Hildegarde

So, the new book has finally calmed down, as I think of it–it finally feels like a book.  I often have to write entire first drafts and starting cutting into the final before it does that, and the last book didn’t do it at all until I rewrote it from scratch.

But this one has, and I wonder how much of it has to do with the fact that my inspiration for it was a real case, right here. 

I want to stress inspiration–I’m not writing a novelized version of the real case, which hasn’t been solved and which has a number of convoluted elements to it.  The elements are so convoluted, that several of the true-crime shows on television have taken up the case, and the FBI finally got involved a week or so ago.

My book is a lot simpler, the FBI couldn’t care less, and the general people are different. 

But  the case is interesting. 

It concerns a guy named Billy Smolinski, and there’s a web site here

http://smolinski.4ourangel.com/

meant to give an overview of the case and to help in the search. 

And there’s a local newspaper article here

http://www.waterburyobserver.com/worxcms_published/homepage_163.shtml

from the alternative, rather than the standard, publication in the immediate area.

I’ve got no idea how this is going to work out.  There are a lot of elements to it that would make it perfect murder mystery material, but I’m used to seeing those on the news and having the whole thing end up as just another drug deal gone bad.

On the other hand, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that this guy was into drugs.

So…

Okay, it’s a rainy Tuesday, Matt is stuck in Philly until Saturday, and I’ve got my head in my book…