Sunday, February 17, 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors 2-17-13

Street Glass is my novel-in-progress. My tagline: Underprivileged Latino 18-yr-old leaves street gang and befriends white, over-privileged musicians.

While some of the plot is subject to change (draft two is a pretty early draft, after all) the basic elements will stay, as will the character "voices". So these excerpts will still give you a good idea of how the plot plays out and what the characters are like. Note: There is swearing in English and Spanish! The year is 1986, in Los Angeles, California.

I'm collecting all the snippets here so you can easily see what's going on.

Razor's taken a beating from his gang leader. Razor reflects on his miserable life stuck in the barrio (neighborhood); his friend Chino tries to convince him that he has everything he needs but Razor shouts I hate you! at the barrio. I'm skipping the part where Razor drives to an alley on the edge of gang territory, looking for some unsuspecting person to take his frustrations out on. While waiting, his 13-year-old pal Luis happens by. Razor's uncomfortable with Luis wearing the same kind of hoodie that the gang wears. When he notices Luis has gotten an earring, Razor says Luis' mom Rosa won't be happy about it. We pick up in Razor's point of view.

“Aw Ray, I wanted one like yours, an’ I want a snake tat like yours, too.”

Razor clenched his teeth. “Don’t copy me, Louie. Don’t make Rosa bury you.”

Luis ducked his head then punched Razor’s arm. “She won’t let me do nothin’ . . . sometimes I wish she’d, y’know, go away.”

Ah, that was maybe the worst thing he could say. “I’m livin’ that wish — do I look happy?”

For more excerpts from a wide and wonderful variety of stories, visit Weekend Writing Warriors. We have fun blog hopping all over the world, and we hope you'll come along!

Thanks for visiting my blog today. Comments gratefully accepted :-D

19 comments:

  1. The interaction between this pair if very organic. Great job!

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  2. Sure hope Razor can dissuade Louie from living the sad life he does. This is a great story Marcia and am looking forward to the next instalment.

    Rock on! (We're going to see The Who on Tues. :-) Enjoy Bon Jovi next week.)

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    1. That's the issue isn't it, how to stop that carousel of unhappiness. Nice to "see" you.

      The Who! Loved the Quadrophenia movie. I know you'll have a blast. I don't get to many shows nowadays so I'll make the most of Bon Jovi. I had Melissa Etheridge tix but they moved the show to Erie PA & I couldn't get there :(

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    2. It's definitely a vicious circle and your portrayal of the characters is so authentic! Great story.

      Yes, we're very excited. The Who was great on the Hurricane Sandy telecast, as was Bon Jovi. Hope you have a wonderful time, also. How nasty to change the venue of a concert on you! :-(

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  3. Well he certainly doesn't read as happy so I can't imagine he looks that way. You've done a great job of revealing his frustration and anger.

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    1. Nice of you to stop by Kate. Thanks for your comment.

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  4. Authentic, and sincere, love it! Sometimes when writers let their charcters act in certain specific settings, it feels just like a backdrop. Never here, never with you. Impressive! :)

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    1. Hey Dana :) I like this part of the story too. It's a later addition but I think it works pretty well.

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  5. Oooo... here's hoping that Razor can keep Luis from following in his footsteps.

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    1. Luis is kind of growing on me. At first he was just a handy device but I'm getting a real personality from him. 'preciate you coming by.

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  6. This is a tough reality. I hope Razor can prevent Louis from going down that road...great 8.

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    1. It sure is tough. As easy as it is to start that cycle, it's darn hard to break. Thanks.

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  7. This really shows Razor's soul. The complexities of his personality shine through in snippets like these. :-) Excellent job, Marcia! :-)

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    1. woohoo! Thanks hon. I'm always impressed with how easily he lets me into his head. Wish that happened with all the characters!

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  8. Good job conveying Razor's concern in those few sentences. I like the voice too. Well done.

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    1. Ah, that's what I like to hear. Thanks so much. :D

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