Why I Started Killing People Off.

Why I Started Killing People Off.

I've never been interested in murder mysteries, honestly the idea of reading about people being murdered leaves me cold (pun intended), so how did I end up writing a novel with three murders in it?Someone in my Writer's Group once asked me if I'd ever thought of inserting a murder in my novel "Love, Sex, and Understanding the Universe." I'm still trying to figure out why this guy, who I thought of as being pretty sane and reasonable (well compared to most of people I come across), would ever even think that was an even remotely good idea.
Even if I thought a murder would be fun to write, there is nothing about "Love, Sex, and Understanding the Universe" that would lend itself to a possible murder.
Meanwhile, though, I had begun to write "Bonita Verses Ivan Rastaman and the Monkey-Go-Round." As an exercise (I thought), I decided to allow myself to imagine what the possible scenario could be for a murder to occur in that book (I'm really big on thinking outside the box especially boxes I find I've put myself in). Well, I came up with an idea that I found quite interesting and thought I could have fun with in this already quirky novel, and as these things do, one thing led to another and - though this novel does not fit the genera of "murder mystery" - I've got three dead bodies I'm now responsible for.
None of the scenes where the murders actually takes place are described - only eluded to - which is one way I kept to my personal sensibilities. But I do even start the book with one of the murders. Here's the opening scene for "Bonita Verses Ivan Rastaman and the Monkey-Go-Round," (still in it's first draft form):

 "Wha' dis?"  Liston Taxi-Man stared gape mouthed at the white man laying in a pool of fresh blood on Miss Rachel's front porch.  "Nah, mon, nah."

The hush of a light trade wind dancing through the palms was pierced by a loud screech. Liston jerked his head toward the calabash tree across the dirt road.  A monkey, with fur glistening and matted by a sticky red substance, let out another anguished howl. 

"Mannix, wha' happ'n here?  You do dis t'ing?"