Writing With a Live Audience
Hard at work catching a murderer.
I had the pleasure of helping to throw a baby shower for my best friend over the weekend. She’s pregnant with her first child and, seeing as I’ve known and loved her for over half my life, I knew I needed to throw her a truly special shower.
The first thing I knew I had to do was…Not cook. Ha! Seriously, though, my friend is a first-class baker and cook and there was no way I was going to be up to her caliber. I asked her and her mother (who is also an accomplished cook) to handle the menu and food.
The second thing I did was delegate the decorating to my friend’s sister in law because, again, decorating isn’t exactly my strong suit. I can do it, but neither well or with aplomb.
So, after that, there was nothing for me to do except handle baby shower entertainment. I knew we had to step things up in that arena because my friend is an exceptionally entertaining person. She’s irreverent, hilarious, candid, and unscripted and, as such, canned baby shower games simply would not do.
No, she needed something special. Something I could do well. Something like…A murder mystery game!
It was terribly interesting learning about how to write those. I had a lot of fun and ended up with a lighthearted caper that somehow managed to contain no less than five inside jokes for my friend and a solution that included light cannibalism (which is perfect for my friend {who loves the Hannibal Lecter books [don’t worry, the victim was The Stork]}).
What was most nerve-wracking for me, though, was having a live audience reading something I wrote. I could see their reactions firsthand and, I gotta tell you, it was so strange! I’m used to people buying my books, reading them on their own, and then telling me later what they think. A live audience was both exhilarating and discomfiting.
Everyone seemed to have a splendid time, though, and I received a great many sincere compliments afterward, so I’ll count it a success. My friend was showered with love and gifts, the food was awesome, and I found out that nothing bonds strangers faster than solving a fictional murder together.
In other news, Wes and I are off to Las Vegas for a few days to celebrate our ninth anniversary. See you later, alligators!
