Thursday, February 13, 2014

In an effort to keep things moving forward, Matt documents where he sees the book parameters heading:

Confirmed: Alternating chapters and one chapter per month. I will kick us off.

Writing: I have full confidence in your writing abilities and your creativity.

Editing: You make a strong case for editing. So let’s plan on that happening.

Process: The more I think about it, the less structure and rules I want to have, so I’m suggesting the following:
(1) We do not have any communications that influence plot or character development – it happens naturally (except on how to begin this thing, see below)
(2) After the first 4 chapters (two by each of us), we discuss if any process or rules additions/adjustments are necessary

How to begin this thing:
Plot? Setting? Audience? Main characters? Era? All great questions. Some of this will be driven by the initial idea that kicks us off, some of this will be determined along the way. Because I’m kicking us off, I’ll tell you want my tendencies will be:
+ Adult audience
+ Era is present day and by present day I mean 1980-2014ish. I know I will try to write something that isn’t too tied to a particular year and present era is easier to write about, I think.
+ Setting: USA as a foundation, but could expand as story unfolds. I’m not an accomplished enough writer to research and write about a story happening in Bolivia, for example.
+ Genre: I’ll probably straddle drama and humor. Nothing too dark – like an entire book about struggling with cancer and not entirely light like a bachelor party in Vegas. There is a chance I would consider a mystical/sci-fi element (think Green Mile where prisoner breathes life back into people, but the balance of the story is “realistic”). I think maybe Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a nice guidepost.

That said, you mention the middle school boys as a very general starting point. Believe it or not, I may have a hard time developing those characters (I think). I have yet to come up with anything I’m in love with. Between now and Feb 28 let’s kick ideas around that come to us. If at the end of the month we have nothing, I will just randomly pick something and go with it. Here’s a few thoughts, but not super-excited about them:

+ Four friends meet to review a found videotape of a college party incident that each remembers differently.
+ Two people decide to start a city. (that’s bizarre I know)
+ A man slowly dies at home alone with his dog / story told in flashback