Build Me a Woman

Back to regularly-scheduled shenanigans. As promised.

So, I was perusing Pexels, looking for inspiration. I’m a fairly visual person. Images help drive writing. Had intended to find something fun to spin a post from, for this blog.

What I found instead, after having marvelled at a few other things that I didn’t save, was a photograph of a chrome female robot, taken in China, that reminded me a LOT of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.

I don’t think I’ve watched it since I was a teenager, having combed through the selection of movies at the public library, in search of arthouse, classics, things unusual, etc.

I remember I also checked out 1930’s Blue Angel with Marlene Dietrich. Had to see at least one of hers, since my best friend was so into her. Not sure if high school-era bestie ever saw any of her movies or just admired her from old photographs. But she liked her look.

Back then, I was very passionate about foreign films, including the works of director Krzysztof Kieślowski. He was one of my favorites.

There were also various phases of my life when I was generally knowledgeable about all the movies hitting mainstream American theaters, and not just because I had a couple theater jobs.

Can’t say I’m up to speed on any of that now. I’m excited that there will be another John Wick movie and will probably see the spinoff, Ballerina. But I’m a bit behind on things I had meant to go see, which I may or may not eventually catch on streaming.

Moving on.

Immediately after seeing this photo, I thought to myself, I would LOVE to turn it into a book cover. Then, I remembered the Doors’ song “Build Me a Woman” and started pondering how I could possibly fold science fiction themes into my rock n roll vampire world of the series Rock is Undead. Since, thus far, all the titles are Doors songs, and the series name comes from a live Doors performance of “Rock is Dead.”

Side note: a good friend from my Freshman year of college and I somewhat resented the existence of “Build Me a Woman,” since it shattered our perception of Jim Morrison as having been relatively “enlightened” and pro-women’s rights. Above sexism, even while being a leather-pants-encased sex symbol. But I think I can let that go, in the interest of a story.

I’m not sure if Mystery Train will exactly fit the mold of a murder mystery, even though there has been a murder. Thus far, they don’t have much in the way of clues to work with.

Their last remaining human companion could potentially shed some light. I may try that route. She would’ve been up and about a bit more, before the body was found, around or shortly after sunset.

But it could be really fun to try spinning off various genres with the series.

And I think that cover looks pretty cool! (I added the filter… original photo was just a simple black and white.)

Wishful Sinful doesn’t have the series name on the cover, though I seem to recall that authors don’t always do that. But at the time of its creation, I wasn’t planning on writing a follow-up. And once I knew I was writing “Hyacinth House” and had updated the covers, I still wasn’t planning on trying to sell either of them. Hadn’t given much thought to continuing any further, either.

So, “Hyacinth House” just reads “A Wishful Sinful Tale,” if I recall correctly.

If I *do* write “Build Me a Woman” as a shorter piece, picking up at the end of Mystery Train, I may subtitle it a “tale” instead of “story.” Just thought of that.

I feel like it kind of makes sense to subtitle the shorts after the longer pieces to which they’re chronologically connected? Otherwise, I’d have to revamp the existing covers, and book descriptions, to make the order of everything a bit clearer.

Amazon gives you a way to indicate a piece is a short story within a collection, but unless I missed it, there wasn’t a direct means of labelling it chronologically. Books, yes, short stories, no. You could indicate the timeline in each piece’s description, I suppose.

Anyway.

Will Velveteen Slumber take on an android “musician” or someone styled to resemble one?

That’s my main thought on how to use the concept.

It’s giving (possibly) something like Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.

Then there would have to be some kind of plot LOL… buuuut hey. That sometimes happens during the writing process.

Anyway.

That’s what’s up, today.

Brrrr. I think it’s probably warmer outside than it is in my apartment, at the moment. Will have to try to get out there, at some point. PC says it’s nearly 60! Still gotta make breakfast. Late start to my day, then began with just a cup of hot orange spice black tea and honey.

Rock your day, peeps!

Pew, Pew!