Monday, September 21, 2015

Initiated: The magical ritual of writing a saga, or prophesizing with a pen

Back on the magical block, y'all!!!

Between otha people newz, and some otha thangs, I was able to finsh the first chapter to Fable Avenue Book III this weekend.

I've had the idea on how this opening chapter would flow, and one creative strike, allowing it all be from one character's p.o.v. helped keep a consistency among its movement. There's a quirkiness to the first chapter...not quite as quirky as following the airflow of subway trains out of the station and up the street to Fable Avenue (as in Book II, Brooklyn's Lilac Brew), but there's a slick way I was able to reintroduce all the characters, where they are, and a hint at the consequences of the last installment, and see how they've been getting a long.

And there's also some new characters to say 'Hi' too.

There's no dialogue. There's a fun action sequence. A good deal of mystery and intrigue. And a lot of sentimentality. While Brooklyn's Lilac Brew was an introduction to Fable Avenue's culture, Book III treats the reader as an initiated member. But it does not scoff at the newcomer.

(Hey, even I've started on the second or third...sometimes the fourth book of a series).

There's some exposition at play, which usually scares the hell out of writers. Treated as vampires, the word 'exposition' is a enough to make any writer grab a sacred, religious trinket, a stake, and some garlic...or whatever the ritual is for warding off techniques labeled as 'bad writing'. But I believe there's a correct way to write anything.

To make sure I put myself on the correct path of penning this opening chapter, I consulted some other works. Not all of them were literature. I consulted part of Mario Puzo's The Godfather. A part of the book that wasn't translated into film. I also took a look at a sequence in an episode of The Sopranos. Now, while both pieces have Mafia themes, going back and reading and observing the structure of a scene (or scenes) had nothing to do with gangsters.

I also took a look at the opening to the film adaption of Watchmen. Beautiful. Watched it over and over. The whole opening credit sequence putting on display the passage of time, the movement through eras gone by, and the influence made to create an alternate timeline, is amazing. A plus is it being appropriately serenaded with Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'". But I also liked the fight between Comedian and 'his attacker'. I know people cursed the movie for not being frame-for-frame of the comic, and retouching some points, but it was awesome to me.

Sorry, Alan Moore.

Though it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to have music playing in a fight sequence in Brooklyn's Lilac Brew, I'm sure my mind was recalling that scene deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down. And this opening sequence for Book III is the same. Imagine the blues.

I like what I have. I'll look back at it later and see that it actually sucks, but for now (and before my editor sees it), I'll remain happy.

More info will be coming soon. What's next in the writing will take me back to High School to two manuscripts I wrote in the 9th and 10th grades. They're getting cut up and sprinkled into The Fable Avenue Saga. And keeping with the musical theme, one of the manuscripts was not only inspired by a song, but a whole album.

Thanks, Prince.

On the one, y'all. Confusion! Las Vegas!

b write black...