Sorry for the long wait … we got hacked last week … so from last week —

I had a lot of trouble thinking of something to write this week. I thought about writing about the crotchety little old lady in the nail salon who will undoubtedly be in a book soon (probably as a body or a wicked character) but didn’t think that was all that interesting enough for a whole blog. I also thought about the potentially road rage inspiring person I followed home today who drove 45 mph on a 55 mph zone UNTIL there was a dotted line on the road and then s/he sped up to 75 mph, only to slow back down to 45 mph when the solid line was back in place … WTF???? But also, grist for the mill!

Then I decided to let you help me think out a plot I’m mulling over. I had a great talk about this idea with a fellow writer Tuesday and the vision is becoming clearer, but I still have some questions.

First, know I appreciate any and all suggestions … even the what were you thinking ones! OOOOOO, and before we start, you have to be aware of the movie Gaslight! So, here’s the deal … I have a young, just out of school MBA who lands a “too good to be true” job in a huge corporation. Though the city is never named, I’m thinking Dallas/Fort Worth sized place. Lots of big money around. She herself is the daughter of a wealthy East Coast financier bound and determined to make a life without using daddy’s influence.

The “too good to be true” job is as the Special Financial Advisor to the CEO. She has her own office away from all the other finance people, is even actively discouraged from talking with the other MBAs and answers only to the president of the company. About six months after being hired, she needs to hear or see something (what would be big enough??) that will make the CEO want to get rid of her. Because of her father, they cannot just bump her off. They decide to “gaslight” her and try to drive her off the deep end.

This gaslighting is going to happen at the office and at home (I need five or six or more simple but diabolical ideas – important documents will come up missing, things will be moved in her home, etc.). Sleep deprived and totally unnerved, she is going to be so terrified that she decides to commit suicide. I need to find an adult that used drugs and is now out of that life to talk to about how she could go into a seedy part of town and tried to buy something (not sure what … maybe opioids) to do the job quickly and painlessly.

She’ll approach someone but the guy’ll be an undercover cop who’ll save her from the drug scene, help her figure out what’s going on at work, take down the CEO, and they’ll live happily ever after.

OK … there you go. If you read a lot of books like most of my friends and compatriots do, you’ll see all the holes that need to be plugged in and give me some suggestions. If you know anyone in D/FW, what is the seedy part called? I’ll change the name but I want to look the area up on Google Earth to describe the place accurately.

If you are a story idea stealer … have fun … but I will see my idea and my little Scorpio tail will lash out at you! Looking forward to your ideas … thanks … and, in the immortal words of Margaret Atwood in her novel the Handmaid’s Tale — Nolite te bastardes carborundorum (loosely translated “don’t let the bastards get you down!)