The Breakers in Newport RI

The Breakers in Newport RI , originally uploaded by sfinley_nh.

Here is another Vanderbilt home. This will be the last one I post on this site.

Beat the Block will be going back to tips for beating writer's block format. The Vanderbilt home photographs will continue, though, as I find them, on my other blog, Vanderbilt Family Homes.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion (demolished) from Library of Congress

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion (demolished) from Library of Congress, originally uploaded by whitewall buick.

Yet another photograph found on Flickr.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion NYC

I've been searching for some new links and photos while I watch "Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel - my power was out earlier so I'm catching the reruns.

Here's what I've found so far:

Vanderbilt 1

Vanderbilt 2 (scroll almost halfway down the page to view the picture)

Vanderbilt 3 (scroll down to post #5 by The Charioteer - has three pictures of the house)

Vanderbilt 4 (first pic is of a fountain with the Berdorf Goodman department store behind it (where the house used to be) and the one below it is of the house behind the same fountain)

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion 5th avenue NYC

Mansion floor plan (Cornelius Vanderbilt II), originally uploaded by Chauncy.Primm.

Here is the floor plan for the house. Wonderful. I just love Flickr!

1925c - Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion; 5th Ave., bet. 57th & 58th

1925c - Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion; 5th Ave., bet. 57th & 58th Sts. (demolished 1927), originally uploaded by straatis.

If you like researching about the Vanderbilt's and their houses, you need to get your hands on a copy of "The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age" by John Foreman and Robbe Pierce Stimson. I was able to find a used (1st edition) copy on Amazon for $25 (with shipping) - finally getting my first glimpse inside this 5th Avenue mansion by Cornelius Vanderbilt II.

I've mentioned before I had a dream about this house. I've been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC enough times that I can easily imagine what the inside of this one would have looked like. But having not seen pics inside this house, I've often wondered why I would think this was the location from my dream? 

The pics inside are not really enough to determine if my dream actually matches the house itself. And since it was destroyed, there is no way for me to determine accuracy.

If you can find a copy, buy it immediately! You won't regret. I'm sharing a few photos of the inside. No copyright infringement intended.

 

the search for ideas

I spend entirely too much time on Flickr. It's almost unhealthy. LOL

I have lots of interests. More than what's good for me probably. But those interests can sometimes be the inspiration for ideas.

The photo to the right is (I think) page 3 of my favorites from Flickr. I have about 7 pages currently. I look for things I would like to make (one day) but I'm also on the lookout for images that inspire characters or ideas or anything.

Even looking at quilts and quilt pieces that people have completed or are currently working on inspire me. Has the quilting left a clue in the quilt as to who might want her dead? Maybe the sewer of the quilt top and the actual quilter are different people. Or maybe clues are hidden in the quilts by the pattern designs themselves like those telling slaves along the Underground Railroad which homes and families were safe. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I hope so.

vanderblt mansion 5th avenue new york city

I took a photograph this morning of a print I found on eBay. 

This was the home of  Cornelius Vanderbilt II, son of William Henry Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt and older brother to George Washington Vanderbilt, builder and owner of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

I'm fascinated by this house so I keep looking for articles and photographs of it to use as inspiration.

new format

I've neglected this blog for a few days. Trying to figure out a way to make it more interesting.

Lists every day are kind of boring. So I've decided to just post interesting items (and some lists too) to help those who have writer's block.

#29

carousel horses on life size merry-go-round

antique car with skeleton inside

sapphire and diamond ring

quilt with bloodstains

pair of reading glasses

sheets hanging on clothes line to dry

darkroom found during renovations

outdated maps

bloodstained tablecloth

#28

milk glass
cable modem
movie scores
stack of board games
unused computers
thread spools of various colors
chalkboard
DVD player
HD television
laptop bag
picnic basket
elementary school turned into apartments
frozen pond hides two dead bodies

haunting statues

Statues are a great way to kick start some writing. Whether they resemble children, angels, pets or something else, take a closer look at one the next time you come across it. You might be amazed at the ideas you come up with.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

#27

half finished love letter

army fatigues

silk scarf

apple trees

Scottish highlands

Tower of London

time travel

GPS unit

bicycle w/ basket

frog cookie jar

camping equipment

#26

embroidery thread

lemon pound cake

flute w/message rolled up inside

trumpet w/dent in bell

empty mason jars

chess set made of marble and sapphire

pewter letters

cookie cutters

stuffed animals

tower w/locked door

vintage magazines

tea cozies

surgical instruments

weather devices

sundial

barometer

rain gauge

silk sheets

cotton napkins

flower pots

#25

newspaper clippings of serial killer slayings

car wreck that wasn't an accident

family Bible that holds a few secrets

forged birth certificate

headstone with name spelled wrong

costume jewelry

pin pricks on envelope/piece of paper

missing newspaper delivery boy

#24

lawn mower w/blood on blades

lemonade pitcher w/matching glasses

antique wedding bands

antique engagement rings

vintage clothing patterns

printing press

alphabet books

murder victim w/clothesline wrapped around neck

Christmas cards

British coins in piggy bank

brown wrapping paper

toy cars

easy bake oven

maid uniform w/blood on it

globe w/secret compartment

#22 and #23

I have no excuse for missing Friday's post. Totally forgot. Guess I was too happy to have my internet and cable back up. LOL

Here is a list of possible character names I have collected over the years. I like odd names and plain names spelled differently. Some are names I've read in other books and some are names I've found in baby name books or online.

North

Peabody

Finn

Robert

Edward

Bella

Alice

Rosalie

Esme

Carlisle

Jacob

Jasper

Emmett

Arthur

Elliott

Peyton

Lula

Oscar

Edgar

Alaine

Laine

Alivia

Ziva

Reece

Rowan

Reta

Reva

Dixie

Tessa

Duke

Dutch

Daisy

Zero

Marcus

Sam

Inspiration

thread rack
Originally uploaded by mysterywriter

After I took this picture, I was carrying the thread rack to another room and was thinking to myself I hoped I didn't fall, because I had the pointed parts toward me. Then I thought what a great idea to murder someone with it! I can see the crime scene investigators now, scratching their heads as they try to figure out how all those little holes came to be in the murder victim. MUHAHAHAHA

Seriously, I liked this idea. Here I was, taking a picture to show a friend of mine something I had bought today (on sale, too) and the idea just hit me. Sometimes a writer doesn't need fancy tricks or writing exercises to get their imagination going. Just buying something for another hobby (or as a gift for someone) can spark your creativity.

#20 and #21

I missed last night because I had no cable or internet service. So I watched DVDs and knitted. Finally finished my scarf and wore it to work today. Here is the list for yesterday and today.

baseball bat

painting my murdered artist

recipe for moonshine

paintbrush

charcoal pencils

drawing paper

coffee urn

box of tea bags

iPod with missing songs

embroidered hankies

homemade jelly

character who talks to her computers like real people

golden ticket

camera w/undeveloped film inside

discarded pets

original Olympic gold medal

first edition library

unsolved bank heist

sidesaddle with girth cut to cause accident

blood splattered T-shirt

drained lake/reservoir

#19

missing church baptism records

snowball fights

ice storms

blueberry pie

birthday cake

turkey sandwich and soup

snow days

handknitted scarf

#18

mason jar as a flower vase

handful of skeleton keys

abandoned hardware store

rusted nails in drawer

towering pile of fabric for quilts

tapestry needles

beehives

broken ankle

fresh baked cookies

streets drying on clothes line

house destroyed by fire

bridge collapses

two children kidnapped

40 year old plane wreckage found

F4 tornado in non-tornado area

The Writer January 2009 issue

The Writer January 2009 issue
Originally uploaded by mysterywriter

On page 29 of the January issue of The Writer is a list of "Tantalizing Warm-ups" to help you with your writing. You can see the table of contents here.

#17

movie trailers

popcorn, steak and baked potato

family Bible

magazine subscriptions

binoculars

blueprints

hiking boots

dead mouse

compass

#16

Morse code

mystery novels

hand knitted gloves

chicken fried steak

mashed potatoes

garden salad

iced tea

lemonade

balls of wool yarn

organ transplant

colored pencils

crayons

water colors

Whitby Abbey

dissolution of monasteries

starters #15

art class

bank teller

cat

diaper

elves

finger foods

ginger ale

Hawaii

igloo

jackrabbit

kitchen staff

leprechaun

milk

nuts

ocean

popsicle

queen

rocks

seesaw

turtle

UFO

venom

whisper

x-ray

yellow

zebra

starters #14

house plans/blueprints

iTunes season pass

scary movie marathons

hot chocolate with marshmallows

tack room

sidesaddle

magazine subscriptions

frog cookie jars

bicycle with basket

collection of weather calendars

security clearance

Cape Hatteras lighthouse

starters #13

census records

forged birth certificate

artists clay

watercolors

sand castles

mud pies

photo of dirty children

campus quad

cemetery ghosts

private train car

train schedule

Halloween costumes

tower of Hanoi game

checkers and board

vintage deck of cards

backgammon board game

BMW

1968 Jaguar

Astin Martin

Land Rover

Vanderbilt mansion, NYC, 5th Avenue

Here is a real picture post card of New York City, 5th Avenue, between 59th and 57th Streets. This was the home of one of the Vanderbilts. The house was torn down in the mid 1920s to make way for the Bergdorf Goodman department store. What a waste! Of course, by the time the house was torn down all the buildings towered over it, since the wealthy families who lived on 5th Avenue were moving farther up town, yet still along the same road.

I had a dream about this house. I was inside, walking down a hallway, looking into various rooms. But the thing is, I had never seen any photos of the inside of this house. Now that I have, I'm a little unsettled at how close my dream was to the real thing. 

What does this have to do with writing? Well, I think I'm going to turn my dream into a story. Someone who dreams about being inside a house that was destroyed years before the person was born. There are many ways to explore the possibilities and I can't wait to start writing.

starters #12

film negatives

abandoned safe

wooden cross over grave w/ "Emma" painted on it

eclipse of the moon

new pair of tennis shoes

flute

piano with the strings cut

cracked mirror w/piece missing

modeling clay

origami paper

new $2 bills

Lincoln's obituary

kite

starters #11

estate sale items

British newspapers from 1920s

broken telescope

dressmaker's dummy

locked trunk

various fabric pieces

pair of reading glasses

fountain pen and two boxes of blue (unused) stationery

starters #10

horse drawn carriage

pieces of colored chalk

bottle of lotion

vintage road maps

mini cooper

cold pudding

museum maps

haunted cafe

burgers, fries and shake

french toast

biscuits and gravy

bacon biscuit

sweater hoodie with thumb holes

homemade chocolate fudge

eyelash curler

bowl of lemons and oranges

piano sheet music

marbles

star maps

fountain pens

sunflower seeds

hay bales

starters #9

I'm beginning to see a pattern developing in my lists. I write down what ever comes to mind, even if I know I have written it before. To me its a sign that I'm interested in something.

Here is today's list.

wind chime made of keys

broken tea cup and saucer

camping during a rainstorm

watercolor drawings

newspaper want ads from The Times

ivy covered sundial

clock face painted on wall

architectural drawings

dirt road - overgrown

dilapidated barn

dogs named Duke and/or Duchess

starters #8

podcasts

plastic silverware

estate sale

much abused violin

overgrown cemetery

national parks

whitewater rafting

historic inn

scenic overlook

pair of reading glasses

linen napkins

linen tablecloth

picnic table

roadside shelter

outdoor movie theater

time travelers

globe of moon

bubblegum

Ride a white horse

Ride a white horse
Originally uploaded by archidave

Some photographs just immediately inspire my writing. This one is a perfect example.

I have no idea who the woman is but I love everything about this image. She looks as if she is waiting for someone or watching for someone. As archidave wrote under the image on Flickr, there is a monochrome appearance to her, except for the red lipstick. I have this one saved as a favorite so I can refer back to it when I decide to start writing or need to break a writing drought.

If you can't find a postcard to get your writing jump started, then look for images on the web. Flickr is a great place. I found this image using the search term "sidesaddle."



Many thanks to archidave for the use of his photo!

starters #7

handmade jewelry

cashmere yarn

Range Rover

dilapidated farmhouse

apple and cinnamon muffins

chocolate brownies

pie

pancakes

chicken fried steak

lemonade

bank robbery

UFO

Bigfoot scare

dangerous curves

overgrown road

dried up well

out of town guest

starters #6

moon pies

missing coroner's report

broken DVDS

bee hive

Post-It notes

Twilight (the score) CD

movie ticket stubs

out of date road maps

Hollywood sign

local needlework shop

dog house

sidesaddle

hay bales

snow storm

messenger bag

pens and pencils

starters #5

bell tower

hidden desk drawer

whispering statue

box of stationery

garden gates

shooting star

Bigfoot sightings

craft paper

feather boa

footprints in the sand

pinto beans and cornbread

Mini Cooper

poison ivy rash

ballroom dancing

pregnant corpse

cubicle farm humor

x-ray glasses

red cape

lobster salad

fig newtons

Starters #4

haunted house

summer rain storm

gingerbread house

cemetery gates

fingerless wool gloves

paint cans

iMac

Westminister Clock (AKA Big Ben)

Orient Express

scary movie marathon

sleepovers

slumber parties

personalized stationery

chalkboard paint

mini lighthouse replica (to scale)

sand dunes

candles

starters #3

nightmares

haunted castles

nutcracker

fairy tales

seamstress

worn tennis shoes

book of baby names

cold watermelon slices

grilled cheese sandwiches

homemade ice cream

epinephrine pen

maid's outfit

cake pans

milk jug

London, UK

expired prescription

carbon paper

typewriter keys

diary

post card #1

Here is a post card I sent to myself from Asheville, NC, dated August 20, 2006. The photograph the post card is based on is circa 1910 (and (c) The Biltmore Company.)

There's not too much to this card, but I was interested in it because it shows be what the Biltmore Estate looked like about 100 years ago. Should I wish to use the house and grounds as a location in a novel, I have a post card that shows what the place looked like. It doesn't matter if I had bought this on eBay or another auction site, I would still have an image to use as reference for details to make my story more authentic. Of course, it helps that I have been here (too many times) so I know what it is like to walk in the grass.

On the back of this card I have written "5 of 12" so I know that I mailed myself at least 12 cards from this trip to the house. The writing on the back reads: "House looks much the same now as it did when this photo was taken. How do I know? I was there when this one was taken also." 

I always sign the card under a different name and try to write a few lines to inspire myself after I get home as well as give the employees in the post office an interesting card to read. I know I would be reading post cards if I worked in the post office.

starters #2

map drawn inside file folder

hot cocoa with marshmallows

mechanical pencils

movie ticket stubs

post card stamps

rare copy of movie score

pages torn from a datebook

rolled prints and posters

mason jar filled with buttons

scars from barbed wire

crayons and coloring book

out-of-date calendars

Beating writer's block

Here is a list of items to help you work through your writer's block. Look for more each day.

vintage clothing resale shop

box of hat pins

balls of yarn

box of colored pencils

audio books

broken china cup

frog statue

half knitted scarf

old perfume bottle with perfume still inside

paper with cryptic notes on it

broken knitting needles

scissors with blood on them

house plans with notes in shorthand written on them