Derry, Northern Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland
A book I'm working on is set in this town.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

MFD is put aside

I cannot seem to connect with the story of "Marked For Death" or the characters, right now, so I'm putting it aside and prepping to begin "Place of Safety" on the 1st. I'll dig through my boxes of materials and books -- I am effectively homeless while living with my mother and have no room of my own, just a day bed in the dining room where I also have everything I own...in boxes...stacked up to 7 high. Not a perfect arrangement, not by a long shot. Absolutely no privacy. But I keep telling myself it's temporary, and I'm not being charged rent so my expenses are minimal (that's why my savings were able to last as long as they have). Still...I'm ready to be over it.

What's good about working on POS is I have it basically sketched out. My lead character is Brendan Kinsella, whose father is killed immediately prior to the story's beginning. I know he'll be on the periphery of or involved in the events that transpired between 1968's civil rights marches and the state of war in NI by 1972. Then he'll be in Houston, Texas until 1980...maybe '81...when the hunger strikes are underway and the book will end shortly after Bobby Sands' death from starvation. The reason for him being in Texas is to illuminate the same attitudes that brought death and destruction to so many in NI exist in the US and cause just as much pain and suffering -- illustrated by Brendan becoming involved with a girl of another race.

Damn...sounds like a downer. Hopefully I'll be able to add some fun to it. Won't know till I'm done. But I had one hell of a time digging through "Angela's Ashes" because of the bleakness in it, and I can't read Russell Banks' work at all, so I know what I need to avoid. Question is, do I have the wherewithal to do that?

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