I seem to have this thing for relocating stories lately.
Last week I took the beginning of a novel and relocated it from the northeast to the southwest. (Aside: even though NE and SW are diametrically opposed on the compass, they’re not as far apart geographically as one might expect. Country locations are interesting. Montreal is considered eastern Canada except to someone who lives in the eastern provinces but Chicago is midwest, even though by my calculations, the west doesn’t begin until about Minnesota.)
Yesterday I took a story originally set in Australia and uprooted it to New England. I thought it was going to be a more arduous task than it turned out. I needed a wine district—which I was surprised exists in New England—and scenic outlooks on mountainous highways—no lack of those either. I had to change the way the narrator thinks of certain groups of people, but otherwise that was that. I even left one of the main characters as Australian.
The story was originally written for (and accepted by) a Warren Zevon tribute anthology that folded before it got off the ground. Though I’ve left in a few traces of the Zevon inspiration (the title, for example, is Wake Me Up For Meals), I stripped out most of the elements that tied it to a song. The story’s been sitting on my hard drive for a couple of years. I liked the way it worked out, but didn’t know what to do with it after the antho failed. Then I found a market that it might suit, with a little bit of work. The relocation was one way of de-Zevonizing it. Rereading it now, after all that time, I’m pleased with how well it stood up. I trimmed about 200 words (out of 5000), but haven’t rewritten as much as I thought I’d have to.
Did anyone catch Peter Straub’s bit on One Life to Live yesterday? It was definitely more than a cameo. His one scene was split into about three segments, each with appropriate ominous music at the end as weighty, important information was revealed. Poppy Z. Brite noted that he acted a lot like Peter Straub, and I’d have to agree, but I consider that an accomplishment. He certainly didn’t embarrass himself. He was very natural and seemed at ease through most of it. He was a lot calmer than most of the other characters, that’s for sure.
Australia makes some pretty good wines. I’m bleary right and can’t name them, but wouldn’t that require they have wine districts, or at least wineries? Wes knows the name of those wine. I think they have the word “loon” in them. Agh. Must sleep.
There are numerous wine districts in Australia. Hunter Valley happens to be very near me here in Sydney, and has scenic outlooks on mountainous highways, as well. Y’know, you could’ve asked me. There’s a reason I packed up and moved half way around the world. {wicked grin}
My situation was the opposite. Part of the story was originally set in the Barossa wine district outside Adelaide and I had to find something comparable in New England. I was surprised to discover that there is actually winemaking and grape growing happening in Connecticut!
I’ve traveled the Barossa. Flabbergasted to see kangaroo roadkill!
I think, if you look, there are wineries in every U.S. state, though some aren’t as good as others. {G}
Living in the city, I don’t often see kangaroo, roadkill or not. Spiders, on the other hand… And birds. First time I saw a cockatoo, I thought someone’s pet had gotten out.
Wineries, yes, but I didn’t know grapes grew in all these places! One of the wineries in southeast Texas trucks in the grapes from somewhere out of state.
I did a fair amount of driving outside the cities when I was there. Dead kangaroos were sort of like deer in West Texas. Some of the critters in the rain forest up near Cairns were astonishing, too. Cassowaries, for example.
I don’t think I saw spiders, though. Did you read Yvonne Navarro’s entry about the bugs she bought in Thailand?
Yeah, I did. I’ve seen similar things here.
A while ago, I ate bugs for the first time, they were quite delicious, sweeter than you’d expect, and the meat came right out of the shell with a fork.
Of course, those bugs were related to lobsters, not cockroaches. {grin}
Hi Bev,
Tom/StevensSon/my_cocoon here, stopping by to say thanks for the brief chat at the DT.net today.
I would hope it is permissible to stop by and read/reply here at your LJ.
If not I would understand and un-friend at your request.
Thanks for the consideration.
Tom
Feel free to read me whenever and wherever you like!