Category Archives: Vivika’s Musings

Inheritance

13 Jul 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

A play by Vivika Widow
©VivikaWidow2025

Cast

Lawyer (m or f): A legal representative tasked with reading a last will and
testament.

Hanz (m): An unscrupulous, old circus performer. A lifelong con man
who is looking to see what he can gain from his brother’s
death.

Location

A lawyer’s office.

Time
Takes place in an unknown time, but with some modern styling.

SETTING: A small office.

AT RISE: A rugged looking man, HANZ, is taking a seat. He holds an old torn hat in his hands. LAWYER has some papers set before them.

[LAWYER eyes HANZ suspiciously, adjusting their expressionto a more cordial one as the meeting commences.]

LAWYER

Thanks for coming down, Mr Stoker. My deepest condolences on the
loss of your brother.

HANZ
[Sobbing, seeming completely insincere.]

My baby brother! My one and only baby brother. I just can’t believe he is gone.

[Covers his face with his hands, taking a discrete peek from between his fingers.]

He left some bunce for me then, did he?

LAWYER

Bunce?

HANZ

Money, mucker. Money! Cold hard cash.

LAWYER

Ah, yes. It would seem your brother was quite wealthy in the end.

HANZ

In the end … Isn’t that always the way? We spent most of lives without a brass farthing to our names, you know. We grew up dirt poor, real stinking poor. We were bottom of the barrel scum. I knew my baby brother would make something of himself. He was my only family.

LAWYER

It says here you have a sister.

HANZ

I meant my only brother. I looked after Adrien from the moment he was born. I looked after him from the very second he slipped from our mother’s … errr arms. He would always tell me how much he loved me and admired me. Now he’s going to take good care of his brother.

[Starts to sob, clearly putting on an act.]

LAWYER

Sure. Let’s proceed, shall we? Adrien was quite wealthy.

HANZ
[immediately ceasing sobbing]

Just how wealthy are we talking?

LAWYER

He had accrued quite a substantial estate.

HANZ

In the entire history of the Stoker family, we had never accrued
substantial anything, especially estates. We are circus people.
We live in tents.

LAWYER

I’ll start with the circus. Adrien has stated he would like control of the circus to be divided equally between his three sons.

HANZ

[Rolls his eyes.]

They’ll be thrilled. Can we just get to the part where you tell me what I’m getting in bunce and pence? How much has Adrien decided to leave for me?

LAWYER

[Gives HANZ another suspicious look before returning to their paperwork.]

Yes, quite. The reason I called you is because Adrien named you as the executor of his last will and testament.

HANZ

What does that mean?

LAWYER

It means he would like you to be the one to take care of his final wishes.

HANZ

And how much do I get for that?

LAWYER

[Raises an eyebrow.]

Let me go through the details.

[Checks the paperwork.]

At final calculation, Adrien Stoker, Circus performer, father of three …

HANZ

[Interjecting]

Beloved brother.

LAWYER

… Beloved brother … Left behind a fortune of forty million.

HANZ

Say that again …

LAWYER

Forty million.

HANZ

From the top. With the forty and the million.

LAWYER

Forty million.

HANZ

Forty million! Forty …

[Corrects himself and assumes a more morose air. Clearly
feigned.]

I mean all the money in the world won’t bring my precious baby brother back.

LAWYER

No. It won’t.

HANZ

I might as well make the most of it. Adrien would insist.

LAWYER

How about we just look at what Adrien would insist, shall we? May I read his statement?

HANZ

[Lost in a dream of being rich, he stirs realising LAWYER
is still watching him.]

Go ahead.

LAWYER

[Taking a document and reading from it.]

I, Adrien Stoker, hereby decree that my circus be divided
between my three sons …

HANZ

[Scoffs.]

That’s all nice. We know that. The boys get cruddy old circus tents. Good for them. Can we get to the part where he ‘decrees’ or whatever that forty mil into my hands? It’s a lot of money.

I’m going to need some new rich man togs. I’m going to live in a house! An actual house. I might get servants. I’m going to have servants specifically to shine my silver plates.

LAWYER

The circus must do well. Adrien has made himself quite a bit of money from it.

HANZ

Have you seen our circus?

LAWYER

No.

HANZ

It couldn’t have come from that, let me tell you.

LAWYER

Where did it come from?

HANZ

How should I know? He had a lot of rich ladies in his life. They took care of him and now he’s going to take care of his big brother. What an angel!

LAWYER

[Glancing back at the document. They seem unsure.]

I had best read on … I, Adrien Stoker, hereby bequeath all funds to Madame Poffy.

HANZ

Who the Hell is Madame Poffy!? Some old tart?

LAWYER

It’s not a person. It’s a foundation.

HANZ

What kind of foundation?

LAWYER

A charity.

HANZ

[Almost chokes on his words.]

A charity! Are you telling me my little brother, who I have loved from the cradle, had a forty million fortune and instead of helping his old mucker out, he wants to give it to charity!? What kind of charity?

LAWYER

Cats.

HANZ

Cats!

LAWYER

Homeless cats to be specific. He must have really loved cats.

HANZ

He hated the damn things. All forty million?

LAWYER

Every single penny.

[HANZ rises to his feet. He drops the hat and snatches the lawyer by the collar.]

HANZ

Why did you call me here?

LAWYER

Because it was your brother’s last request that you be the one to hand over the money to the foundation.

HANZ

Was it? Trying to get the last laugh, was he? Never going to happen mucker. You take your pen and write on that piece of paper that that fortune is mine.

LAWYER

That’s not how it works.

HANZ

I will have that fortune if it’s the last thing I do. It belongs to me. My fortune will not be given away to damn cats! He’s a fool. I always told him he was a fool. He said teh fool always get the last laugh. Not this time! This is not over.

[Lets LAWYER go and departs. LAWYER picks up the phone and
dials, giving a brief pause as though waiting on someone to
answer].

LAWYER

Yes, Adrien. He bought it. Yes, thinks you are stone, cold, dead. No, he didn’t ask.

[Pauses as though listening to the caller on the other end.]

Well, he was quite upset. Yes, forty mil.

[Gives another brief pause.]

Quite an elaborate scheme sir. Yes, I told him stray cats.

[Laughs.]

A guess the fool does always get the last laugh.

CURTAIN

For more on Vivika’s work for stage or for script discussions contact enquiries@vivikawidow.com

Vivika's Musings

Billy Owen Explained: 10 Things You Need to Know from Knock Knock

23 Jun 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

Billy represents the worst side of the Owen family:

He comes from one of Coldford’s most powerful and feared families, a dynasty known for ambition, influence, and doing whatever it takes to stay on top. Billy hails from the family branch known as the Black Sheep. With five brothers and sister, those black sheep make quite a flock.

Billy has military experience:

Unlike many members of the Owen family who operate through business and influence, Billy is frequently seen acting in an official law-enforcement capacity. He served in a special ops group and is considered a hero among his ranks. He is also considered a dispicable war criminal. Billy just calls them enemies.

Billy’s loyalty to The Cappy is unquestionable:

Whatever disagreements exist within the Owen clan, Billy remains fiercely protective of Owen interests and reputation, especially under the leadership of Chick Owen. Billy is willing to go against his own father in Chick’s favour. That kind of loyalty can’t be bought.

Billy isn’t afraid to take charge:

Okay, so this may be an understatement. Like a good soldier, Billy takes his orders. When situations spiral out of control, Billy steps forward and makes decisions rather than waiting for others to act. He thinks nothing of making those difficult decisions.

Billy is judged before speaking because of his family name:

The Owens represent a lot in Coldford. They represent corporate greed, they represent dynasty, they represent power and wealth. They also represent charitable pursuits and media excellence.

Billy doesn’t need to open his mouth to be judged. His family name already have people having made up their minds. That being said, he’s often opened his mouth anyway. He is very much heard before he is seen.

Billy operates in a morally grey city:

Coldford is filled with heroes and villains. Most of the time the line between them is thin. There are motives and histories to consider. Billy, on the other hand, makes this distinction quite clear. He is a villain. He makes no secret of being a villain. He is racist, mysoginistic, foul mouthed, disrespectful and a bully.

Billy has a reputation for getting results:

Despite his flaws, there is no arguing that Billy gets results. He is most useful to the Owen family because there is no line he won’t cross. He is willing to inflict the most dispicable harm so the rest of his family can keep their hands clean. Whether investigating incidents or responding to crises, he is someone people expect to show up when things become serious.

He understands the dangers in Coldford more than most:

Through his work and family connections, Billy has a front-row seat to the corruption, violence, and power struggles that define the city.

Bonus fact: If there’s trouble in Coldford and the Owen family has a stake in it, there’s a good chance Billy Owen won’t be far away.

Enjoy this? Check out these thriller titles available now:

Free to read on Kindle Unlimited our visit our STORE to purchase your paperback.

Vivika's Musings

How to Create an Unsound Character in Fiction: A Writer’s Guide

9 Jun 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

George Beckingridge adjusts himself to life back at the manor.

For me, one of the greatest parts of being a writer is indulging in ways of thinking that are far from your own. Exploring the extreme thoughts of the unsound is one of them.

My boy, Gorgeous George, above, who first featured in Maestro back in 2016 as a little boy, is an example of the extreme. He was showing psychopatic tendencies as a young boy. What does that mean in terms of characterisation and involving him in scenes?

1 – If your characters are inflicted by illness (mental illness or otherwise), make sure you are fully aware of this illness. Research it. Familiarise yourself with the symptoms. Know the difference between psychopath and sociopath.

2 – Remember you’re viewing things through a completely different lens. You need to forget your own logic to ground the character in some kind of reality.

3 – Explore the reasons for your characters behaviour. Is this purely a medical issue? Is there something else going on? What made them this way?

Using George as an example, he comes from a family with a history of mental illness. His condition is worsened by emotional neglect.

4 – Avoid shock for the sake of shock.

Okay, so I may be a huge culprit for this with George.

You want to demonstrate a pyschopatic character so they will be completely lacking empathy. They will be more prone to risk taking and impulsivity, making them unpredictable.

In George’s case, he will say extreme things to garner a reaction from people. This is due to the emotional neglect so he has grown to believe this is the only way he gets attention.

5 – Let your other characters tell you all you need to know about your mentally unsound one. Perhaps when they enter a room there is an atmosphere around them. Perhaps there is shifting at the table away from them or a lack of eye contact.

Whilst this is written with the intention of creating fictional characters, I do acknowledge that mental health is an extremely important and real concern in our modern world. By all means have fun with building your character. Please do keep in mind those who do struggle in real life.

Vivika's Musings

Creating chaos from calm

26 May 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

Think about the conversations you have day to day.

“How was your weekend?”

“Did you get up to much?”

It’s all pretty mundane, as you would expect. There’s no harm in mundane. I’m a creature of habit and have a routine I rarely deviate from. However, when you want to write a story you want the audience captivated and mundane dialogue and events just won’t cut it.

Now imagine some the conversations you would have during life’s stand out events.

“We’re pregnant!”

“I’m so sorry to tell you this …”

Whether it’s good or bad the emotional stakes are raised and the dialogue naturally hits harder. Which brings me to my point.

Imagine you’re creating a scene and it is showing the character in an everyday situation. Sometimes you can learn more about a character in their day to day lives, but how well does that read? After a while it wouldn’t provide much to keep the reader intrigued. This is where creating chaos from calm comes in.

Say your character is having dinner with a friend. They are catching up as friends do. Is that what a reader wants to follow? After a while they will want to know any exciting news the friend is bringing. They will want to know why the character was so adamant they have dinner together. Or, my personal favourite, perhaps the both of them are expecting a quiet dinner when something major in the restaurant happens. Since I’m a fan of the more morbid, perhaps someone is assassinated. Perhaps a fire is started.

Don’t be afraid to keep your audience on their toes. Just remember some of the golden rules:

Avoid shock for shock’s sake
Keep it relevant to the overall plot
Use your setting to your advantage and pull your character out of their normality.

I am a thriller writer by trade so It is easy for me to immediately jump on those themes. But, the same applies to romance. When your character has met someone they have fallen for, naturally, even a quiet dinner is going to seem like a much bigger deal. Or comedy; this quiet dinner starts spiralling out of control leading to all kinds of ridiculous outcomes.

Give it a try. Create chaos from calm.

Enjoy this? Check out these thriller titles available now:

Vivika's Musings

Trust me. I’m a writer

5 May 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

There is one thing you should know about writers. No matter what you say to them, no matter how mundane the conversation may be, you are already being cast in scene of some kind. A quick interaction on the bus, or a simple passing gesture can escalate to a full scene with themes, and possibly contributing characters. You have a back story now. It may be nothing like your real life story, but it’s real now, at least to someone.

We all have imagination. More often that not it’s the simplest things that can stir it. People watching is a great activity for writers. Take a quick glance (we’re not creepy stalkers) to the person next to you at the cafe. If they were a character in your story, what would their name’s be? What would be their motivations?

It opens up the world around you and not only does it help get those creative juices flowing, it also opens up the world around you and reminds you, you are not alone. This world is made up of millions of different people with different stories, different thoughts and different songs on their lips. That’s a good thing to be reminded of when we live in an age where communication has never been easier, yet so is the option to completely cut ourselves off.

That being said, as a writer, it also means you can cast someone who displeases you in any scene of your choosing. Having someone mauled by a pack of wild dogs because they came off a little rude may be too much for some, but who am I to hinder the creativity of others.

Enjoy this? Check out these thriller titles available now!

Vivika's Musings

We protect our youth in Scotland

6 Apr 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

Since the beginning of this year I have been training as a volunteer panel member of the Children’s Hearings for Scotland. For those of you who aren’t residing in this country or are just generally unfamiliar, the CHS is set procect young people flagged by Social Work or have found themselves in trouble with the authoririties.

It is a remarkable system that is incredibly child-focused. I am incredibly proud to be a part of it and I am incredibly proud to be Scottish, with this being how we protect our young people.

After I finished university I did a lot of work with charities and my mentor was a panel member. From then, it was always something I had wanted to be a part of. We all have troubled times. What makes a difference is having someone there who can protect you at your most vulnerable. I am grateful that this country offers me the chance to be that protext

It is emotionally taxing and incredibly indulging. Yet, there is few things in my life I have felt as worthwhile. I have loved taking part in the training and I even had the opportunity to sit through a few panels as an observer. I have my last training session tomorrow and I cannot wait to get involved because it truly makes a difference in the lives of the young people and their families.

Enjoy this? Check out some of the fictional thrillers from Vivika Widow

Vivika's Musings

Writer’s Block

9 Mar 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

If you’re a writer yourself you will know the physical pain and agony that is writer’s block. If you’re not a writer you may think I’m being a little overly dramatic here. As dramatic as it may sound, the pain of writer’s block is very real.

Even if you’re not a writer, think of a time when you felt your mind just go completley blank. You’ve forgotten a dentist appointment. You’ve let the cat out for the second time today and you don’t even have a cat. You get the idea. It is a complete, all consuming state of despair when you believe you will never function properly again. Okay, that may be a little overly dramatic.

it’s always good to keep those creative juices flowing. Even if you’re not an artistic sort yourself. After all, creative thinking can make the world such a beautiful place. Maybe it’s thinking of all the amazing things your child could become. Maybe it’s planning a romantic trip with your significant other. Creative thinking reminds us we are alive. When that creative thinking is your very life, it can be stressful when it’s blocked.

My suggestions:

Take a walk. It’s an oldie but a definite goodie for so many reasons.

Clean the house. Chores area great way to focus your mind without having too much pressure. Bonus for having a sparkling home afterwards.

Read. I’ve always been a big reader and nothing stirs the creativity more than a good novel. If you don’t like what your’re reading, pick up something else. Take in a move or a series if you prefer. Indulge in storytelling.

Listen to someone else. Older relatives are by far the best for this. They have so many stories to tell and not enough people to hear them.

Take some time to think creating and imagination. What creative thinking have you done so far today. You may be surprised with just how imaginative you are.

Enjoy this? Check out these creatively dark thrillers available now.

Free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

Vivika's Musings

Getting it out there

23 Feb 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

I consider myself a confident person. Whilst I’m not overly social, I’m not completely out of place when I need to hold a room. I am not shy of public speaking, although I would prefer to just lose myself in my own thoughts. I’ve always been a dreamy-headed person. Like many authors I probably come across as awkward trying to string a sentence together in the real world when my mind has been plagued with my own imagination for too long.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time building on being able to communicate in other ways outside of the written word. When you are a story teller sometimes just writing it down isn’t enough. Not everyone is a reader. Some prefer to hear how your characters would sound, or would prefer to have you tell them the story. I’m a confident reader. The problem is, I’m not a performer. When I was first asked to read my stories to friends or to family it was daunting. Reading aloud at school was one thing. You were reading someone else’s words. When it’s your own charcters and plots it’s your own innermost thoughts and feelings that are being displayed.

The only way to get past that nervousness was to bite the bullet and get those first words read and get the story started.

The most surprising thing from reading your story fresh to an audience is the reactions you get in realtime. Sometimes there will be lines you didn’t intend on being funny, yet manage to garner a hearty laugh. There may even be lines you thought were hilarious and barely get a snicker.

More often, for me, is the shock on the audience’s face when I read a scene that is brutal. A lot of the time I have desensitised myself to just how nasty a character or a scenario is coming across. It’s not until I see the horror on my audience’s face I realise, whoops, that may have been a bit too much.

Any reaction is better than no reaction. So I say, get out there, give it a try. Let people hear your stories. Even if you’re not the greatest reader in the world. You don’t have to be a seasoned actor. They are your stories and they deserve to be told.

Enjoy this? Check out these thriller titles available on Kindle Unlimted.

Vivika's Musings

Frequently Asked Questions

17 Feb 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

When I meet new people and I tell them I’m an author I always seem to get asked the same questions.

Whilst there are millions of books out there, being one of the ones who writes them still seems a rare find for a lot of people out there in the wild. Unless you happen to be at an event specifically for writers, it seems authors rarely venture out of their natural habitat of a comfy spot with a notebook and a coffee.

Here are some of the common questions that are posed to me:

HAVE YOU BEEN PUBLISHED?

Yes, my first book was released in 2013. That seems like a lifetime ago.

I do like the idea that people are making that distinction. It’s not a published book that makes you a writer. It’s writing that book that does.

YOU SHOULD WRITE A STORY ABOUT (SUCH AND SUCH)

Part of the fun of being a writer (at least for me) is twisting real life and make it grittier and filthier than it generally is. Be sure you really want your experiences to be a part of that before pitching story ideas.

WHAT’S YOUR STORY ABOUT?

Every other author I know freezes up like a deer with a big old truck smashing towards it. Thousands of words come together to make a novel, sometimes hundreds of thousands, yet it is virtually impossible to sum up the story in just a few. It’s like asking for you to fit your entire life experience so far into a few cohesive sentences.

WHAT GIVES YOU THE IDEAS FOR YOUR BOOKS?

Everything really. From observing an argument on the bus, up to the way the postman was walking down the street.

WOULD I LIKE YOUR BOOKS?

That all depends on what you are into as a reader. It’s no use telling someone who adores romance set during world war one to read a crime procedural book set in a post apocolyptic planet in the far reaches of the galaxy. That’s not to say they wouldn’t enjoy the change of pace, it’s just people’s tastes are different.

If you do spot an author in the wild and they look a little confused and grumpy, just urge them to the nearest coffee house where they can be collected by a loved one. Then feel free to ask them about their work!

“If you do happen to be my kind of reader, feel free to check out these thrillers, available on Kindle Unlimited.

Vivika's Musings

I can’t live without you!

2 Feb 2026 Vivika Widow Leave a comment

The air we breathe. The food we eat. The water we drink.

All of these are most defintely things you can’t live without.

Family, loved ones and friends.

These are things that life wouldn’t be the same without.

Hobbies, art, wonderment.

These are things that life would have little quality without.

Then there’s everything else.

When someone says to me, they couldn’t live without their phone, or a cosmetic item or any of those things I consider the set dressing of life, it makes me wonder why.

Why have we become such a world where those trinkets are the things we place our very existence on? Wouldn’t it be nice just to strip things back a little again and bask in the simpler things. Instead of the dinging of social media notifications we can enjoy the singing of the birds again. Instead spending thousands on products so we like what we see when we look in the mirror we can look back up at the sky again.

Let’s face it, we don’t need expensive toys to live. We don’t need the fanciest clothes or the biggest house. A luxury car may take you places but you’ll never be transported quite the way you are when you learn something new.

I say all these things knowing very well I am someone who rarely has their phone out of their hand. I like the best consoles and I like buying new things as much as the next person. As a new month dawns in 2026 I just thought it would be nice to live a little differently for a while.

Enjoy this?

These thriller titles from Vivika Widow are available now.

Welcome to Vivika Widow Online

Category Archives: Vivika’s Musings

Inheritance

Billy Owen Explained: 10 Things You Need to Know from Knock Knock

Billy represents the worst side of the Owen family:

Billy has military experience:

Billy’s loyalty to The Cappy is unquestionable:

Billy isn’t afraid to take charge:

Billy is judged before speaking because of his family name:

Billy operates in a morally grey city:

Billy has a reputation for getting results:

He understands the dangers in Coldford more than most:

How to Create an Unsound Character in Fiction: A Writer’s Guide

Creating chaos from calm

Trust me. I’m a writer

We protect our youth in Scotland

Writer’s Block

Getting it out there

Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t live without you!

Welcome to the web… Don't get stuck!