100 things, writing, plot problems

[jana_denardo]

{Take the 100 Things challenge!}


I’m not even numbering this since I’m sure it’s a blog idea I’ll be repeating often. I mean, how often do plots go as predicted. The current problem is (besides having three other ideas knocking in my head for attention) my vampires in Vegas story.

Other than needing a title (which it desperately does), I’m not sure where the plot goes from here. I’m adapting this from a series of short stories I wrote in the early 90’s. Most of that stuff isn’t tremendously useful (and one has already been published with Dreamspinner, Crisis in Faith) since it’s so old.

Originally, Arrigo drinks from Luc (back when it was still set in New Orleans but since that is beyond cliché I’ve moved them to Vegas which hopefully isn’t quite as bad) once, finds him attractive, Eleni, the villainess of the piece, sees it, misconstrues it as something its not and thinks Arrigo is in love with Luc and turns the boy into her fledgling before abandoning him to die in the sun. Arrigo rescues Luc end of story.

There was another story that I think was totally lost because I remember someone in my writers’ group telling me how to write it more convincingly as gay (he being gay) and me thinking but Luc isn’t gay. I have no idea where that story is. For that matter, as it turned out Luc is every bit as bisexual as Arrigo which he told me when I looked these stories over again a few years back and I sent in Crisis in Faith. Be that as it may, that simple plot worked for a short story. I needed more to be a novel (or at least novella).

I know that I wanted more of a relationship between the two men before Luc gets it. I know Arrigo goes down on Luc once before the young man is turned. I know that Luc was raised by a vicious father and his brother is every bit as bigoted and cruel. I know that Luc was caught with a young man once back in Louisiana before Katerina, just kissing but enough that he nearly got beaten to death by his father. Luc is uneducated and feels Arrigo is his superior in pretty much every way.

The story is turning out to be as much about Luc’s acceptance of his bisexuality, the shedding of past bigotry and learning to stand on his own two feet, as much as it is about Eleni’s insane centuries long need for revenge. Arrigo has a group of supernatural peace keepers on his side, the only one of which that existed was Siobhan (I had started a novel with her, Arrigo and Luc years ago as well but I’m not sure any of that still exists).

So it sounds like I have a half decent handle on my story. True but there is more than that. Where I’m stuck is, how far does Luc and Arrigo’s relationship go before he becomes a vampire? I’ve already written the blow job. I think that Luc learns to reciprocate oral sex before he’s turned. What I’m trying to figure out, is do they go further before Luc is attacked or not? I’m not sure that it matters but I need to figure it out soon. (I also have to figure out what other acts of maliciousness Eleni does before and after she screws over Luc.)
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Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what to tell you. :D

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

that is of no help. go read the scene.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Didn't I? :D

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

yes i suppose you did