As some of you know, there are some changes at Cobalt going on and we are not a company but, a group now. We have been asked to blog about some of the changes going on here. I can say it is a positive change, we have new spaces, less pressure and Cobalt has gotten back to writing roots. Everything we produce is just better and a community effort There is some office sharing and I have to go out to buy lunch or bring it in but, it's all good.
I have always loved my job and the people I work for so overall I am happy. Things are going quite nicely.
United Light 2
First of all there was a lot more troping in UL than I realized.
Juliana's hairstyle with her scarf is modeled after this, I'm not sure which actress this is :
Chapter 5(I tried to make it long for you but, these chapters are just shorter than the ones in the original UL)
In making the playlist I just realized I reused some songs again.
-1- Sooner Surrender by Matt Nathanson
-2- Just Give It Time by Jon Mclaughlin ( #5 on the playlist)
-3- Shadow of the Day by Boyce Avenue
-4- In the End (Piano) by Linkin Park (#16 on the playlist)
One thing that became apparent to me when I started this was how what I will call the 'domestic abuse' situation between Caine and Juliana was. I realized this had been glossed over when it would have been a traumatic experience. For the longest time, I knew the details of what Caine did but, I never wrote them out for a variety of reasons (one of the smallest being I didn't want to write Caine caned her).
Unfortunatley the whole situation is based slightly on this news story. I have read it but, I did not actually watch the video so I don't know exactly how it goes. It shows that even calling someone stupid is verbal abuse, if done enough.
So, for a little while I was on a soap box.
Music
On that note, I am one of the ignorant people who hear Face Down by Jump Suit apparatus and I never listened to the words to understand it was about domestic violence. There are actually quite a lot of songs about domestic violence I considered using but, this one was the most tame.
Another little in-joke is that Sawyer really likes rap music which is why I picked a rap song (had to find a clean one) for the last chapter. He is listening to rap music in chapter 1 and that has always been apart of the character.
Chapter 4
I had another one of those times when I finished a chapter was ready to add the flourished and finishing touches when it got deleted and I had no idea where it went. So, I had to start over with the skeleton (which I had saved elsewhere). It happens atleast once so I move on.
I really thought this would be longer but it's still longer than the last one. One day I will write a 9,000 word chapter again.
I think these songs do some justice but, TBH I have been having issues coming up with music. I love "C.S Lewis Song" and "My Skin" so I try other things by the artist but usually hate them. Anyway, I want to create some variety in styles so it's not all the same but I went back to some default artist with this one.
Metafiction I have never really been sure which category UL fits in if it were a book. I suppose it is YA literature but, it is also a little bit chicklit as well and I wanted it to be a bit thriller-ish.
One thing I have realized is UL is falls into metafiction as well. Mostly because of my changing POVs and the fact that I wrote RGGS. I will admit there are some continuity errors I am going to fix, these mostly come from chapter 1-2 as being written months before the whole thing. It is little things like in the original Sawyer has a degree in hospitality managment and originally Cain tries to get Juliana pregnant instead of Reiter.
Another tiny meta-aspect is that the frat Cortland belongs to name is from an English Honor Fraternity. I never got around to mentioning that.
Surrealism
There is a bit of non-sequiter in the last chapter and it has to do with Rhett and Juliana at the bakery. Juliana does a variation of the American sign language for 'fuck' and 'adultery' and Rhett understands what she is saying. I originally wanted her to do some other gestures instead but, I stuck with this. I made this like this on purpose to show how good their communication is that he can tell what she is saying by her face. In that scene Cortland acts as a foil to that.
Also, thank you all for not killing me for writing out Darling as dahlin'. I use a southern dialect site when I write Rhett's dialouge and I didn't think I'd get the same affect if I wrote it normally. I have often debated writing his 'can'as 'cain' too.
Time for some blogging and overuse of titles and subtitles and links. Once again I have no idea what is going on with my font size. The Characters
Juliana's Speech Impairment
I know there are a few writers among my readers (after all you can all be writers!) and so maybe you all understand me when I say sometimes I don't know everything about my characters. Sometimes the characters have to tell me something. This is what happened with Juliana's speech impairment. I knew what I wanted the plot of this sequel to be the minute I finished part 1 and her muteness was not part of it.
I had made Juliana not speak at the end of UL1 a sign of purity but, then someone pointed out to me that she still doesn't talk in Rhett's oneshot (which was unintentional). When I read that comment that's when it hit me why she didn't have any written lines. She didn't have any because she couldn't talk.
However reading back in UL, Juliana is a character does not string together more than 10 words at a time until about chapter 10.
Deleted Scene
For the longest time the scene where Juliana throws up at the post office was a scene where she is at the grocery store. She gets up and the cereal is stale so she goes to the grocery store where her card (which is an EBT debit card but, it's not stated) and the card won't work and she can't ask for help and the people think she is rude. The whole point was to show that she can't talk even when she needs help. Someone commented that she depends on her Dad a lot but, if I had kept that scene it would have shown he depends on her as well.
Rhett Clark Move over Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers !
For the longest time I could not think of who Rhett was based off of until I did some digging and he is honestly inspired the most by Lucas Black who was in a couple of really sweet Disney movies before he started street racing in Tokyo and being an Angel.
Here he is in Flash (such a sweet little film, but it is so sad . . . they don't make them like this anymore). I like the beginnning of this domestic scene. The rest of the clip is a bit heartwrenching.
When he was actually 18 (like Rhett) he was in Disney's Hellen Keller. He shows up at 2:45. This is another sweet film and the little girl is the most adorable child I have ever seen in my entire life. Although I will warn the movie is a little heartbreaking, it makes me sad too.
Speaking of accents here is another interesting video I found entertaining
Tessa Mitchell
Tessa is based on Lesley Ann Warren, I was very surprised to learn Warren is actually 63 but, still.
The Setting Asylum Hill
To this day I have no idea how they ended up in CT but, I did some research to pick a place to better visualize where the Reese's live. The only reason I picked Asylum Hill was beacuse that is where Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain's homes/museums are. The little writer geek in me. Links
Polyvore I have figured out Polyvore (still trying to figure Tumblr) and messed around with it some for this and Rose Garlands.
It has Juliana's outfits. I wanted her to look a little mismatched and that it is obvious she is hiding something.
It's funny, I have never been this ahead in a story brainstorming wise I am really making sure I don't reveal much in this blogging. I do have so much (maybe to much ) to say. Except you may hate on me for one detail in this chapter. Chapter 2 Playlist
Part 1 -- Just Give It Time by Jon Mclaughlin
Part 2-- Falling for you by Ronnie Day & Miss Invisible by Marie Digby
Blogger hates me today so excuse the off formatting if it happens when I post.
What's Next ?
I have to applaud my dear friend Linda on Litany Lane it was amazing what she can do in another genre. It has inspired me to write something in a new genre and it's one of my long term goals. While I know what the genre is I want to try I will have to do some more reading before I get started on it.As you will see in my next few topics I have been surfing tvtropes and if I do write something it will have tons of plot devices and other tropes I want to try.
The Name Game
I actually did a lot of research on sequels before I got started on what to name the UL sequel. While some say people respond to names better than number (think Casino Royale vs. James Bond 22) some say people like the numbers in the title (Shrek the Third) and others say you need to do both (Star Trek II : Wrath of Kahn). And I completely agree the naming should not be asinine ( Fast and Furious is a sequel to The Fast and The Furious).In the end I have decided to simply go with United Light II as the formal name but, it is really just more United Light. If a second name comes along I may add it but, for now I think simply United Light or United Light II is fine.
United Light 2
I was surprised by how inspired I was by something and I have just been banging out more UL and it has been pretty fun. I forget how addicting and fun writing can be, I've really loved doing it. I could never remember why I kept saying I would never stop writing United Light and now I know why. Because it is so fun !
United Lite
Before I wrote UL2 I did the unthinkable and re-read the entire United Light (it is so long !) so, I could get to know my characters again. It really inspired me and will help with the continuity. So before I can present UL2 I went back and made a United Lite which is some of the quotes from each chapter that I think can help sum up the plot :
I was alone and scared but, I knew Sawyer understood, he was my husband after all. Even though I only met him last week at the altar.Chapter 1
“He was trying to get me pregnant.” I said. For some reason I was feeling bold and forgot Elisa was in the room.
“He was trying to rape you," Elisa respondedchapter2
"He created this world, the United Light through money and lots of it. He gets most of it through bribes and intimidation and he inhabits his world with people like our parents. One thing he is used to is always getting his way and when he doesn’t or when people piss him off he gets rid of them.”
“No one pissed him off,” Elisa noted
“You did,” he said, “ You tried to kill him.”Chapter3
Caine responded, “Here is the offer I will put out for you, you can buy her freedom and your own from me for 500,00 dollars. I get the money, you are free to leave your life as you please chapter5
“Oh, you may be here for the wedding,” Cecelia exclaimed, touching my hand lightly.
“Who’s getting married?,” I asked
“Oh, me.”
She must have taken in my ‘what the hell ’ face. Chapter6
“I have always put everyone else--put others before myself, even in college.” Sawyer said, “But, I’d be lying if I said I never did anything stupid, just for myself.”
He was confusing me and I’m sure it showed in my face.
“Never mind, . . .the point is I am going into the city to find some work that is easy money . . . I used to bar back and I know somebody at this new club and I’ll make tips that’s instant money.” chapter7
Did he lose his hand ? Was it a prosthetic ? I was to afraid to look but, I figured he wanted me to so I moved the blanket.
What I saw was much worse.
He was handcuffed to the bed. Chapter8
“What do those women at your club do to make so much money ?,” I asked
“Are you being funny ?” Sid asked
“No but, I really need money.”
“You don’t look it,”
I had nothing to say.
“I’d love to hire you but my partners are kind of picky, I mean you have a look but, we can’t pick some random girl, not that you’re random.”chapter9
He held out his hand and I was standing up, I followed him on the floor, in the back, not moving, not even touching.
“I don’t dance with the enemy” I said.
“You followed me, Elisa”
“You have information I want.”chapter10
“What’s going on ?’
“I am so sorry, honey” Sawyer said
“What is going on ? “ I repeatedchapter11
“We will figure something out, you are a good man. “ Elisa said,” Good men are not ruined in a day or month.”
I sat with her listening to her breathing.
“Tell me more,” she said
“I think that’s everything,” I told her
“No. Tell me more poetry.”
I let my mind go back to what I had spent so much time reading over and over again.
“ I do not love you except because I love you-“chapter12
“Juliana, I love you, “ I told her, “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. I will be there for you as long as you need me.”
It was the truth. chapter13
His features were oddly aligned, his cheekbones were overly prominent and his eyes were a shade of brown so bright there was no way he could be seeing the world the same way I did, he reminded me of the pictures of soldiers in history books.chapter14
“I wish I could take you home with me,” Cortland said as I wiped the little bit of tears that were forming on my eyes.
I laughed a little and as soon as I looked up to tell him it was okay I felt his lips on mine for a second and then they were gone. chapter15
I looked at the rose and turned it around in my hand, it seemed different.
“I took the thorns out so, it wouldn’t hurt you.” chapter16
Elisa was right, I was innocent until proven guilty.
But, I had already proven to myself I was guilty. chapter 17
Something was different about Sawyer it wasn’t until I was sitting in the cab that I realized what it was.
His burns had healed a long time ago
And now he was aware of it too.chapter 18
I just stood frozen a few feet from them
“Juliana, what are you doing here ?” My mother asked.
“What did you do to you hair ?”My father demanded, referencing my brighter shade.
“Where is Mr. Milller ?”my mother asked
They both looked angry at me.
But why should they be ? chapter 19
As he got closer to me I sensed he was carrying more weapons than I could see. I didn't recognize him as someone I had seen on the commune and in place of where there would have been a name tag there was the number 153.chapter 20
It seemed like sleep had given up on me.
I soon found compliance easier. chapter 21
“But, that mark is an tribute to his delusion,” Rhett continued “You aren’t his. You are clearly still your own person,”chapter22
"No, Rhett you're the idiot," I told him," Do you know why Caine made the commune smaller ? Why he is always going on trips ? Why he is trying to keep everyone silent ? It' because United Light has no money and Caine is struggling to try and not let it fall from underneath him. I mean what do you think Caine is going to do when he has to pay you ? He won't give you anything, because you know you are just a disposable number to him." "You think I'm going to believe that ?" Rhett responded. "It's the truth, I can't make you believe it,"chapter 23
“There ain’t no room for fear,” Rhett saidchapter 24
I had come to Florida expecting to fall in love and I had, but he hadn’t. That was the biggest weight on me of all. chapter 25
So," Rhett said as we headed for the entrance, "Are you okay ? What have you been up to ?"
My first intention when I decided to write a Rhett oneshot was for it to be about his homecoming and for it to be a very short story. It was originally just going to be something like the first part when Rhett was talking to Cody but, some how it became a lot more memoir-like than I anticipated. I will say that writing that has really gotten me thinking about my characters and I really have learned more about them.
UL Sequel
It is still un named but, I am trying a new path with this and attempting to outline the entire thing but, that is proving to be a challenge. I do have some idea on what I want the plot to be. I have been trying to base much of the plot on actual stories but, that is getting harder to do.
And if you think there are loose ends in these short stories these stories do extend to the overall UL sequel plot.
Also another side note I have decided that UL takes place in 2003. Now, I know that messes with a few small things like Cortland having an iPhone and all but, it was the only way Rhett's dad could have died in Desert Storm and Rhett be 18 plus, it goes with a song I may use later.
Rose Garlands and Golden Stars
In case you haven't figured out the title for this series of short stories come from the literal translation of the names Rosencrantz and Gildenstern (sp?) They are two minor characters in the Shakespeare play Hamlet who have gone on to appear in a lot of their own works. I thought it was a nice title because all these oneshots are a chance to give the minor characters in United Light their own story.
