This is mark Joseph “young” blog entry #515, on the subject of Verser Troubles.
With permission of Valdron Inc I have previously completed publishing my first ten Multiverser novels,
- Verse Three, Chapter One: The First Multiverser Novel,
- Old Verses New,
- For Better or Verse,
- Spy Verses,
- Garden of Versers,
- Versers Versus Versers,
- Re Verse All,
- In Verse Proportion,
- Con Verse Lea, and
- In Version, in collaboration with Eric R. Ashley,
in serialized form on the web (those links will take you to the table of contents for each book). Along with each book there was also a series of web log posts looking at the writing process, the decisions and choices that delivered the final product; those posts are indexed with the chapters in the tables of contents pages. Now as I am posting the eleventh, Con Version, again written in collaboration with Eric R. Ashley, I am again offering a set of “behind the writings” insights. This “behind the writings” look may contain spoilers because it sometimes talks about my expectations for the futures of the characters and stories–although it sometimes raises ideas that were never pursued, as being written partially concurrently with the story it sometimes discusses where I thought it was headed. You might want to read the referenced chapters before reading this look at them. Links below (the section headings) will take you to the specific individual chapters being discussed, and there are (or will soon be) links on those pages to bring you back hopefully to the same point here.
This is the eleventh post for this novel, covering chapters 121 through 132. Previous mark Joseph “young” behind-the-writings web log posts for this book include:
- #498: Characters Restart covering chapters 1 through 12;
- #501: Characters Orienting, covering chapters 13 through 24;
- #502: Verser Setbacks, chapters 25 through 36;
- #503: Versers Progress, chapters 37 through 48;
- #505: Versers Advance, chapters 49 through 60;
- #506: Characters Involved, chapters 61 through 72;
- #509: Character Challenges, chapters 73 through 84;
- #510: Versers Debate, chapters 85 through 96;
- #511: Characters Change, chapters 87 through 108; and
- #512: Versers Work, chapters 109 through 120.
There is also a section of the site, Multiverser Novel Support Pages, in which I have begun to place materials related to the novels beginning with character papers for the major characters, giving them at different stages as they move through the books. This is also the longest book to date, and has quite a few long chapters in it, so there will be quite a few of these background articles.
History of the series, including the reason it started, the origins of character names and details, and many of the ideas, are in earlier posts, and won’t be repeated here.
Quick links to discussions in this page:
Chapter 121 Cooper 39
Chapter 122 Takano 122
Chapter 123 Brown 326
Chapter 124, Cooper 40
Chapter 125, Takano 123
Chapter 126, Brown 327
Chapter 127, Cooper 41
Chapter 128, Brown 328
Chapter 129, Takano 124
Chapter 130, Cooper 42
Chapter 131, Brown 329
Chapter 132, Takano 125
A lot of disconnected details merged here. I had noted that Brian had no way to transport the sword without it showing, and suggested that a duffelbag would be the solution, but then forgot; however, I noticed that Brian s clothing selection was quite sparse and had nothing appropriate for 1950s office work. Also, Eric had earlier attempted to send Tommy clothes shopping, until I pointed out that she had purchased several period-appropriate outfits in the suburbia world and that chapter was redirected to laundry. So I suggested that Eric put together a shopping trip here, and gave him some tips on what people wore to the office in the 1950s.
The suggestions that Cooper wanted to acquire some camping gear. that he was worrying about depleting his money, and that he decided to go on patrol were Eric s. I made a side list of exactly what was purchased, along with prices, to get the total in the text.
I tackled this, trying to think of ideas that would make sense to researchers in the 1950s that Tommy and Brian could bring to the table.
Eric had made some suggestions concerning the direction for Derek s story, and before I managed to respond he had drafted most of this chapter. I was intending for there to be two things before anything else happened, one that Derek would share information about the vampires with the band, the other that there would be news that suggested a vampire attack. However, the rat attack was going to be the next step, so I wrote a new opening for the chapter and then went with what Eric had created.
Eric suggested that Cooper should join up with Tell and face a supervillain. I suggested Blue Ray, and they discussed his identity and powers. I then drafted this, bringing Tommy into it as well.
Eric had given a couple ideas for this fight, and I had tossed out a few more, and then returned after dinner to put it together.
Eric drafted this entry in which one of the Mardi Gras black tribes becomes integrated, joined by a group of liberal Whites calling themselves the Club of the Blind Men, and supported by the music of the Living Colors Dixieland Gospel Band.
I drafted this, realizing that we had done nothing about Cooper looking for a church, which is something that would matter to him. As I started I had forgotten the encounter at the bank and so was thinking Tommy had done better than he had, but it came back to mind so I included it. I also remembered the difficulties of the early days when banks closed at three and people got paid by check late on Thursday or sometimes Friday morning.
Stuck on what to do with Tommy, I changed the heading here to Brown. We had discussed the notion of Derek locating the mausoleum by aerial recon, and I decided to introduce it at this point.
I started this but was called away; Eric picked it up and finished it, but there were a lot of issues with amounts of money, 1950s pay rates and prices, so I did a bit of tweaking.
Eric wrote this, introducing a retired superhero and setting up a disaster. I decided that would be a good cliffhanger, but went back and backwrote what Cooper would have taken with him on the hike so that he would have the duffel with him.
I drafted this. I wanted it to take a while to find the mausoleum, but didn t want a lot of boring chapters about it.
I wasn t sure what to do with Tommy, so I did the mundane things. Eric expanded it to include the near death experience and the encounter with Robinette, and left it for me to resolve.
This has been the eleventh behind-the-writings look at Con Version. If there is interest and continued support from readers we will endeavor to continue with more behind-the-writings posts and another novel.
