Four.75- a little less conversation

Having a strange week that may get better or worse in the next day. Rather than work through into Chapter 3 I've spent a couple of hours going back through Chapter 2 and refining the details. There actually isn't much in the way of dialogue but the few bits that are serve to highlight a few things about the characters' perspectives in their own words. Everything else is third person narration, mostly following Careless as she wakes up.

It sounds trivial I know, but waking up is an amazing time of sustained thought. When we wake we simultaneously plan the day and try to reach into the abyss we have woken from. Perhaps it the half-asleep way we stumble into our routine that puts us in touch with our unconscious thoughts. It feels natural to draw out the process so that Careless thinks about her past and allows a natural exposition of how her and Daniel came to be in New York.

A number of problems are established, notably around the scars she has across her midsection and back. Scars will be a motif that indicate a character's past feeling closer. It might appear simple, or perhaps nuts, but it makes sense in the context I'm building.

I've started reading Martin Booth's 'A Very Private Gentlemen' and am in awe of his prose. Entirely fluent and original the descriptions and time he takes to build his protagonist is incredible. The use of first person narration allows this, but the attention to detail in establishing setting (and a menacing mood of mystery to boot) is inspiring. The use of his craft is of the highest caliber, so I'm hoping the story goes somewhere. The slow build is great though so, in writing tonight, I've probably tried to go back through Chapter 2 and slow it down. It can be a good idea to tell the character's story at an early juncture, and move the plot from there. Having something happen to Daniel and Careless will mean more when you know who they are and how they came to be. There is some mention now of why they work as a couple, though it is entirely Careless' perspective at this point (despite the third person narration), and it is only a mention of the contradictory nature of their personalities.

No doubt we will hear Daniel's side at some point, thought the early stages of this novel will be very much a story of the heroine.


On another note I watched 'Machete.' How frickin good is Danny Trejo?? An awesome, over-the-top, stunt film. Just insanity. At the same time, I was saddened by how far Robert DeNiro was fallen. He was The Man at one time, and is not in a B-Grade blood & guts action flick and it doesn't feel like a big deal. A shame. Overall though it was a smashing good time. Started watching The Godfather trilogy again too. Despite the flaws in the third film it is one of the better stories ever told. Ambiguous characters, an excellent script, and perfect use of symbols and motifs.

Maybe my mood here was helped by the fact I've been listening to a lot of metal lately- Arch Enemy, Slipknot, Slayer and The Haunted.

Or may the dark clouds are gathering.

Part four.five: something I can never have

Sorry for the lack of progress. Lots happening in the real world lately with work and engagements. Plus the footy is back.

Plan on working on the story this week. I have a plan in my head, at least for the immediate future.

Daniel has disappeared so Careless has some hunting to do. The story will stay in NY for a while but ultimately ends up back in Melbourne. From there, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm leaning towards a detective type mystery. She's trapped in her past here and needs to figure a way out. At the same time, she wonders about happiness and normalcy- something she has never had. The very idea of happiness is foreign to her. She thinks she has in during her time in NY, but this quickly becomes a nightmare as she realises that everything isn't quite where it belongs. Careless doesn't know what it means to just sit and enjoy the breeze by the bay, so is confused by what Daniel means to her, and can't help but be suspicious of why he showed up in her life in the first place.

Hey how about I show you some? Here is a section from Chapter 2. You can find it on my Tumblr http://themrdaprano.tumblr.com/

More soon

4. Frick

OK, I have no idea what to write next.

My characters are stuck in New York with nothing to do.

Any suggestions?

Just saw a preview of Limitless. I need something that actually makes sense.

I was listening to Foo Fighters today, the last album "Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace." The last song 'Home' contains those very words. I like the idea of an echo. It featured in the last thing I was working on too, the concept of a memory echoing back and forth in your head, resonating in the present. But how does the present echo into the future? I have decide that the first chapter is set well after chapter two, and will come back again at some point. So I do have something I'm plotting towards but don't quite know how to get there. They are slightly nomadic but something needs to happen in New York, something that will echo, before they move onto silence.

Unfortunately I don't think a character named Careless gets to have patience or grace. So there goes the inspiration for today.

Just read the lyrics for 'Home' and remembered there was a Nine Inch Nails song with the same name.

And now I'm onto something. They can't stick around much longer. They aren't where they should be.

Part 2 - out of the darkness

I'm onto the second chapter after spending some time developing the first. The first has a little more detail. It is clear the protagonist and antagonist know each other. He is after her and has been a while. There are clues now in Chapter 1, and some red herrings.

The scene in Chapter 2 shifts to New York in Winter. The majority is purely background. You get to know Careless a bit and her love life. She is unconventional but the man she wakes up beside is mysterious (going with a Kaiser Sosey vibe here).

I still don't have an overall plot in mind but I'm drifting towards the mystery genre. I don't plan to break new ground here, and doubt that I will, but using conventions well can be successful when the writing is of a high quality. Which I'm hoping it is!

I might post something soonish, see what I did there, when I feel more comfortable with its progression. The character intrigues me. I've never been able to write female characters well but basing it around her seems to be working. I'm using a third person narration for that reason, hiding my weakness if you will.

Plus I set the additional challenge of writing this while chatting on Fb and proof reading the manuscript (fuck that was wank!) AND the battery on my MacBook is dying so, hey, why not put some pressure on?

Might produce something good here.

Stay tuned!