Mystery writers are afflicted by it. Suspicious minds feed upon it. Looking back, we wonder about it. But, it enhances life, doesn’t it? The “what if” syndrome–what if you had made a different decision, been a little wiser, taken a chance more often, been more thoughtful, prepared for the future better, been a little kinder or tougher or less impetuous or more of a risk-taker?
What if that sweet demeanor on the face of a stranger masked a murderous heart? What if the news stories that upset us were simply concocted to divide and conquer? What if all of our fears were baseless and useless?
When a writer lets her mind wander into realms of imagination, the “what if” question knows no bounds. Curiosity is fun; it keeps mental wheels turning, but it should not become an obsession. That can be mighty dangerous. Sometimes, things are exactly as they seem, no hidden meanings or shady misdeeds. That’s all right too. Normalcy is a good thing. But, it can be dull.
On the other hand, what if a person became so suspicious, so doubting and distrustful that she didn’t believe anything was as it seemed? She might withdraw from the world, live alone in a small hut far away from society on top of a mountain hidden by trees, with nothing but her dog and her typewriter for company. She would make a monthly trip to town for supplies and a yearly trip to the post office to send her latest murder mystery to her publisher and check her mail for those royalty checks, then withdraw again to her mountain top. What if that were to happen? Let’s face it–sometimes the “what if” quirk can become a malady and we don’t want that to happen. But…what if it did?
Darcy and Flora, Ned McNeil too, were born from my “what if” case of curiosity. They deal with it, though, in the most adventurous and amazing manner.
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