A Writer’s Life

Revisiting Renninger’s Antique Market in Adamstown, Pennsylvania: A Trip into Lost America and Americana

by Craig Hartranft on August 16, 2021

in A Writer's Life, Humor & Satire, Op-Ed, Travel

Renninger's Antique Market, Adamstown, PAI recently revisited Renningers Antique Market in Adamstown for the first time in 25 years in a search for classic pulp fiction, comic books, and a few more odds and ends. Nothing much has changed at this now ancient flea market venue. I recall this place from my youth, but it seems like it’s older than the American Civil War (or Methuselah).

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Tagged as: Adamstown, Americana, antiques, Flea Market, Humor, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Renninger's, Renninger's Antique Market, Satire, Travel, Travelogue

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Brainstorming Ideas on the White Board for the Missy and Columbus Day Crime Fiction Story

by Craig Hartranft on May 6, 2017

in A Writer's Life

Having read Carl Hiasson’s latest novel Razor Girl, with a female protagonist, more an anti-hero, I decided to revisit a story idea I started more than a year and a half ago. The story of Missy Aldritch killing her husband on Columbus Day has no working title as of yet. And back in August of 2016 I did some additional writing and revision to the story.

Brainstorming a Story IdeaToday, after a reread yesterday at Barnes & Noble, I decided to put my story and outline notes to the office white board and do some brainstorming. Maybe get some fresh thoughts and idea peculating in my writer’s mind. At right is a picture of what that looked like this afternoon. (Click on the picture to enlarge in a new tab.) As usual, it’s always a work in progress, but thankfully I’m back at it again.

Here’s the link to the  revised On Columbus Day Miss Aldritch Killed Her Husband story start. [MA-DLV]

Tagged as: A Writer's Life, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, story development, Story ideas

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The Travels of Raymond Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely

5 April 2016 A Writer's Life

Here’s something of interest I picked up yesterday at the Ephrata Public Library’s annual Mystery Lovers Book Sale, a copy of Raymond Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely. (Photo,right) Chandler was a pioneer of in the 30’s and 40’s noir crime fiction with his Phillip Marlowe private detective character. None of that is all that extraordinary; it’s […]

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A Writer’s Life: Character and name development, brainstorming, for current and future fiction

29 October 2015 A Writer's Life

Today, I did some simple character development. This came from the thought, perish it possibly, that I might change the name of Romeo Jones, my signature crime fiction character. I took names scrawled in my small Moleskin notebook and applied them to my idea boards. I’m looking to what comes to mind, but also what “sounds” good. […]

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