Voyeur seeking Voyeur w4mw- 36 I see you everywhere. I know you see me, too. Inviting you to leave your world for an hour or two to visit another. Let me know if this is you. |
Kim Wallace has just begun work on a new book project called Missed Connections. It is a collection of vignettes inspired by “Missed Connections” personal ads placed in local newspapers and on Craig’s List. It hinges on the fantasy we all harbor that there is someone “out there” we’re destined to encounter, fall in love with, or connect with in some meaningful way. It’s for and about those of us who are dreamers, hopeful lovers, unrequited romantics; it’s about you and me—anonymous to each other except for that passing glance, moment, phrase, or smile that we once shared. It’s about one-in-a-million chances.
Long fascinated by this section of the newspaper, Kim always wondered about the story behind each posting. Who were these people who felt so passionately, so strongly that they’d write and place an ad in hopes of finding a stranger they shared a moment with? She imagined the initial encounter, a possible second meeting, and the aftermath. Equipped with both a creative and curious mind, she started reading the ads more closely and devising characters, plot lines, and conflicts for the seeker and the intended recipient. Visiting coffee shops, driving on the highway, grocery shopping, and people watching wherever she went, Kim began writing fictional postings in her head about the people she interacted with.
Far too introverted, concerned with personal safety, and naturally level-headed, she's doing what any writer would do: instead of actually living out that world, she's fictionalizing it.
Each story has a unique voice, perspective, and format. Some are poetic, some are creepy, some sweet and kind; they reflect a diversity of human emotion and personality traits. Sometimes the people meet, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they fall in love, sometimes they wreak havoc. There is no template for this collection of vignettes--they are as organic as the ads they arise from.
Evolving as a creative artist is Kim Wallace’s quest. She is branching beyond the series that defined her as a contemporary young adult author into an unknown, exciting realm. Visit back in the coming months to witness that evolution take place.