Sweet 16

Chapter 16 is in the books. Yeehaw. I've also written up outlines for Chapter 17 and the short Epilogue.

Question: Do you read Prologues and Epilogues? If not, why not?

So now you're thinking, OK, those two chapters and he's done...right? Kinda. Then there's Chapter 1.5. I realized a while back that there ought to be a chapter between the introduction (Chapter 1) and the beginning of action in Dearborn (Chapter 2) where I give the reader more background on the history of Dearborn. Sounds boring, but it helps the story make more sense if you can understand the transformation this area has undergone in the last 80-100 years. In some ways, Dearborn was akin to Williamsburg, Brooklyn when it was one of the places to do business before the area's decline and then subsequent rise with the Hipster; that is, except for the rise part. When I've asked locals if they think Dearborn could become the next Flint I have yet to hear a denial or refusal. Usually there's just silence and/or a "maybe." Kinda scary.

Anyway, yeah, either I write 1.5 or I sprinkle in local history as I go.

Mining Suzan; Book Trailers

My new style Dearborn-native friend Suzan continues to be a wealth of information. So far today I've learned more about Dearborn's old mayor, Mayor Hubbard, who was such a fierce racist that blacks from Detroit heading west would intentionally go around Dearborn to avoid him and his police force; that to get a pass (even a day pass) to the local recreation center, you had to be a Dearborn resident and that Hubbard kept blacks out of Dearborn (as did Henry Ford) which means they weren't hanging out at the rec center.

We also drove by the old Montgomery Ward site. I say "old" because, well, they done blown that shit up. Yup, the place where two of my main characters had an office is now dust. RIP Montgomery Ward Dearborn.

I also got to canvass around Dearborn Heights today which I'll do again a few more times before election day.

Lastly, Suzan's family and I went into Detroit to see a film. Before and after the film, Suzan and her sisters pointed out a myriad of local landmarks (the Fisher Building, Hitsville, U.S.A. (the home of Motown), the Fox Theatre, the new casinos and their geneses, the Wayne State University campus and the Detroit Institute of the Arts, to name a few). I'll see them again Friday night and hope to speak to a brother-in-law of Suzan's who used to work for Ford. Needless to say, I've been very fortunate to meet some good, informative people pretty quickly.

In other news, supposedly "book trailers" are all the rage as marketing tools. I kinda like the idea, though it also kind of defeats the purpose of a book (and being a writer) if you still have to sell your idea/work via a visual image/film. Regardless, I came up with about five different ideas for trailers last night. Buiser, if you're reading this, I'm gonna knock on your door, bro.

Learning on the fly

In the last six hours, I've learned the following about Dearborn:

1) The local public transportation system is, even by locals' standards, laughable. The bus stops give no indication of a schedule, a route or what buses stop there. Helpful!

2) No handshakes, please, we're Arab women. While volunteering in town, I met a young Arab woman who I greeted with my name and a hand to shake. In turn, she put her right hand over her heart and bowed slightly. That's how they roll. Now I know. (She then went back to business...putting some of her make-up on another volunteer)

3) I've also been fortunate enough to meet a very informative local who drove me around town pointing out good places to food shop and eat (she now lives in the Bay Area), discussing the history of the area (there's been not only white flight because of blacks, but because of Arabs) and who has helped me better understand how the Arab community has flourished here.

4) I also stopped into a local bakery where I'd like to work. My contact there wasn't in, but I picked up a slice of chocolate mousse cake, two petitfours and another chocolate treat for...$2.50! A delicious steal.

Last night I combined all chapters written so far into one document, standardized the names of my characters (I had changed my mind a few times on one, though she may undergo one more change) and will now go back to finishing up the final three chapters.

Tomorrow I look forward to canvassing through various parts of Dearborn and picking my friend's brain some more.

134 and counting

For shits and giggles, I just took a tally of total pages written for "Any Color You Want". I figured I was around, maybe, 110. Turns out, I'm at 134. This surpasses a 120 page novella I wrote a while back and, with 2-3 chapters left, bodes well for 150 by the end of the first rough draft. And this means the chances of me hitting 180 after editing are looking good.

Now, quantity isn't always quality, but in this case if I can hit 180, I'd like to think it's because I will have filled out the thin areas that currently exist.

Chapter 16 is on deck. I wrote out an outline tonight and will start it tomorrow. This is where all the rising action comes to a head. I feel good about this one and then the epilogue, it's the chapter in-between those two that needs more thought. If I can finish 16 before I make it to Dearborn on Monday, I'll be a pretty happy camper.

Last two, except for the other two

"So how's the book coming?" a co-worker asked me last night.

"Good. Got two chapters left."

"That's great!"

"Yeah," I admitted, "but I've been saying that for the last two chapters."

I am, no doubt, in the thick of it. All the plot lines are coming together like plaid. I now go into fictional huddles with my characters, or as a friend calls them, "my imaginary friends", to ask what everyone's gonna do in the next chapter. One guy who was integral early on has been on the sidelines lately. Just today I saw him on the bench and figured it was time to call his number again. I'm also getting to know my players better, by name not just number. Just gave one a tattoo! Rather proud of that.

I'm also antsy to finish this sloppy first draft so I can jump into editing and make this shit nice. So far, I've got most of the general stuff down, but lately my head's been flooded with details that I ought to incorporate; details that'll give it all more personality and pop. I've even found ways for characters in books I haven't even written yet to have bit parts in this one (and vice versa) which is an idea I like, especially after you've got to know these folks to the point where you actually want to see them again.

Michigan ho!

After numerous phone calls (with more to come) and inquiries, I've finally got substantive enough answers to move on. What am I talking about? I'm talking about a month-long sojourn in Dearborn during which time I'll volunteer on the Obama campaign (yes, I know McCain has withdrawn from MI, but there are few better ways to learn an area's geography and issues faster than campaign work) and, hopefully, do a stint at a local Arab bakery.

This is key as it allows me to be in the place where the story takes places when it takes place. I will also be living with a local and working with locals so I can get more local perspectives, get a feel for diction/accent and make the story truer where it needs to be.

I hope to leave October 20th at the earliest, November 1st at the latest with a return to NYC ahead of Thanksgiving.

Buckley, 11, Prologue, Readers...

So I ended up going to the luncheon with Christopher Buckley last week, but it turned out to be a much larger (and senior) event than I had expected so no chances to talk shop with him. That being said, I think the time I took to think of questions for him also helped produce possible answers which I've been able to use.

I've also made progress writing. I finished a draft of chapter eleven and added a prologue before the intro chapter. The prologue does a better job of laying out the book's big question/premise while also aligning the book's story with some of the later allusions to Eddie Murphy films. Work on chapter twelve has begun.

A number of people have also volunteered to read the book when finished, including a literary agent friend. This is good news and I look forward to their feedback.

I may also be writing short scripts for a comedy troupe that hopes to air their work on YouTube which would be fun.

Lastly, I hope to have some other good news to announce relatively soon. Just want to be 100% sure first.