I recently submitted the first 53 pages of The Devil Particle manuscript to writers Shannon Anderson and Tricia Wagner and my two twenty-something daughters for feedback. Shannon couldn’t believe those pages were from the same author who’d written Carpe Diem, Illinois because the writing is incredibly different. That’s a good thing — Carpe Diem, Illinois is contemporary adult fiction; The Devil Particle is a young adult dystopia novel. My older daughter told me The Devil Particle is the best thing I’ve ever written, and she doesn’t give compliments lightly. Yahoo — I’m on the right (write?) track!
But all four wanted a better sense of the dystopian world I’m creating and while I’m leaning toward leaving the setting relatively minimalistic, I agree that what I’ve created has some confusing contradictions. For instance, if it’s dangerous to venture out into the city after noon, why would two teenage boys go to the local diner for a celebration dinner?
When something I write is muddled like this, I need to research my fictional world. I have to get it straight in my head until I can adequately portray it on the page. Wait — research on something I make up? How does that work?
By using what I liked to call the “Closed-Eyes Method.” I close my eyes (big surprise) and picture the characters in the scene. What are they seeing? What are they smelling? Is it noisy — are there honking taxis or singing robins? When I put myself in the setting with my characters, the scene comes into focus.
I did the Closed-Eyes Method when I wrote the opening scene to The Devil Particle and added details about the crows which, I think, gives the scene one more layer of griminess. This is the result (so far):
The burnt-out lightbulb makes a satisfying “pop” as I crush it under my sneaker. I’d pick up the broken pieces but it’s noon, the street is empty, and no one’s watching. I hear humming. No time to run, I crouch in the middle of the street and cover my head.
The humming gets louder, buzzes over me, and moves on. It’s a mail-carrying drone and it’s headed for my yard.
I sprint the last block, my pack, filled with seed packets, orphanage paperwork, and a toolkit, bouncing against my sweaty back. I reach our yard and slow down, but the drone is gone. After checking for pipe bombs, I open the door to our rusting mailbox. The hinges creak, startling two crows further down the street. One takes off, its wings beating up a small cloud of dirt. The other caws at me then resumes picking through a pile of garbage. In addition to using the Closed-Eyes Method, I also look for world-building inspiration in well-crafted novels.
I’m currently listening to Artemis, the latest novel by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian. Weir has the amazing ability to weave technical scientific information into the story such that it doesn’t slow the pace and makes a moon city seem amazingly realistic. Living in the Midwest in the winter, I can appreciate having to suit up just to get the mail, but by reading Artemis I can picture how arduous it would be simply to go outside and I feel intensely claustrophobic.
Weir not only describes life on the moon, but transports the reader there. That’s what I’m going for in my Devil Particle trilogy. I want the reader to be transported into my dystopian world and actually feel what it would be like to exist in such a place.
When the books are published, you’ll have to let me know if I’ve succeeded.
A Huge Thank You
To writer Greg Renz, author Nick Chiarkas, and Linda Thompson, the Host of The Author Show, for your amazing reviews of Carpe Diem, Illinois. I can’t thank you enough.
At 46 reviews, I only need 4 more before Amazon does some magical marketing for me — not sure what that entails, but I’m dying to find out! So please take a moment and review my books if you haven’t already. And consider reviewing all the books you’ve enjoyed this year — you’ll make authors happy!
Where you can find me this summer
Guest Blog: Pen and Prosper – I’m pleased to be interviewed on the June 15th edition of this award-winning publication!
Playtime with Bill Turck and Kerri Kendall — a radio show dedicated to the arts, on1590 WCGO, Sunday, August 12th – tune in at 2:00 as Randy Richardson, president of the Chicago Writers Association, interviews me about The Write City Review and my novels.
Paradyme Productions, September 4-7. I’ll be on hand as local actor Rob Doyle reads Carpe Diem, Illinois for the brand new audio book! Rob has performed at the American Players Theatre, the Children’s Theatre of Madison, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. And this September, he becomes Leo!
