some nights i lie awake just waiting for my mind to wind down. it never seems to matter that it almost always dwells on the same tired thoughts: missed opportunities, life's regrets, junk like that. l'esprit de l'escalier. more like l'esprit du lit.
well, a few nights back i began thinking about this pseudo-autobiographical story i'd started writing a while back. i had outlined pretty much the whole thing, but made progress only on the first part. so, since it seems i can't go a week without posting here (maybe a good thing?), below is part one of 'interview with an angel'.
In a stereotypical coffee shop, the early morning sun shines on every species of professional imaginable, ordering or drinking their caffeinated concoctions with biscotti, bagels, and even donuts—pedestrian as they may be. The din of people maneuvering the tables and sitting in their chairs, walking and talking, eating and drinking, carries the feel of a race car engine revving just before the race has begun. On the edge of the dance sits a well-dressed man, sitting relaxed with his attention on the morning's sudoku, and occasionally his watch, but nothing else.
At a glance, he appears indistinguishable from any of the other patrons. But there are several subtle differences. He seems to be in no hurry, or rather he is just where he needs to be. The drink next to him happens to be a Bloody Mary. Also, he’s literally glowing. Not with a blinding glow, but the kind of glow that onlookers dismiss as the sun coming through the window, bathing him. Still, he looks less like the angel he is than a middle management corporate beast of burden.
And despite his faux smile, “finally” is written plainly on the angel's face as he rises to greet the man who's just entered the shop. The newcomer looks the very definition of dapper. He carries himself as if he were under the spotlight in a Broadway play. Everything he does is just slightly exaggerated: his canvassing of the shop until he sees the angel; his near strut to the angel's table; his two-handed hand shake. He removes his coat and carefully lays it folded over one chair, then checks that his tie and suspenders are straight and that his shirt is properly tucked before taking the seat next to it, directly across from the angel.
Where the presence of the angel is dissonance among the crowd, this man is antithesis to the crowd; a wondering eye my hesitate when falling onto the angel, but the man demands attention.
“Sorry I'm late. I swear I must've walked into five other places looking just like this one—on this block alone, no less.”
The angel waves dismissively. “Not at all. Before we begin, would you like a drink?”
The man rubs his chin as if in deep deliberation. “You know... This whole thing has gotten me feeling nostalgic. I'd absolutely love a Comfortable Screw.” The angel hands the man a highball. He takes the familiar drink, not phased in the slightest that the angel seemed to pull it out of air. “Oh, thanks. Yes, that's delicious. Thank you for not totally mucking it up.”
“I'm sorry, but I can't imagine how one can mess up a Comfortable Screw.”
“Well, as often as I'd order one, I'd get a Slow Screw or a Screw up against the Wall, or anything in between—anything but an actual Comfortable Screw. That's why I stopped ordering them all together.”
“I suppose I see—”
“Ha... I just realized what that must say about me. How fitting.”
This surprises the angel, who's only expecting mindless chit-chat. After replaying the last few seconds in his mind, he pulls out a small notebook and begin making scratches on the first page in angelic shorthand.
“Excuse me—it seems that we're just going to jump right in. I know that you're expecting a traditional interview, but let me explain how this will actually work. You will tell me about yourself, no more and no less than you're prepared to disclose. However, be aware that we will make our decision based on what you say here in light of any and all information we have on you. I may prompt for elaboration on any given point. I may not. Do you understand?”
“Sure. That all seems very reasonable to me.”
“Then you may begin whenever you're ready.”
The man puts his drink on the table and leans in towards the angel, as if to physically enter his confidence. “Well, first I just have to satisfy my curiosity. At first, I was just surprised that I was given this opportunity, until I realized that this opportunity was in fact an interview to get into heaven. I have to ask: is this interview process some kind of special mechanism for cases like mine or is this pretty much standard fare?”
The angel sets his pad and pen down and takes a drink before answering. “We’ve only started interviewing entrants very recently—I’d say not longer than a century. It was the first initiative enacted after the organizational restructuring. For several reasons that I can’t go into with you, we’ve needed to become more selective of the people allowed into heaven, hence this interview process. So, to answer your question, it is standard for every potential entrant to justify their entrance to heaven. The actual interview is customized to be culturally appropriate for each individual, but remains fundamentally and functionally universal.”
“Well… If anything my curiosity has been piqued even further. But I'll respect your need for discretion.”
At that, the angel trades his drink for his pad and pen and jots down a few quick scratches. He did not expect that answer, as evidenced by his raised eyebrow, the only crack in his composure.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
impending research
well, just about all of my time for the next 2 weeks will be spent maintaining my impeccable school record (as in my work doesn't quite justify kicking my ass out of school). so this will probably be my last post until november 3.
i think it'd be nice to have read the books that harriot's read--considering i intend to write her. just because i need a starting point, i looked up sci-fi/fantasy writers on wikipedia and made a list of any who were published in the 1950's or earlier, some of whose works i may or may not have read already. below is a list of 38 such books (winnowed down from like a million).
before i get to these books, though, i've got three other books to read first: Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, and The Watchmen by Alan Moore. i'll need to finish these before getting to the research.
the plan is to post synopses of the books as i read them, with analysis as to how they relate to harriot and my story. i suppose i'll practice with the three books i mentioned above (when i get to them, of course).
and now the list:
i think it'd be nice to have read the books that harriot's read--considering i intend to write her. just because i need a starting point, i looked up sci-fi/fantasy writers on wikipedia and made a list of any who were published in the 1950's or earlier, some of whose works i may or may not have read already. below is a list of 38 such books (winnowed down from like a million).
before i get to these books, though, i've got three other books to read first: Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, and The Watchmen by Alan Moore. i'll need to finish these before getting to the research.
the plan is to post synopses of the books as i read them, with analysis as to how they relate to harriot and my story. i suppose i'll practice with the three books i mentioned above (when i get to them, of course).
and now the list:
- The Snow Queen - Hans Christian Anderson
- Peter Pan and Wendy - JM Barry
- The Little White Bird - JM Barry
- The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
- The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Land that Time Forgot - Edgar Rice Burroughs
- The Pirates of Venus - Edgar Rice Burroughs
- A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice - James Branch Cabell
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carrol
- The Man Who Was Thursday - GK Chesterton
- Rogue Queen - L Sprague de Camp
- The Worm Ouroboros - ER Eddison
- The House on the Borderland - William Hope Hodgson
- Two Sought Adventure - Fritz Leiber
- The Screwtape Letters - CS Lewis
- Out of the Silent Planet - CS Lewis
- The Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
- The Call of Cthulu - HP Lovecraft
- Lilith - George MacDonald
- Silverlock - John Myers Myers
- Portrait of Jennie - Robert Nathan
- Star Man's Son - Andre Norton
- The Crossroads of Time - Andre Norton
- Titus Groan - Mervyn Peake
- Land of Unreason - Fletcher Pratt & L Sprague de Camp
- Immortality Inc. - Robert Sheckley
- Citizen in Space - Robert Sheckley
- Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
- The Night Life of the Gods - Thorne Smith
- Turnabout - Thorne Smith
- The Lady or the Tiger - Frank R Stockton
- Rudder Grange - Frank R Stockton
- The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
- The Dying Earth - Jack Vance
- The Island of the Mighty - Evangeline Walton
- Witch House - Evangeline Walton
Thursday, October 9, 2008
how things fit
the three characters described in previous posts are intended to be the main characters in a story my friend and i are making. (i hesitate to use the word protagonists, as it's not clear now what direction any of them will take.)
the story is set in the 1950's and follows three characters as they begin a mystic quest on behalf of a mysterious organization, in the hopes of filling a void in their lives. they don't know the ultimate goal of this organization, nor the consequences of their success.
harriot is the "main" main character; oscar and buzz are important, but most of the time (all of the time?) the pov is harriot's. the organization believes that there is one person destined to complete the quest, but they don't know who. so they just tap any person showing signs of "power". they go through literally hundreds a year, with everyone ultimately dying. these three are the first to last so long, and have a serious chance of completing the quest. due to external pressures (of some unknown, mystic nature), the organization is forced to certify one of the three as "the one". conflict comes from the quest and harriot's interactions with oscar, buzz, other questers, and the organization.
the nature of "power" in this world is base on perception. those with "power", whom i'll call power-users, are able to interact with their perceptions in two distinct ways: observation and actuation. furthermore, there are different levels to which a power-user can take this interaction: involuntary(weakest), reflexive, intentional(strongest). this is not to say that power-users interact with all they perceive; they only have access to some well defined aspect of their perception. those who have strong aptitude for observation tend to be weak with respect to actuation, and vice-versa. everyone is capable of learning to use their power intentionally.
much of the story is inspired by an anime call "the law of ueki". there 100 middle schoolers are entered into a tournament representing 100 "god candidates". the next god will be the candidate whose champion wins the tournement. each candidate has bestowed a power on their champion. in this world, the nature of these powers also obey specific rules; all powers turn one specific thing into another. for example, one character can turn towels into steel, another can turn water into fire, and so on. the main character, ueki kouske, seems to have the weakest power (he can turn trash into trees), but his creativity and sense of justice repeatedly carries him to victory.
i know, i know, but my story is only loosely inspired by the anime. anyway, i'm currently compiling a list of books harriot may have read, for initial research.
the story is set in the 1950's and follows three characters as they begin a mystic quest on behalf of a mysterious organization, in the hopes of filling a void in their lives. they don't know the ultimate goal of this organization, nor the consequences of their success.
harriot is the "main" main character; oscar and buzz are important, but most of the time (all of the time?) the pov is harriot's. the organization believes that there is one person destined to complete the quest, but they don't know who. so they just tap any person showing signs of "power". they go through literally hundreds a year, with everyone ultimately dying. these three are the first to last so long, and have a serious chance of completing the quest. due to external pressures (of some unknown, mystic nature), the organization is forced to certify one of the three as "the one". conflict comes from the quest and harriot's interactions with oscar, buzz, other questers, and the organization.
the nature of "power" in this world is base on perception. those with "power", whom i'll call power-users, are able to interact with their perceptions in two distinct ways: observation and actuation. furthermore, there are different levels to which a power-user can take this interaction: involuntary(weakest), reflexive, intentional(strongest). this is not to say that power-users interact with all they perceive; they only have access to some well defined aspect of their perception. those who have strong aptitude for observation tend to be weak with respect to actuation, and vice-versa. everyone is capable of learning to use their power intentionally.
much of the story is inspired by an anime call "the law of ueki". there 100 middle schoolers are entered into a tournament representing 100 "god candidates". the next god will be the candidate whose champion wins the tournement. each candidate has bestowed a power on their champion. in this world, the nature of these powers also obey specific rules; all powers turn one specific thing into another. for example, one character can turn towels into steel, another can turn water into fire, and so on. the main character, ueki kouske, seems to have the weakest power (he can turn trash into trees), but his creativity and sense of justice repeatedly carries him to victory.
i know, i know, but my story is only loosely inspired by the anime. anyway, i'm currently compiling a list of books harriot may have read, for initial research.
5 minute rule; part 2
i like the poetry (irony? serendipity? whatever...) of using the five minute rule to explain the five minute rule. while i've been questioned a couple of times about it in the 10 years, i think it could stand concretization.
the first time i was kicked out and readmitted to college (about 10 years ago), i was forced to take a student development course. they discussed time management, study methods, etc. as you can imagine, i was daily riveted.
one (and only one) concept stuck with me. the idea behind the five minute rule is simple. if you need to get something done, tell yourself you'll do it now, but only for five minutes, after which you can stop. of course, five minutes come and go, and you're already working, so might as well continue. and the reason you keep using the rule is that, this time, you really will work for only five minutes. the reason i like it so much is, i think, that it resonates with my personal motto: self actualization through self delusion.
with respect to this blog, i use the five minute rule to just write something (like this post), no matter how irrelevant. this gets the motor running, and i can then direct that energy towards stuff i actually care about writing (like the groundwork for this story i'm working on). so in the future, post titled "5 minute rule" will probably be random nonsense. (at least, they'll be less pointed than this post.)
the first time i was kicked out and readmitted to college (about 10 years ago), i was forced to take a student development course. they discussed time management, study methods, etc. as you can imagine, i was daily riveted.
one (and only one) concept stuck with me. the idea behind the five minute rule is simple. if you need to get something done, tell yourself you'll do it now, but only for five minutes, after which you can stop. of course, five minutes come and go, and you're already working, so might as well continue. and the reason you keep using the rule is that, this time, you really will work for only five minutes. the reason i like it so much is, i think, that it resonates with my personal motto: self actualization through self delusion.
with respect to this blog, i use the five minute rule to just write something (like this post), no matter how irrelevant. this gets the motor running, and i can then direct that energy towards stuff i actually care about writing (like the groundwork for this story i'm working on). so in the future, post titled "5 minute rule" will probably be random nonsense. (at least, they'll be less pointed than this post.)
Friday, October 3, 2008
character sketch: dexter busby (aka buzz)
dexter is an optimistic all-american kid just out of high school. he's a man of platitudes. he's also very much a creature of the present; he has no real aspirations for the future. After all, "it'll turn out". his optimism isn't without basis. he's lucky. very lucky. for as long as he can remember he's been lucky and he knows it. that's not to say that he isn't smart or capable, "luck'll only take you so far". of course, "a little luck goes a long way".
nothing has really been out of reach for buzz: he was the star of the baseball team, most popular guy at school, and never lacked a date on saturday night. that notwithstanding, his reach never really exceeded his grasp: he enjoyed baseball, so he excelled; making friends was easy when everyone wanted to be your friend; athletic + popular + good-looking = lots of attention from girls.
enter the mysterious stranger who asks a simple question for which buzz has no answer. why? he recognizes that he's gifted beyond just about everyone. but for what purpose? is there a purpose? that's the one thing buzz's life has been missing, and, somewhat to his consternation, is not forthcoming. perhaps this stranger, with his particularly pointed question, also has some answers.
nothing has really been out of reach for buzz: he was the star of the baseball team, most popular guy at school, and never lacked a date on saturday night. that notwithstanding, his reach never really exceeded his grasp: he enjoyed baseball, so he excelled; making friends was easy when everyone wanted to be your friend; athletic + popular + good-looking = lots of attention from girls.
enter the mysterious stranger who asks a simple question for which buzz has no answer. why? he recognizes that he's gifted beyond just about everyone. but for what purpose? is there a purpose? that's the one thing buzz's life has been missing, and, somewhat to his consternation, is not forthcoming. perhaps this stranger, with his particularly pointed question, also has some answers.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
character sketch: oscar rickey
perhaps the one person who cares for harriot despite her personality (excepting her mother, of course), oscar barely registers on her radar. where she's only known him for a couple years (as her neighbor), he's known her since they were in middle school together, and been her silent admirer nearly that whole time.
oscar's fairly average by most accounts, with one exception. he holds his beliefs intensely and is absolutely certain in the veracity of his world view. until recently, there were two indisputable facts at the center of his life: first, there was no man (including him) good enough for harriot; second, he's the person she needs the most, since he's the only one who truly understands her. that's why he does whatever he needs to do to be part of her life. the fact that harriot has had (very) little success in social situations has kept oscar from going off on some fit of deluded paranoia. (yes, his convictions border on insanity. but since his situation is as it is, they keep him in line with society. he's even considered a fine young gentleman.)
that equilibrium was disrupted when he met a mysterious stranger promising a path to power and prestige. now, there are possibilities open to him that were previously inconceivable. perhaps he'll soon convince harriot that they were meant to be.
oscar's fairly average by most accounts, with one exception. he holds his beliefs intensely and is absolutely certain in the veracity of his world view. until recently, there were two indisputable facts at the center of his life: first, there was no man (including him) good enough for harriot; second, he's the person she needs the most, since he's the only one who truly understands her. that's why he does whatever he needs to do to be part of her life. the fact that harriot has had (very) little success in social situations has kept oscar from going off on some fit of deluded paranoia. (yes, his convictions border on insanity. but since his situation is as it is, they keep him in line with society. he's even considered a fine young gentleman.)
that equilibrium was disrupted when he met a mysterious stranger promising a path to power and prestige. now, there are possibilities open to him that were previously inconceivable. perhaps he'll soon convince harriot that they were meant to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
