The story is running blind at the moment -- WASHINGTON BOARD

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Date Posted: 12:13:56 05/11/09 Mon
Author: Randy
Author Host/IP: S010600179a334297.gv.shawcable.net / 24.69.74.23
Subject: The story is running blind at the moment
In reply to: Grumpy 's message, "Re: Editor's fingers a'twitching here" on 09:20:55 05/11/09 Mon

Until I can pound my head against a wall for a few weeks with Paco in mind, where it's going or what it is will be up in the air. The original idea that I had for a story was found wanting for Paco, so is being realized in the current piece Im doing. That left Paco without a home.

Some folks will level a theme and write around the theme, but it's a rare writer who can do that. I don't think I can, and it's too easy to screw up if done that way. It can come off as a soapbox to stand on, guaranteed failure for anything but religious or political tracts.

I tend to run with a general, largely undeveloped plot, and work out the bugs as I go, letting the picture become clearer as the writing gets done.

Using the general plot elements that we have: a lack of power for modern civilization; a time machine; El Toro in the background, we have a playing field for the scope of a series of short tales. All interconnected, but rathe than following a long train of build and release, build and release, we can climax each tale in a decisive way, as might be done in a noveletta of 10-20k words.

A couple of things to think about might be how El Toro came into the picture, what his motivations may be, and how he relates to Paco and glass eye. Also, is he behind the power outage or is he adversely effected by it? Does he like the new state of affairs and want to maintaing it or overcome it?

A theme that I see appearing in the plot could well deal with modern civilization and the glamours that we ascribe to it, along with all the illusions that it creates as well as the necessary aspects of maintaining a large population that it enables.

Political or no, I can't be certain. If it goes to the political, it should be in the broadest sense. The greatest political fodder in the world, the 8 years of neocons and Duyba, passed us by. But the politics of empire and globalism are still up for grabs and will be a trend for decades to come if things don't blow up before then.

You're doing great for laying bones, Think about El Toro some, and see if anything tweaks ya, mate.

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Replies:

You nailed it here.... -- SunFlare, 14:11:11 05/11/09 Mon

Re: You nailed it here.... -- Grumpy, 16:14:24 05/11/09 Mon

Sounds like a (sound) plan -- SunFlare, 11:28:49 05/17/09 Sun
This looks like the place to leave them.... -- Grumpy, 18:32:57 05/17/09 Sun
- Nice -- Randy, 14:16:47 05/18/09 Mon