Blank Pages - R.A. Young - Jan. 9, 2024
BLANK PAGES
In my brain, this story I'm writing can be visualized as a tremendous stack of blank pages. I look at the top page and I can see vague details coming increasingly into focus as I consider them. As I outline, the stack takes shape, like a sculptor carving marble -- or in my case more like a toddler with Play-Doh. But the pages remain blank in this process. I work and this stack of blank pages becomes more real in my mind, yet it is still a stack of blank pages.
It's hard to describe how frustrating and, if I'm being honest, frightening this is. With games journalism, what made it so simple is the lack of this process. I'd take a story and put it to page with quickness and ease. Text on a page; instant gratification. Here I'm delaying starting the actual writing. I know I need to. I don't even know what my main character's face looks like yet. It'll probably be weeks of outlining. In the meantime, there's a craving. A craving to have something, anything written down. Wouldn't it just be easier to start writing?
PLAY-DOH
The working title for my story is Hand of God. It's sci-fantasy, whatever that means. If I was trying to sell it, I'd say it's a bit Hunger Games, a bit Ender's Game. If I was talking to friends, I'd say I'm influenced by Shinji Ikari of Evangelion, FitzChivalry Farseer of Realm of the Elderlings, Josiah Bancroft's Babel, Proton of Piers Anthony's (I KNOW) Adept series, RA Salvatore's Homeland, and Heavens Arena of Hunter X Hunter. WHAT IF HOGWARTS WAS CAPITALISM? That's the good stuff. If that feels like sharing too much, feel comfortable in knowing that I haven't written a word. It's just primordial soup in my brain.
As for connecting fiber, I'm currently wrestling with big ideas for the opening chapter and final chapter. Do I go big, small? How do I maintain the intimacy necessary to make this all meaningful? Y'all, I'm over my head.
TOM KING
Each year I run a Comic of the Year awards thing for a group of friends. It's not only a great way to reinvigorate everyone regarding a hobby we all deeply care about, but it's also a way for me to personally reinvest and read a bunch of comics I'd otherwise have missed. Over the past week, I've caught up on several great comics, with two standouts -- Danger Street and Human Target, both written by Tom King.
Tom King has become somewhat of a meme within my friend group. There's genuine love and genuine hate for the guy's work, and since compromise is impossible among us King's name is often used sarcastically when talking about the best and worst of the comics industry. I, at least, lean heavily toward King being among the best of the best comic writers. As such, my friends often don't take my praise seriously. I can't help it, though; it's so difficult not to exaggerate my joy at King's work.
Tom King's 6 and 12-issue mini and maxi-series runs of comics are what I wish Marvel and DC saw as the best way to deliver comics overall. These stories have beginnings and endings, get extra time for artists to do their best work, are written for adults instead of children, and offer creativity absent from a vast majority of modern ongoings. Is that just Tom King's talent? I honestly don't think so. Give other prominent comic writers that same opportunity and they may find similar success. King has undeniably capitalized on this niche, though.
Perhaps I'm only feeling post-comic-completion depression.
ETC.
As for what else I've been spending my time with, I've got a few things going on. I've started a playthrough of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney with a group of friends, with plans to play through all six main-series games, and perhaps more. I'm about 1/3 of the way through a re-read of The Lies of Locke Lamora, which is much more wordy than I remember. I started watching the new Delicious in Dungeon anime (huge scorpion and walking mushroom hot pot, yum!). I watched Rebel Moon on Saturday. Oof, it was terrible! I just can't handle such awful, contrived dialogue. Otherwise, I've been watching a lot of Escape From Tarkov on Twitch. Nothing I want to play, but I'll watch others perform the grind.
January is a bit barren for media and I'm not a fan of backlog spelunking. I'm not sure how to keep busy. Oh, writing. Right.