Back in June, Katherine Tomlinson invited me to be a part of a charity anthology that she was putting together. The theme was to tell a story about the night before the end of the world. How it's ending was up to the author which left the genres wide open. Of course, I said yes. And then the doubts and fears set in.
My first idea was to write about vampires or immortals. I mean they're still going to be alive when the world ends. What are they going to do on that night? Do they spend the time figuring out a way to die or save the world? But the more I played with the idea, the less it appealed to me.
About this time I noticed the picture on my calendar of a sunset world shimmering in a purple haze. The purple reminded me of Jimi Hendricks' song "Purple Haze". The lyrics suited an end of the world theme especially, "You've got me blowin, blowin my mind. Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?"
So now I've got a teaser of an idea. Back to the picture. There's mountains and a lake and a rock that looks like a turtle. Hmmm. Turtles? Yeah my fantasy brain kicked in and hey those turtles could fly. Of course now I needed a few enemies to fight and The Doors song "Riders on the Storm" beckoned. "There's a killer on the road - His brain is squirmin' like a toad [...] If ya give this man a ride - Sweet memory will die". Okay, I'm on a roll? Maybe. One more song. "American Pie" by Don Mclean. Perfect end of the world song.
Dozens of pages of notes. Song lyrics bouncing around in my head. Half a million false starts. A missed deadline. A firm kick in the butt. A "Once upon a time" beginning and the story was down on the page. Tons of editing and rewriting. And "The Memory Keeper" was finally done.
The character of Marie is based on my Aunt Marie who has always been the "magic lady" in my life.
You'll find the story in "Nightfalls: Notes From the End of the World"
And not just my story, you'll find work by Patti Abbott, Thomas Pluck, Barb Goffman, Kaye George, and Chris Rhatigan to name just a few of the twenty-seven authors who are included in this anthology.
10 comments:
I found it hard to write mine. For a long time, I started earlier than I did eventually. It felt like I needed to spell out why things went kaput. And then I realized I didn't need to do that. I am a real novice in this genre.
Ladies--I loved both your stories. @Sandra, your story made me weep. I have known people who have lost their memories and their personalities to dementia and I loved the fight that went on here. @Patti--I could see a novel in your story--a world in a grain of sand. I loved that you pushed the boundaries to deliver a story that was that strong.
Proud to be there with you Sandra. Strangely, my story I wrote in one or two sittings with literally no planning at all.
I think that's one of the hardest things about writing sci-fi/fantasy, Patti. You have this great urge to tell the story instead of show.
Thanks, Katherine!! I'm looking forward to reading Patti's story. Well, actually, all the stories! :)
Likewise, Chris!! I love when stories just come like that. I have a problem with over-thinking the story sometimes instead of just letting go.
I was so honored and excited when Katherine asked me to submit to this anthology, too. Coming up with the story idea was tricky. I write about crime. But when the world is about to end, a lot of crimes are ruled out. Robbery. Nope. Money doesn't matter anymore. Ultimately, I decided to focus on love and self-respect. In the end, that's really all you have.
I had those same ideas, Barb!
I'm not the only person who found inspiration in music for this one then? My original idea was just someone who kept hearing songs that kind of predicted the end of the world, but then I remembered that Gaiman had done something similar in an early Sandman ("Have you ever had the feeling that something is trying to tell you someone?"). In the end, my idea made the writing easier, as it was easy to split into self contained sections. I look forward to reading all of the entries (and my girlfriend's response to the last caller...)
Welcome to the Corner dabnorfish!! I rarely use music but it just seemed to fit this story. I look forward to reading yours.
They just played "Quark, Strangeness and Charm" on the radio, which is one of the songs in my story... It's a sign
They also played 'Love Like Blood' on Friday. It's definite. Start hoarding tinned food (I'd love to get hold of a gas mask, stick it in a shopping trolley and wander round a supermarket putting non-perishable foods in with it)
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