Help Me Create an Alien

Originally published 1/2/2010

Brainstorm is an accurate description of what happens to an author when an idea strikes.  The mind whirls furiously, new thoughts compound and spiral out of control.

Then the itch in the fingers begins as phrases and sentences demand to transfer to computer screen or blank paper, or restarunt napkin, even the probverbial matchbook cover.

This is a compulsion that cannot be overcome.

So, Your Mission, should you choose to accept: Help me create an alien.

An idea blindsided me this morning in the shower.  I now have a new sekrit projict after weeks of twiddling my thumbs.  Can’t give you many details yet.  Don’t even know if I can sell it.  But I can’t sell it until I write a proposal.

And I can’t finish the proposal until I create an alien antagonist, or at least irritant and red herring.

This is not a war-like creature.  These are the Bankers of D’Or.  They make pre-ghost Scrooge look like a benevolent philanthropist.  Bush II era mortgage brokers drool in envy at their cunning.  They rewrite contracts while the original is still in force and implement them.  Not only do they charge principle and interest, they demand a percentage of profits as pure cream that rises to the top and doesn’t toubh the aforementioned principle and interest.

Help me figure out what gas or liquid the Bankers of D’Or breathe.  How many limbs or heads do they have?  What is their means of locomotion.  And what do they eat?  Some of that gold they are skimming from their clients?

Once I know who these critters are I’ll have to figure out their weakness and a way to trick them into forgetting about their mortgage on the space station, but not until moments before they are ready to foreclose, repossess, and expel the current occupation.

I’ll weigh all the ideas, combine and refine them.  Those who help will get a mention in the acknowledgments if I sell this sucker.

Phyllis Irene Radford writes traditional fantasy as Irene Radford, spiritually oriented space opera as C.F. Bentley, and urban fantasy as P.R. Frost.  Her cozy mystery “Lacing Up For Murder” serializes at the Book View Cafe on Thursdays.  She blogs regularly on Thursdays as well.  Visit her bookshelf at https://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/Phyllis-Irene-Radford/