Day 25. 47,508 words. It's coming easier now...
Today was one of my best days of writing yet. So funny, now that I've given up on it, I was able to write something that I felt was kind of real, even though it was ridiculous. I also wrote faster than I had been... about 2,500 words in an hour and a half. That's how it used to be for me, but this year has been so much tougher. I guess giving up is really helpful in getting the speed going. :)
I'm hoping to finish tomorrow, or if I don't have time, then I'll finish on Wednesday when I get to Philadelphia, or maybe at the airport on my way there. Can't WAIT for this to be done. I honestly would not have wanted to write this ridiculous novel this year if it weren't for all of you cheering me on. It was harder than ever before, so I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for getting it done.
Now, an excerpt. Ruby decided to work for the Alliance and has had one more chance to hang out with Just Fiddin' Around. This time, they are actually in Paris, France. Sorry, it's a long one. Ruby wants to get Gordon's opinion about good and evil. Also, I attempt to fill in some of the huge and gaping plot holes in my story. (Let's not even get into the fact that early in the book, Ruby's other mother is still alive, but then 20 pages later, she apparently died when Ruby was 3. I think I can fix that one. It's much more difficult to fix the fact that this shadowy underground group wants to recruit a 17-year old as a spy.)
“How are you?” Ruby had already asked Gordon that, hours earlier, but the emphasis given the question made it clear that ze wanted the truth.
“I’m good. Mostly good. I get to see a lot of Slade, and I get to continue with my work. I’ve been granted early acceptance in the Department of Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto, Canada. It’s been my dream to work there and do cutting edge work. I’ll get to start attending in the fall.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad to hear that. I might actually be heading up north myself… I was thinking of opening a little place in Bancroft, Ontario. Have you heard of it? Just a little place with no pretensions; Ruby’s Roadhouse. Call it a tribute to Jackie’s Place. I’ve been trying out some recipes of my own. I’ve got a nice grilled cheese, some jalapeno poppers that are to die for, and some vegan gluten free cakes and cookies that I think will be a big hit. Lots of people are developing gluten allergies, you know.” This story was, at least, true. Ruby’s first assignment was to bury hirself in small town life in Bancroft. There had been some troubling happenings there, from the Alliance’s perspective, and who better positioned to hear local gossip than the barkeep of a rowdy roadside tavern? The vegan and gluten free aspect of the roadhouse was to help convince all the locals that Ruby was a little bit off. The Alliance’s perspective was that if Ruby were seen as an eccentric, then people would be less likely to watch what they said around hir.
“That’s a surprise. Let’s not even talk about the fact that you are supposed to be in high school and yet you’re going to open a bar in another country.”
“My country, remember, I’m Canadian,” Ruby interjected. Ze hated this part of hir backstory. “And anyway, I lied about my age.”
“You lied about being seventeen? Why on earth would you say you’re younger than you are?”
“Well, I’m really nineteen, ok? I was just embarrassed that I hadn’t graduated high school yet. I had some issues when I was younger, no big deal, but I got held back a couple of times. Anyway, the point is that I need to see life! And I love what Jackie does. I think it’s a noble calling.”
“Okaaaaay. If that’s how you feel, I can understand that. But I thought you wanted to go to university? I thought you loved literature?”
“Eventually, I’ll get there. Just not right now. Right now, I want to live. Life is short.” Ruby was not above using hir mother’s life and death as a talking point to distract Gordon from questioning hir story too closely. He apologized, looking suitably chastened, and they continued talking.
“Gordon, can I get your advice? As a postmodern scholar?” Ruby shredded hir pain au chocolat as ze looked anxiously over at hir friend. Gordon puffed up proudly and even removed his phantom of the opera mask so that he could see hir more clearly. “Someone once told me that, there is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.”
“That quote sounds familiar.” Gordon’s gaze went far away for a moment, as if deep in thought, but a trembling upper lip revealed that he was very close to laughter. “Oh, I remember now! So, Voldemort told you that personally?” Gordon couldn’t resist the dig.
“Never mind who told me! What do you think about that? Do you think there is good and evil in the world? Or, is it more complicated?” Ruby knew that the question was revealing; it was clear that ze wanted Gordon to agree with the last option.
Gordon’s gaze wandered to the other people seated around the terrasse. It seemed the appropriate conversation to be having here, in Montmartre, where artists and philosophers hashed out answers to these life-or-death questions every day. He took a sip of his milky cappuccino and added a dash of cinnamon and sugar before speaking.
“Perhaps the best introduction to this question would be from the classic essay "Evil Be Thou My Good": Postmodern Heroics and Ethics in "Billy Bathgate" and "Bufo & Spallanzani" published in 1991 in Comparative Literary Studies. In this classic article, Vieira states:
Also, by the way, Gordon is currently dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, in honor of being in Paris.
I'm hoping to finish tomorrow, or if I don't have time, then I'll finish on Wednesday when I get to Philadelphia, or maybe at the airport on my way there. Can't WAIT for this to be done. I honestly would not have wanted to write this ridiculous novel this year if it weren't for all of you cheering me on. It was harder than ever before, so I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for getting it done.
Now, an excerpt. Ruby decided to work for the Alliance and has had one more chance to hang out with Just Fiddin' Around. This time, they are actually in Paris, France. Sorry, it's a long one. Ruby wants to get Gordon's opinion about good and evil. Also, I attempt to fill in some of the huge and gaping plot holes in my story. (Let's not even get into the fact that early in the book, Ruby's other mother is still alive, but then 20 pages later, she apparently died when Ruby was 3. I think I can fix that one. It's much more difficult to fix the fact that this shadowy underground group wants to recruit a 17-year old as a spy.)
“How are you?” Ruby had already asked Gordon that, hours earlier, but the emphasis given the question made it clear that ze wanted the truth.
“I’m good. Mostly good. I get to see a lot of Slade, and I get to continue with my work. I’ve been granted early acceptance in the Department of Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto, Canada. It’s been my dream to work there and do cutting edge work. I’ll get to start attending in the fall.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad to hear that. I might actually be heading up north myself… I was thinking of opening a little place in Bancroft, Ontario. Have you heard of it? Just a little place with no pretensions; Ruby’s Roadhouse. Call it a tribute to Jackie’s Place. I’ve been trying out some recipes of my own. I’ve got a nice grilled cheese, some jalapeno poppers that are to die for, and some vegan gluten free cakes and cookies that I think will be a big hit. Lots of people are developing gluten allergies, you know.” This story was, at least, true. Ruby’s first assignment was to bury hirself in small town life in Bancroft. There had been some troubling happenings there, from the Alliance’s perspective, and who better positioned to hear local gossip than the barkeep of a rowdy roadside tavern? The vegan and gluten free aspect of the roadhouse was to help convince all the locals that Ruby was a little bit off. The Alliance’s perspective was that if Ruby were seen as an eccentric, then people would be less likely to watch what they said around hir.
“That’s a surprise. Let’s not even talk about the fact that you are supposed to be in high school and yet you’re going to open a bar in another country.”
“My country, remember, I’m Canadian,” Ruby interjected. Ze hated this part of hir backstory. “And anyway, I lied about my age.”
“You lied about being seventeen? Why on earth would you say you’re younger than you are?”
“Well, I’m really nineteen, ok? I was just embarrassed that I hadn’t graduated high school yet. I had some issues when I was younger, no big deal, but I got held back a couple of times. Anyway, the point is that I need to see life! And I love what Jackie does. I think it’s a noble calling.”
“Okaaaaay. If that’s how you feel, I can understand that. But I thought you wanted to go to university? I thought you loved literature?”
“Eventually, I’ll get there. Just not right now. Right now, I want to live. Life is short.” Ruby was not above using hir mother’s life and death as a talking point to distract Gordon from questioning hir story too closely. He apologized, looking suitably chastened, and they continued talking.
“Gordon, can I get your advice? As a postmodern scholar?” Ruby shredded hir pain au chocolat as ze looked anxiously over at hir friend. Gordon puffed up proudly and even removed his phantom of the opera mask so that he could see hir more clearly. “Someone once told me that, there is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.”
“That quote sounds familiar.” Gordon’s gaze went far away for a moment, as if deep in thought, but a trembling upper lip revealed that he was very close to laughter. “Oh, I remember now! So, Voldemort told you that personally?” Gordon couldn’t resist the dig.
“Never mind who told me! What do you think about that? Do you think there is good and evil in the world? Or, is it more complicated?” Ruby knew that the question was revealing; it was clear that ze wanted Gordon to agree with the last option.
Gordon’s gaze wandered to the other people seated around the terrasse. It seemed the appropriate conversation to be having here, in Montmartre, where artists and philosophers hashed out answers to these life-or-death questions every day. He took a sip of his milky cappuccino and added a dash of cinnamon and sugar before speaking.
“Perhaps the best introduction to this question would be from the classic essay "Evil Be Thou My Good": Postmodern Heroics and Ethics in "Billy Bathgate" and "Bufo & Spallanzani" published in 1991 in Comparative Literary Studies. In this classic article, Vieira states:
This ontological focus among such heroes becomes especially dynamic and problematic in these novels where crime, murder, violence, and cor-ruption, involving gangsters and murderers as well as white collar crimi-nals, surface as insidious and pervasive forces of Evil lurking in modern urban societies populated with openly vulnerable and decidedly wanting "innocents." As opposite ends on the barometer of traditional ethical standards, good and evil no longer appear as clear-cut binary forces in a world of diverse systems already wary of absolute values. Here, traditional ethics become most problematic, especially if witnessed from the ambigu-ously "larcenous" struggle for upward socio-economic mobility or power in Doctorow's North American capitalist world of gangsters and bewildered, beleaguered immigrants of the 1930s, or within Fonseca's contemporary Brazilian authoritarian world of elites and ostracized marginals, the latter frequently depicted as racially, ethnically, and/or economically oppressed "others" looking for their proverbial place in the tropical sun.In other words, postmodern theorists are wary of any meta-narrative that seeks to establish itself homogeneously across time and space. Does that help?”
Also, by the way, Gordon is currently dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, in honor of being in Paris.
I'm glad you explained the Phantom of the Opera mask - the fact that they are in France should have been enough, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe one remaining burning question I have is why ze was asking Gordon of all people to explain the nature of good and evil. Was ze satisfied with the answer? Or is this some plot connected to the Alliance?
I snorted when I read that Gordon "even removed his phantom of the opera mask so that he could see hir more clearly." Perfect. That is so Gordon.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why anyone would quote Voldemort. Is this when Ruby started to wonder if he really was Voldemort?
To answer your questions:
ReplyDeleteJackie: sadly, Gordon is Ruby's only friend.
Katie: Ruby thought that Roux was Voldemort about 10,000 words ago. It was short-lived, only lasting long enough for me to quote extensively from Harry Potter novels.
Oh, okay. It seems as if this family has some Potter fever these days. Harry Potter is referenced basically every day in my book.
ReplyDeleteI love that Gordon was wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask, I plan to write that in immediately, or at the very least, in the very near future.
ReplyDelete