Wednesday, November 28, 2012

How readers see the world

Yesterday morning, I was driving my kids to school when the trunk of the car in front of me popped open. Instead of changing lanes or trying to avoid what kind of tools or other things that might come flying at my car, I sped up a little bit so that I could see if there were any bodies in the trunk. Which means either my safety instinct is way off, or I've read one too many mysteries. Call it creative curiosity.

But it got me thinking: do readers see the world differently? Is it normal to check for bodies? Or to look up at the full moon at night and wonder just what the werewolves might be doing? Am I the only one who gets a little nervous taking the dog out at night after watching The Walking Dead?

Oh, great. Now we have television to blame as well.

Still, I think this is one of the most creative periods for books and for television as well. There are so many choices, so many people writing and telling wonderful stories. I think it does change the way we see the world, for better or for worse.

And for the record, there was nothing in the back of that black Acura I saw this morning. But next time? You never know.

5 comments:

Tori Lennox said...

Well whenever I'm watching the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car auctions on TV, I'm always on the lookout for the old cars with the biggest trunk space. Just to see how many bodies you might be able to cram in there. :D

catslady said...

Sorry, I don't think it would have occurred to me lol. I really think that's what make authors so good, creative minds lol.

Brandy said...

We were out at a Classic Car Show a few months ago and happened to see an old Cadillac from the 70's, you know the kind. I guess we've read too many mysteries or too many mob movies because we wondered how many bodies had ever been transported in one.

Angie Fox said...

It does make you wonder! I have Jeep (no trunk) but told my husband we could probably get two people into his trunk. He declined to participate. I married a left brainer.

Jenn said...

I love this. I, too, think of werewolves and other supernatural baddies during a full moon. (I'm an author who writes mysteries.) But before I was an author, I thought about dead bodies in trunks too because that's what I read and watched and loved.

This reminds me of a few years ago. I was walking back through my complex after going across the street for milk. It had recently snowed. It was thick and hadn't been plowed yet. I stared at the footprints I'd made on my way to the store and thought, "if I'd just killed someone, I'd walk back in the same prints, to not leave new ones and to screw with the crime techs."

I definitely think that thought was based on being a writer. ;)