It's not easy coming up with a topic for a blog post every week (I don't know how the every-day bloggers do it, and people who Twitter 76 times a day? You need to stop that).
So, given modern technology and the availability of other people's ideas for free, I mentioned on my Facebook page that I was stuck for a topic this week (I actually had some ideas, but I didn't like any of them). And I got some suggestions.
I'll respond to the more plausible ones now. Facebook friends are SOOOOOOO amusing sometimes...
Jenna McCarthy asks how guys can watch so many GD sports on TV? Assuming that "GD" stands for "Good Definition," I'd recommend going up to HD, because I can't understand how people can spend a long time staring at a blurry screen, either. And by the way, stop being sexist. Women can watch GD sports, too.
Jack Getze asks if male writers can capture the female voice. Yes, we can. But once you have it captured and locked in a box, it's hard to get anything done. That damn box keeps yelling at you to let it out. This is especially distracting if you're trying to write in first person as a female character. I just finished a first draft like that, and it was hard enough WITHOUT a box yelling at me the whole time.
Ilene Schneider suggests I write about "all the terrific women mystery writers (I) know." Again, I must protest the gender-based specificity here. Are the terrific male mystery writers I know not relevant? But you shouldn't for a minute expect me to list my favorite peers of either gender here. I'll leave someone out, and they'll get mad at me. I HATE it when people get mad at me. I get upset when the dry cleaner looks at me funny.
Lucy Cooper believes I should write about dogs in books, or if absolutely necessary, cats in books. Are we now leaving out wildebeests and polecats, then, Lucy? People (or dogs) seem to be trying to push their own agendas on my weekly DEAD GUY post. Woof, indeed.
Kimberly Malo says I should write about "Elliot scripts The Blob as The Blog, a soon to be classic B movie SF comic classic." Even assuming that she means Elliot Freed, my protagonist of the Double Feature Mysteries (thanks for the opportunity to plug myself, Kim!), I still have no idea what kind of blog entry that would be. But thanks for the suggestion.
Finally, Sharon Wildwind suggests I explain New Jersey. Not really clear on why New Jersey needs an explanation, Sharon. It seems fairly self-explanatory to me. Explain, for example, Wyoming. It's a state, right? Out there in the west? Well, New Jersey's like that, only completely different. Hope that clears up any confusion for you.
Thanks for all the ideas, friends. I wouldn't have considered any of those myself, and appreciate the effort on your parts.
Next week, I promise, I'll write on a topic of my own choosing.
