It was a small county in southeastern North Carolina. It had been named Llanden County from the immigrant family that had settled there during the infancy of the United States. The settlers had grown cotton and tobacco for trade and lived on a lavish plantation. The history of the Llanden family could be called a short one, as after three generations the family had disappeared with the exception to two sisters. The town had lost it's luster, and consisted of nothing more than a general store and a livery. Two brothers named Bridges settled there and re-built the town and it's damaged pride. One of the Llanden sisters had married one of the Bridges men and that is how the Family Bridges was born. They built a cotton mill, a bank, restored the trade for cotton and tobacco and had grown more powerful through generations. The Llanden blood had lived on in another family ready to take and maintain it's legacy.
Kind of dramatic, huh?
I made that stuff up years ago, after I had finished my book 'Brothers' and set part of it in a small Southern town named Llandenboro. I thought that when I finished the book that it would be my only reference to the fictional town I conjured up...somewhat based on Bladenboro, N.C. Anyway, the thought of something bigger swept through my mind. A bigger story told with a variety of characters who inhabited the town. I also wanted to give the place a history, so that it could quite possibly sound like any town in the nation. I ended up spending time imagining an entire county. Doing that gave the story - simmering in my head - a bit more depth, I think. Granted I only had two places named: Llandenboro and Llanden City. Maybe I could go on and name other places within the county line. That, I think, will probably come in time if I get the opportunity to write about this town.
When the idea first came to me, I thought about the story being written through the eyes of a young black kid. But I gathered that the kid wouldn't be able to see nor hear everything, thus relying on gossip and heresy to move the plot along. I had remembered my story 'Encounters' and thought that I had already wrote a story written in the point of view of a young gay teenager. Though it was a weird sci-fi story, I wanted to try to give different points of view of the various characters moving through this world. Characters started to form in my head and stories about them started to come through them.
In the center of the story is the 4th generation of the Family Bridges, whose history held secrets, and their involvement with other families in the surrounding country areas. There would be the Daniels, a poor family whose past with the Bridges held a dark secret of love and tragedy. There would be included the Reynolds family, an African-American family whose patriach returns to his home town with a new wife and kids, one of whom is his step-son who is in the midst of accepting his sexuality.
Supporting characters were born, some of them who would have a story of their own, to give the action more of a populated feel.
I smile right now because of the soap opera feel I'm thinking might dominate a story of obsessive love, lust, secrets, rejection, friendship, forbidden love, power, regret, loss, mystery and kind of a murder.
(i just took my notes out)
Seems kind of gothic? I think so, although I'd like to steer clear of that atmosphere.
The question - I'm sure you're asking yourself - why don't I start to write this? First, it's still in development even after some years have passed. Second, I'm in the midst of other projects. Third, me and the story just are not ready yet.
When John Steinbeck wrote 'East of Eden' he said it was his big book; the book he'd been preparing for after years of writing. I believe this will be my big book. It is a passion, a goal...the treasure at the end of a rainbow.
As I flip through the spiral-bound notebook that holds my notes and cast of characters, I feel something inside of me gurgling. I wanted to write something tonight after a long day at work and after washing the dishes in the sink. I wanted to focus on something that would keep me writing - in my journals, my blog, my notebooks and even my computer. A poem started to form in the back of my mind earlier at work today. I took a few minutes of my day and jotted down a stanza in the composition book in my backpack.
Writing about 'Llandenboro' came to mind when I had a cigarette, thinking about another story. It has brought back a lot of memories, but also tickled an ambition to write more than just a few words here and there.
'Llandenboro' will absolutely be my big book. It is what I am preparing myself for.
Kind of dramatic, huh?
I made that stuff up years ago, after I had finished my book 'Brothers' and set part of it in a small Southern town named Llandenboro. I thought that when I finished the book that it would be my only reference to the fictional town I conjured up...somewhat based on Bladenboro, N.C. Anyway, the thought of something bigger swept through my mind. A bigger story told with a variety of characters who inhabited the town. I also wanted to give the place a history, so that it could quite possibly sound like any town in the nation. I ended up spending time imagining an entire county. Doing that gave the story - simmering in my head - a bit more depth, I think. Granted I only had two places named: Llandenboro and Llanden City. Maybe I could go on and name other places within the county line. That, I think, will probably come in time if I get the opportunity to write about this town.
When the idea first came to me, I thought about the story being written through the eyes of a young black kid. But I gathered that the kid wouldn't be able to see nor hear everything, thus relying on gossip and heresy to move the plot along. I had remembered my story 'Encounters' and thought that I had already wrote a story written in the point of view of a young gay teenager. Though it was a weird sci-fi story, I wanted to try to give different points of view of the various characters moving through this world. Characters started to form in my head and stories about them started to come through them.
In the center of the story is the 4th generation of the Family Bridges, whose history held secrets, and their involvement with other families in the surrounding country areas. There would be the Daniels, a poor family whose past with the Bridges held a dark secret of love and tragedy. There would be included the Reynolds family, an African-American family whose patriach returns to his home town with a new wife and kids, one of whom is his step-son who is in the midst of accepting his sexuality.
Supporting characters were born, some of them who would have a story of their own, to give the action more of a populated feel.
I smile right now because of the soap opera feel I'm thinking might dominate a story of obsessive love, lust, secrets, rejection, friendship, forbidden love, power, regret, loss, mystery and kind of a murder.
(i just took my notes out)
Seems kind of gothic? I think so, although I'd like to steer clear of that atmosphere.
The question - I'm sure you're asking yourself - why don't I start to write this? First, it's still in development even after some years have passed. Second, I'm in the midst of other projects. Third, me and the story just are not ready yet.
When John Steinbeck wrote 'East of Eden' he said it was his big book; the book he'd been preparing for after years of writing. I believe this will be my big book. It is a passion, a goal...the treasure at the end of a rainbow.
As I flip through the spiral-bound notebook that holds my notes and cast of characters, I feel something inside of me gurgling. I wanted to write something tonight after a long day at work and after washing the dishes in the sink. I wanted to focus on something that would keep me writing - in my journals, my blog, my notebooks and even my computer. A poem started to form in the back of my mind earlier at work today. I took a few minutes of my day and jotted down a stanza in the composition book in my backpack.
Writing about 'Llandenboro' came to mind when I had a cigarette, thinking about another story. It has brought back a lot of memories, but also tickled an ambition to write more than just a few words here and there.
'Llandenboro' will absolutely be my big book. It is what I am preparing myself for.
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