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PR Isfeld

Congratulations... uh-oh
Congratulations… uh-oh

“You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.”
–John Rogers

I got some great news last week: my short story, “Under the Linden Tree” placed third in its category for the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge It was an important shot of encouragement as I’m slogging away towards eventual publication of Captives, and working on the first draft of my next project.

Of course, every silver lining has to come with a cloud or two, and in this case, winning my heat meant that I had three days to produce another short story, based on three random prompts, for the second round. I immediately embarked on a program of intense procrastination involving:

1. Cleaning my desk and alphabetizing my bookshelves. Who knows, there might have been a great idea hiding out in there. And besides, feng shui is important.
2. Snacks. Many many snacks. Do you know how many calories your brain burns when it is in intense creative mode? Lots, that’s how many. Plus it’s important to get those steps in by going from the desk to the kitchen, and those stretches, by reaching into the cupboard.
3. Rowing. So far I haven’t figured out how many minutes on my rowing machine will get me into the creative zone, but I’m sure it’s just a few more.
4. Doodling. How can I portray the life of a character if I don’t have a clear picture—literally–of how they look?
5. Internet rabbit holes. It’s always possible that a great idea might be lurking in that Wikipedia article about 1930s Hungarian comedians.
6. Googling cures for writer’s block. Spoiler alert: the best cure is to get writing.
7. Binge-watching on Netflix. The Ripley series in particular. After all, how can you write a great story without learning from the masters?
8. Bribing my dog for plot ideas in exchange for liver treats. Tl;dr, I got ripped off.
9. Napping, and hoping that the perfect idea might come to me in a dream.
10. Walking around the dog park hoping to overhear the perfect random conversation between strangers.

In the end, I did get something submitted, but none of these strategies worked. Or maybe all of them did.

Captives
A psychological mystery that explores the aftermath of a brutal abduction and the secrets that haunt the survivors.

Three years ago, Samantha Gilchrist and her friends Amanda, Kaylee and Maria forged an unbreakable bond when they survived a brutal kidnapping in Kandahar. Sam wrote a best-selling memoir about their ordeal and moved on to a great new career as a journalist and a happy relationship with Dave, a handsome intelligence officer she met in Afghanistan. Still, she can’t help wondering about the reasons behind their capture.

On their way to Maria’s remote Gatineau cottage to commemorate the anniversary of their escape and rescue, Sam and Kaylee hear news reports about a missing Afghan diplomat. Then, they think they see Ali, their former interpreter and the mastermind behind the hostage-taking, who was supposed to have died during their rescue. When Amanda’s lifeless body is found the next morning, the friends’ suspicions lead them down a dangerous path that uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives.

The narrative alternates between the present day and the version of events presented in Sam’s memoir, as she and her friends struggle with their grief over the loss of Amanda and lingering trauma and jealousy over their differing fortunes in the aftermath of the kidnapping. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Sam starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friends, her lover, and herself, not just in the past, but in the here and now. 

Full of suspense, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Captives will cause fans of mystery and psychological thrillers to make irresponsible decisions about their sleep. 

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