April 14, 2017

A to Z Challenge 'M'




A to Z 2017 Theme: Rocks to Throw At A Hero Who Is Up A Tree!

Robin Carr, a well-published author describes a talented author as "someone who chases her hero up a tree and then throws rocks at her."

M! Oh you magnificent letter! You possess a Myriad of Stones to throw at a hero!

Most of your marvelous M-bombs are appropriate for any genre...except children's literature.

Most obvious of all:

Murder (Who has been liquidated? Who is going to be liquidated? )

The Mayor?
The Magistrate?
Hero's best friend, Margaret?
Hero's husband, Manuel?
The Maid?
The Stage Manager?

When did the Murder happen?

Twenty years ago?
Two weeks ago.
It's happening now while hero hides under desk of the victim! ("why, oh, why is this happening now, the information is  still being downloaded onto thumb drive")
Will her cell phone ring while she is in hiding?

Murder automatically leads us to  

Mystery

Who done did it!

Does the writer let the reader know?
Do we nervously shift in our seats every time hero gets close to the Murderer?
Does the hero know but we are left to sift through the clues?
Is hero being hunted by bad guy?
Is the killer hiding behind every door and in every shadow?


Machete? ew!

Was it the weapon of choice?
Unable to locate a Machine Gun for protection is it the only available alternative for hero to protect herself. (nah, smart heroes keep Mace handy...oh, but what if the writer doesn't know that?

Motel:

Creepy?
Run down?
Magnificent but Menacing?
Inherited just in time to save hero's Mental Health but in need of Maintenance?

Mental Health:

Depression (hero? husband? Mayor? )
Sociopath?
Psychopath?

Marooned and Moneyless...it could happen!

Meteor Racing to Earth

Mirthless Deputy U.S. Marshall

Does he believe hero?
Does he hunt her down?
Does he find the one-armed man in the creepy Undercover Boss wig?

Marriage

Planning hero's dream wedding?
Dreading exchanging vows with a Man her father chose for her/him?
Is the groom's nature dark and Menacing  but she falls in love anyway (refer her to Mental Health!)
Do the Mom's hate each other and they're interfering in ceremony plans?
Is Mar-a-Lago no longer available due to an overabundance of NSA agents occupying the  grounds and rooms?
Is hero's marriage failing?
Is someone standing in the way of upcoming wedding (Westboro Baptist Church, Mom, the Mayor)?

Monsoon

What the hell are you doing in the southern hemisphere this time of year?


Macaroons

Are they poisoned?
Is hero allergic to almonds?

Mankari

Is he blackmailing you; holding the title to your grant hostage until you do his bidding?

Magic

Is there a wizard living under your staircase?
Can our hero create chocolate goodies that make even the meanest man's dreams come true?
Does hero's Mad auntie keep putting Men who come courting in jars and storing them in the pantry on the Toxic Herbs shelf?

Map

Did hero take a wrong turn on a back country road?
Did hero forget her map at the creepy hotel as she narrowly escaped out the back window?
As the Moon rises and the Mist Moves in, is all GPS and cell reception lost?
Does hero's Mazda, Mercedes, or Mercury Mountaineer run out of gas Miles from who-knows-where?

March

Beware the ides...

Medicine

Too much?
Not enough?
Wrong kind?

Methane Gas

Is Garth eating beans again?
Is there an impending explosion and the clock is ticking?

Men In Black

Is there a black helicopter hovering above hero?
Does a black Cadillac Escalade follow hero into the isolated parking structure?

Moon

Hear any howling?
Any scratching on the window?
Will hero put her four inch spiked heels on to go investigate (does she take a wooden spoon for protection)?

Message

Is it written on the back of a napkin?
Inside a matchbook, slipped to you by the Moroccan bartender when you order a Manhattan?
In a bottle on the beach?



Mirror

Don't walk through it and if you do, don't talk to strange cats or rabbits.
Remember that things are backwards in there and yes means no and no means yes.





Dear M,
I could play with you all day, alas, I have painting to accomplish and furniture to put back in place.



15 comments:

  1. 'm' is for 'muthafucka' (see donald dump)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Murder--had to be. Imagine climbing a tree and finding a dead body. That would shake up a story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or standing under a tree and a body falls out of it....ew!

      Delete
  3. I have a magic mirror in my current manuscript. I like the idea of walking through one, but instead I went another direction. I love that you have so many ideas in this post. And even mundane things were made interesting. Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Life is in the mundane if you're awake!

      I hope your Easter was a good one.

      Delete
  4. Hi Toni, thank you for swinging by my blog. You have quite an interesting theme here.



    Blog: natashamusing
    Theme: Travel Epiphanies
    Mighty Cerulean Sea

    ReplyDelete
  5. my my my - much to prick the magination here. Thanks for marvellous musings!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Toni.
    Thank you for visiting my blog.
    I can stay on your 'M' post for ever...so many great ideas to pinch when the ink dries up on the challenge.
    N is for Naada

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I said to Susan, M is an Imaginarium Emporium of good ideas!

      Delete
  7. Toni, what a masterful "M" list but you forgot the Mermaids! :) Oh well, lucky for you, you got to see mine in Saturday's post, Art Sketching Through the Alphabet “M” (Mermaids). I'm running a bit late more or less but I finally made my way over. *sigh* Thanks for visiting and happy a2zing! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dang! Mermaids are some of my favorite beings, too!

      Delete

Comment Please but Play Nice!