Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I'll fill the gap


Maggie's on the road and unable to post, so I'll fill the gap while she's out.

My current WIP is set on an Indian reservation at a casino. I find the whole cultural mix on reservations to be fascinating. I grew up in Iowa and we have several reservations there, and of course there's a bunch here in Minnesota. The addition of casino gambling to the res has made for some interesting changes in the last few decades.

Friends and I go away for a Turtle Retreat twice a year. We go to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin (don't blink, you'll miss it) to the Turtle Lake Casino. We rent hotel rooms and one party room -- and these rooms are about the nicest I've ever been in, and I mean that includes Vegas, Reno, and other big towns. We usually get the Polynesian Suite which has ample room for me, a roomie, the party goods, and all of us.

We get there on Friday, sample the buffet (a steal at $11.95) and then knuckle down and start brainstorming. We got from Friday evening to Sunday noon, and usually have enough time to give each member 2 hours of brainstorming, critiquing, suggestions -- whatever is needed. In between times we go swimming, we gamble, and we nosh on munchies.

It's really an amazing experience. For those few days we can be WRITERS who just focus on writing. It's a short drive through beautiful countryside (most of the way), the amenities are just right, and the price -- it's amazing. $60/night for a room, $100/night for the suite. Silly cheap and great.

It seemed natural to set my next murder mystery in the casino, and at the last retreat, we had a blast figuring out "how done it". Our method of death was unique, to say the least. Stay tuned. I'm hoping to finish and sell this book, and you, too, can imagine "Murder at the Casino".

1 comment:

Cruz said...

Here's another brainstorming option for you to check out: http://www.molecularthinking.com. Don't have to find a time/place to brainstorm using this tool, as it's all done online... Cheers.