All In The Groove

I started writing again. I know, it sounds weird, but ever since I finished my latest project, I've been unable to come up with any kind of a story idea.

Until....

While I was posting my two incomplete novellas a couple of months ago, one story in particular, Caged caught my eye again. The more I read, the more I liked, until finally it became the necessary mini-obsession that is step one in my writing process. Step two is sitting down in front of my computer and pecking away (with typos of course).

So.

Right off the bat, I incorporated quite a few elements not only from that one story but from a couple of others as well. Even though I changed the main character's first name from Valerie (bad juju with that name) to Melanie, I kept the overall characteristics and personality flaws from those original stories (acid scars on the face, chewed up chest, reduced breast size, monster chip on shoulders, crystal meth habit, and violent temper), as well as using the original setting of the entire second novella (hive/pod) as a background dump for this story.

I also kept the human food source (Jerry) and the former mentor (Bertha, now Fryja) the same, and introduced Cerberus, guard dog for Hell. Also brought The Platinum Queen and her Entourage back into the mix as well.

Jon, who was Melanie's husband, is something of an anomaly, in that he straddles both worlds. Completely human (as opposed to Melanie), he's managed over the course of his marriage and with help from Melanie, to incorporate a tiny bit of her world into his. Two of things that I decided to grace him with, is the ability to be telepathic and the ability to be like an energy drink for Melanie. In other words, being a food source when she needs a pick-me-up.

I gave him a weird job, but I haven't decided what that is yet. From how I described his old-fashioned wardrobe (bowler, vest, shirt, pants, and shoes all black; bow tie blood red) and the fact that he's a public face for a corporation called Dandelion Inc., I'm leaning towards him working in some particular facet of death.

As for Melanie, she is a bit more complex. I haven't identified her with any kind of non human species, save for calling her a "hybrid". However, I am dropping a few hints in the story on what she might be. Like for instance, her job: I have her working for a debt collection agency. She does have a taste for blood, she does possess supernatural powers (tired phrase I know), and she does have fangs. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine as to what she may be.

The one conscious decision I did make with this story, was to amp up the level of violence. Because I'm going through a little personal stress, this became the perfect vehicle story to unleash that stress and anger on. The violence isn't extreme, but it leans more to the gory aspect than the physical aspect, although that will probably change as it progresses. Also, since the original story does make a vague allusion to Hell, I chose to make that allusion more solid, simply by using characters that are more firmly associated with Hell.

This my friends, is the latest story to ooze from my pen. Also, this is the first story that I'm predominately writing by hand and then transcribing using my Dragon software, which has been giving birth to dust bunnies for the past few months. Still got this major hurdle in using it to exclusively write with, because for me, I turn into a human Popsicle the second I try to do original writing with it. So this is probably the only way I'm gonna be able to incorporate that software with my writing.

"Writing is an art form" is an archaic and seldom used phrase.

Now, "writing is a form of sticking bamboo shoots under your fingernails", is a phrase that I would be proud to be associated with.