘works for something like Hoffman? Greets celebrities, etc? Gives them the royal treatment? If I have questions, I can check with Murray.

What about the guy? He could lose his job. Maybe he already did lose his job. He is out on streets during the day because he is looking for employment. Which means he is already a victim, and ready for a little trouble.

Big question. Do they live together? No. Gal won’t go for it. Wants to keep her own place unless they are married. She has a nicer place than him. He spends a lot of time over at her place.

What kind of guy is he? Timid. Dreams of wild adventures, but is too weak, nervous, etc. to do anything. Feels as if he is an “outsider.” Or should I make him more normal?

He is good, decent. Has never done anything terribly adventurous, or terribly wrong. He would like to do things, but fears the consequences. Is not experiencing much of life.

Stays pretty much in his own shell, etc.

This would be an ideal situation for a guy who wants to be a college professor. Maybe he is one of those guys who is a student for years. He is doing postgraduate studies at the local university.

Let’s play it by ear.

Except. How does he save the woman’s life? He is normally timid, not a risk-taker. She ends up basically uninjured, unless maybe minor injuries. Maybe should not involve cops.

That way, they can leave immediately afterward go to her place.

Maybe he is a grad student, walking home from the campus library at night. Or he is driving. Sees a woman get dragged into the bushes. Drives off the road, goes for the guys. Honking. The assailants take off. No. Maybe he has to get into a fray. Fights him/them off. Maybe with a knife.

Okay.

At that point, I quit making notes and began to write the book itself. I wrote steadily for about two weeks before pausing to make any more notes. Here they are.

Feb. 9, 1995

I am now up to about p.60 of the new book. Drifters???

So far, Neal has rushed to the rescue of a woman in distress, Elise. He has shot and apparently killed her weird, bearded, sadistic assailant. After shooting the guy, he frees Elise. They cover bad guy with bushes, etc., leave bad guy’s van by road and return the videos.

Then Neal drives Elise to her home in Brentwood.

He is a screenwriter, substitute high school teacher.

Has a girlfriend, Marta. She works nights at LAX. Does not live with him.

Elise is a former diver. Divorced. Has nice house. She was diving in the dark when the guy supposedly grabbed her, applied choke hold. She came to in his van, in which she was taken to the place in W.L.A. where Neal rescued her.