First Deadmonton story to start January 31, 2018
It’s a funny thing, writing; you can rigidly steer the tale through in-depth outlining, have a vague notion of where it’s going and see what comes of it, or a varying degree of the two.
I’ve tried writing both ways in the past; strick outline or vague notion. I’ve come to prefer the latter and is the style I chose for the first Deadmonton story, as I enjoy the surprise of an unexpected turn of events. Seems odd that the writer can be caught off guard by where a story heads, but it happens. The danger in that is getting lost and finding the tale dies out. But, when it all comes together, it is an exciting moment and the story is usually stronger because of it.
When writing the first Deadmonton story for the website–intended to be, Sometimes You Die–I had the title, a basic outline in my head and how it would end. About 40% of that survived the writing process. Even the title has changed.
Inside Civil Defence Bunker Edmonton – image copyright Canadian Civil Defence Museum And Archives
Illusion of Life to be first Deadmonton story
Which brings me to the point of this post. Sometimes You Die has been retitled to, The Illusion of Life. It still begins at the Civil Defence bunker and resides in the neighborhood of Crestwood, located in the Mackenzie Ravine. However, the main characters have gained about 35 years, and the reasons for leaving the bunker, along with the decisions made at the end were as much a surprise to me as I believe they will be to the reader.
Image work and maps are now being completed, and the 1st chapter–there are 7–will be published on January 31st, with each successive chapter published every third day.
Follow Deadmonton on Facebook or Twitter to get a reminder when each chapter is uploaded to the site.
I hope you’ll enjoy the story.