(no subject)

[turps]

What I should be doing right now. My 100 Ways story, tackling the ironing or other housework. What I'm actually doing. Plotting the prequel to Boxes...sigh.



I'm sitting writing the backgrounds for Chris, JC and Joey and keep thinking, OMG I can't write that. The problem is by its nature the prequel will be darker. In Boxes Justin and Lance had the others to look after them. In the prequel they're on their own until they meet up much later in the story.

I hinted at stuff for all three in Boxes. Joey's drinking problem was probably the most obvious. He was at rock bottom when Chris found him and he and JC looked after Joey when he went cold turkey. Isn't that going to be fun to write? :( I actually feel mean making Joey an alcoholic, it's like, it's Joey.

Chris left home when his mom took off with his sisters and step father ( and now I feel mean about Bev ) and left him alone. He left and made his way to the city, hitch hiking on the way, and eating from bins when needed. He slept really rough for a while, on benches, in a shelter etc. Then something happened that made him not trust those places again. Remember he was only in his early teens at the time and vulnerable. I'm not sure how far I can push that one, because in Boxes he's not that screwed up really.

Then JC. Leaving home to find himself and all he found was a world that didn't care and retreated into himself more and more until he found his soul mate. I sound really corny I know, but in this story they are soul mates ( lobsters! ). JC could easily fall into mental illness. His connection to the world is the people he loves, especially Chris. If that goes I think he'd go too, lost inside of himself.

Man, that story has the potential to be very bleak, but I don't want it to go too bad. Boxes was about hope, this one has to be to. Oh damn it to hell. I've just thought, I'm going to have three different time lines. Now I'm going to have to think how to tie them together. Chris' story will start well before Joey's and JC's.

Gah, why am I thinking about doing this?...*bangs head on desk*



I will not stand for this

Everyone Feels This Pain
Show your support

I wanted to put this in here because I think it's important. I was never bullied at school. I had a tight group of friends and apart from the usual verbal insults I was never bothered. But a lot of people are and bullies make me feel sick. Picking on someone because you can is disgusting, whether it's at school, work, online, a hate thread, anywhere.

Comments

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Not to sound like a rabid JC fan- I mean, a Terri!JC fan, but I really love his background *g* I always loved some mental edge on characters, and I really enjoy the knowledge that he would actually be a step away from mental illness, and that Chris is his anchor to reality... just love that *eg*

Hope you'll show it really well in the prequel *prods*

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You know me sis. I'm tempted to make this pretty dark. But I'm trying to reign myself in a bit. I will show that mental edge though, JC needs some reason to be where he is. Otherwise he could have got himself a job a long time ago.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

**offers hugs** - I can imaging that it's going to be anything but fun to write, although at least you *know*, absolutely, that they end up in a better place, right? The structure does make for an interesting challenge though. 3 / 6 / 9 Sets of tripitichs? Seeing Chris fighting his way through while things are still pretty much 'buisness as normal' for the unsupecting other two would be a pretty strong contrast, and if you're sticking to their real world age differences, there's a long cold path for Chris - wonder who else he's saved along the way, and who he couldn't, who helped him out and who took advantage. Poor guys.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

In a way I'm looking forward to it. The only problem is my tastes run sorta dark, and I know I could easily write far too angsty. It's going to be a delicate balance between dark, which it has to be, and too dark. Worst case scenario, Chris traumatised and sexually assaulted multiple times, Joey a raging mean drunk who runs away after waking from a bender and sees that he's smashed his family home up. He goes to the city, drinks meths and tries to jump in front of a train in one of his sober moments and JC. A basket case who wanders the streets with no shoes because someone stole them. Head full of thoughts that he tries to get out any way he can.

You know, I'd read that *g* But most people wouldn't so I have to balance it up.

It's the time lines that are the problem really. The age differences are the same, which means if Justin was 15 when Chris met him, Chris would be 24. Chris would have a long hard road on his own.

I suppose it would be three separate stories that join together at different times. I just need to decide how to do those joins. One long story each until they meet then they join? Separate scenes at the same time. eg Chris leaving his home with a small bag as JC is swinging with his mom watching him? Then later, Chris shivering on a park bench as JC eats chicken nuggets and Joey plays in the mud.

It's going to be interesting for sure *g*

[callsigns.livejournal.com]

I have nothing constructive at all to say. I'm really looking forward to the prequel, and I know you'll shine with it. I hope it all comes to you with a minimum of pain! :)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Thanks, hon.

No need to say anything constructive, the support helps just as much.

I think it'll flow fine once I start writing, it's just I want to start now but I must do the 100 Ways first.

=SO= looking forward to this, even the darkness!! :D

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

Um, I'd go with the separate-until-they-meet theory, Chris being homeless in the park as JC eats & Joey plays is just... ..silly/forced, to me. "Boxes" did not feel forced AT ALL, and you avoided the happy ending you had first to keep it that way, so it'd be silly to start now.

Honestly? Dark is fine. Mostly since we KNOW it gets better, but... ..I think the trick is you need to keep a thread of hope. Chris may distrust shelters, but then he meets people like Sally, or saves someone, and those sorts of hopes keep him going. Chris is the main character, so I think that's sufficient, you have him encounter Lost!JC, & then they save drunk!Joey, and just tell the readers their stories as they tell them to Chris. Dark & even angsty is fine, as long as there's enough hope to keep their perseverance believeable. And I'm very curious to learn more about JC; we didn't get all that much in "Boxes:, we got character, but not who he IS.

[lincolnkw.livejournal.com]

I had NO idea you wereplaning a prequel for Boxes. That is so cool. Andlook at it this way, it's fiction so thast gives you leewayto do bad things to good people and fixing it. And the mood, while it will neccesarily (boy, does that look wrong) be dark due to the subject matter, it willalso have the lement of hope, as we KNOW it's going to work out well.

I dance for the idea!

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Yeah I am.

I always feel so egotistical saying this, but I'm totally in love with my universe and I really wanted to write more in it. I thought a prequel would be interesting, showing how Joey, JC and Chris got to the point they're at at the beginning of Boxes.

You're right what you say, at least we know things will get better, because the story will be dark. But the hope is always there. Now all I have to figure out is how to weave the three time lines together. But even that has to wait until after the 100 Ways. But I so want to start writing the prequel now.

You've made me so happy with your dancing *g*

Thank you.

[ihearthings-ii.livejournal.com]

Nothing constructive here, just, I can't wait until you finish it!

[turps33.livejournal.com]

LOL, no need for anything constructive when you say things like that.

Thanks, hon.

[tallories.livejournal.com]

Because we're going to love you for it!

[jaciesplace.livejournal.com]

Boxes just keeps getting better and better!
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the prequel. :)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I'm looking forward to writing the prequel, I just need to get this 100 Ways challenge done first. Because I know once I actually start writing the prequel I'll be thinking of nothing else.