Derry, Northern Ireland

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

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Back to my usual indecision...

Going through Underground Guy...I've become less certain about the setup. My lead attacks an undercover cop in the middle of a surveillance operation, thus inadvertently helping get another man killed...according the the British police. The rest of the story depends on him being released after being arrested...but I don't think the cops would let him go. It's too likely he was working with a serial killer to throw the cops off while his partner fulfilled his bloodlust.

But the story doesn't work if I keep him in the station...or does it? Could imprisonment force him to come to terms with what's happened in his life to bring him to this point? And still wind up helping the cops?

The way it is, now... once he's released, he inadvertently connects with the man the cops have under surveillance for the killings...and starts piecing together that they may be focused on the wrong man for racist reasons. If I keep him under arrest, that part goes out. But I like it. It works into my intent for the story...

However, if I take out the killer stuff and just make this the story about a dangerous man who attacks a young man in London because of things that have happened back in his home of NYC...and comes to understand and accept the horrors of his own history...that changes the whole timbre of the story...makes it a lot deeper and demanding...and I wanted something cheesy and fun to write, to keep me from getting lost in A Place of Safety.

It's just, I can't figure out a good excuse for the police to release him on bail, even if it's them hoping he'll lead them to the killer and prove he's part of that devil's deal. That's too Hollywood-ish. Too contrary to reality, for me. Granted, I got carried away a bit like that in Rape In Holding Cell 6, especially the second part, but even that was still somewhat grounded. This is just...too much is convenient for convenience's sake, and I hate that.

Dammit, if there's anything I did NOT want right now, it's having another story argue with me over what it is.

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