christinamguerrero.com ~ the official site ~
The Skeleton Of The Novel
Copyright 2017 Christina M. Guerrero
DEDICATION
N/A
STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Finishing a first draft.
ABOUT THE DRAFTS
N/A
The skeleton of “Martin, Revisited” has been completed.
That means the first draft is there, ready to be worked into something that resembles a long-ass novel with a plot and goals and characters and all those other things that turn an idea into a story.
Right now, there are only a few chapters up on my site. The whole thing may go up, because this novel is a strange one. I can see the rejection letters: “This is about what could have happened between you and your deceased Love, and the children you might have had, and their lives? Pass.”
If it all goes up, it will serve as what a writer deals with: from idea to agent- or publisher-ready.
The story was latent at first, arriving via a few images back in 2015. Martin was at my side, just ambling along, not traditionally, using crutches because he had cerebral palsy. He was most likely disabled because once a woman has disabled children, there is a possibility she might have more. That’s what the statistics say, and that’s what my doctor told me many years ago, after I found out my child had a disability.
Because of those experiences, I was not surprised to see Martin struggling, and then falling, and then getting back up, with a lot of humor, like his parents would.
The rest of the story hit me at the end of 2016. It stared with Martin waiting for a ride, and then the rest of it was suddenly there: his history, his emancipation (he has many reasons for wanting to be on his own but they are spoilers), his adventures in New York City, and wishing he could meet someone like himself.
Who doesn’t want a friend who shares our interests and who has similar experiences? As I thought about Martin, and about that mysterious process between what the character has experienced and would do ... versus what I think the story is ... I had to let it simmer. Gradually, the story revealed itself.
The story expanded and grew and showed me Carter, who also wanted his own story told. The men have walked down similar paths. There were temptations to make one a coping mechanism or imaginary friend or alter ego of the other. But Carter wanted to be heard and be a man, not an idea; he wanted very much to connect with Martin, and with a select group of people. And when I got to a scene near the end and “listened” to Carter give a speech about a theory he had, the rest of the story fell into place.
Questions that came to mind about the two men and which are addressed throughout the novel: What options do you have when you’re called a liar? How would you view and treat someone who is consistently referred to as a liar? Would you give them the benefit of the doubt? Would you believe hearsay to be the truth? Would you join a pack of accusers and stick with them, even if you really don’t want to? Or would you break away and follow your own path? Would you advocate for justice for the accused? What price would you place on giving in to lying about someone 24/7/365 and having someone else back you up? Would you accept money? Material goods? Intangible favors? Sex?
While writing about the characters tackling those issues, I discovered several sets of twins. Perhaps some writers might put a dark spin on the twin aspect, and on who exactly is behind a lot of unpleasantness in the novel, which would make a great mystery.
But this is not a mystery. It’s about the search for justice, even if justice is a subtle thing. It’s about the search for truth, and acknowledging it. It’s about the search for kindred spirits, and the joy of finding loyal, lasting companionship.
I hope you have as much fun reading it as I do writing it.
BACK TO JOURNALISM - * - BACK TO ARCHIVES