Allen Steadham's Blog: From Allen - Write Away! - Posts Tagged "mindfire"
Making a Mindfire Prequel
A few weeks ago, I wanted to make a new Christian fiction short story. I had no idea that my efforts would blossom into inspiration for a full novel — and a Mindfire prequel at that!
Here's what happened: I reached out to a friend and we brainstormed for a bit one day. I brought three ideas to the figurative table:
1. This could be a completely new tale with new characters and environment;
2. This could be a story somehow related to Mindfire; or
3. This could be a story somehow related to the Jordan of Algoran series.
My friend recommended it be related to one of my previous books and we proceeded from there. For Mindfire, it seemed natural to do a tale with Steve and Sue Hamilton, Leia's father and adoptive mother. And for the Jordan of Algoran Series, there's a space in the second book, Jordan's Arrow, that's ripe for untold tales.
My intuition told me to go with the Mindfire-related story with Steve and Sue. I thought it would be good to write something that complimented the events in Mindfire without entirely depending on that book. Then I thought "what if we saw Steve and Sue's last adventure together as the superheroes Crusader and The Cat?" And what if it was a time travel story? That led to determining where to send them, further into the past or way into the future? Since sending them to the future ran the risk of running into spoiler territory, I decided it needed to be the past.
But when? My friend suggested World War I. It was a neat idea, but I was concerned because of another superhero story that was set in that era in a popular movie. On the other hand, I believed the 1920s and 1930s had lots of potential for storytelling. We narrowed it down to the 1930s, the era of the Great Depression. It was enough for me to work with and start building plot ideas!
Mindfire is set between 2013 and 2014. It also established that the AR-MEN superhero team were active for a short time between approximately 1990 and 1993. Crusader was one of the founders of The AR-MEN and The Cat joined later.
I created The AR-MEN as a homemade comic book series back in 1980. I wrote, drew and hand-lettered it regularly from 1980 until 2000, with a final issue in 2006. All of the superhero and supervillain characters in Mindfire were originally part of the comic book.
For the prequel novel, I didn't want to use the whole superhero team. I wanted to narrow in on Crusader and The Cat. I hoped to show their story before they married and left being superheroes behind (to become Christians and raise their family in peace). I also wanted to put them in a situation (time travel) where their superpowers would not be as as useful.
I've already outlined the whole book and I know its ending, and am about 10,000 words into writing it. It is called Unto Dust: A Mindfire Prequel.
The title is based on Genesis 3:19 (King James Version):
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Here's what happened: I reached out to a friend and we brainstormed for a bit one day. I brought three ideas to the figurative table:
1. This could be a completely new tale with new characters and environment;
2. This could be a story somehow related to Mindfire; or
3. This could be a story somehow related to the Jordan of Algoran series.
My friend recommended it be related to one of my previous books and we proceeded from there. For Mindfire, it seemed natural to do a tale with Steve and Sue Hamilton, Leia's father and adoptive mother. And for the Jordan of Algoran Series, there's a space in the second book, Jordan's Arrow, that's ripe for untold tales.
My intuition told me to go with the Mindfire-related story with Steve and Sue. I thought it would be good to write something that complimented the events in Mindfire without entirely depending on that book. Then I thought "what if we saw Steve and Sue's last adventure together as the superheroes Crusader and The Cat?" And what if it was a time travel story? That led to determining where to send them, further into the past or way into the future? Since sending them to the future ran the risk of running into spoiler territory, I decided it needed to be the past.
But when? My friend suggested World War I. It was a neat idea, but I was concerned because of another superhero story that was set in that era in a popular movie. On the other hand, I believed the 1920s and 1930s had lots of potential for storytelling. We narrowed it down to the 1930s, the era of the Great Depression. It was enough for me to work with and start building plot ideas!
Mindfire is set between 2013 and 2014. It also established that the AR-MEN superhero team were active for a short time between approximately 1990 and 1993. Crusader was one of the founders of The AR-MEN and The Cat joined later.
I created The AR-MEN as a homemade comic book series back in 1980. I wrote, drew and hand-lettered it regularly from 1980 until 2000, with a final issue in 2006. All of the superhero and supervillain characters in Mindfire were originally part of the comic book.
For the prequel novel, I didn't want to use the whole superhero team. I wanted to narrow in on Crusader and The Cat. I hoped to show their story before they married and left being superheroes behind (to become Christians and raise their family in peace). I also wanted to put them in a situation (time travel) where their superpowers would not be as as useful.
I've already outlined the whole book and I know its ending, and am about 10,000 words into writing it. It is called Unto Dust: A Mindfire Prequel.
The title is based on Genesis 3:19 (King James Version):
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
An Excerpt From Unto Dust (A Mindfire Prequel)
I’m going to share a small excerpt from my current work-in-progress Unto Dust (A Mindfire Prequel). This story starts off in 1992, twenty-one years before the events in Mindfire. This excerpt features Sue Sanchez, who is 19, a model, and a superhero known as The Cat.
*Excerpt begins*
As she drove off, Sue cranked up the air conditioner in her brand-new sports car, a white Mazda Miata MX-5 coupe. The CD-player began playing in the middle of “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey. Sue cranked the volume and sped up a little, signaling before she changed lanes.
She sang the lyrics and slowly bopped her shoulders from side to side as she proceeded into her neighborhood. She eased alongside the curb in front of the house she lived in. She rented half of the duplex, and her side was a small two-bedroom. Sue had grown tired of apartment life, preferring this cozy area of town that had clearly been constructed in the 1970s. The houses were all made with red brick and quaint siding, accented by big windows. She loved it. It reminded her of the house she grew up in with her sisters. And Papá.
Sue smiled as she got out of her car, remembering how she used to run outside to meet her father when he got home from work. He would pick her up and put her on his shoulders, ducking to keep her safe as he entered the house. She knew it made her sisters Sandra and Leticia very jealous, but it was her special time with Papá.
She unlocked her door and turned on the lamp to her left as she entered. A familiar beeping noise let her know to check her answering machine atop the kitchen counter. The sleek black box with black-and-red digital display showed she had four messages waiting. She quickly pressed the review button.
BEEEEP!
“Hey Sue, this is Margaret. I have an update about the magazine shoot next Tuesday. I’m sorry but they canceled. They’re looking for fifteen- to eighteen-year-old girls, it’s not personal.”
“They canceled because I just turned nineteen,” Sue said derisively, looking with contempt at the answering machine as if it were the fashion liaison for Visual Sports magazine. “How can that not be personal?”
*Excerpt ends*
This is still in draft form and could change between now and publication. Still, it gives you a glimpse and I hope you enjoyed it.
*Excerpt begins*
As she drove off, Sue cranked up the air conditioner in her brand-new sports car, a white Mazda Miata MX-5 coupe. The CD-player began playing in the middle of “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey. Sue cranked the volume and sped up a little, signaling before she changed lanes.
She sang the lyrics and slowly bopped her shoulders from side to side as she proceeded into her neighborhood. She eased alongside the curb in front of the house she lived in. She rented half of the duplex, and her side was a small two-bedroom. Sue had grown tired of apartment life, preferring this cozy area of town that had clearly been constructed in the 1970s. The houses were all made with red brick and quaint siding, accented by big windows. She loved it. It reminded her of the house she grew up in with her sisters. And Papá.
Sue smiled as she got out of her car, remembering how she used to run outside to meet her father when he got home from work. He would pick her up and put her on his shoulders, ducking to keep her safe as he entered the house. She knew it made her sisters Sandra and Leticia very jealous, but it was her special time with Papá.
She unlocked her door and turned on the lamp to her left as she entered. A familiar beeping noise let her know to check her answering machine atop the kitchen counter. The sleek black box with black-and-red digital display showed she had four messages waiting. She quickly pressed the review button.
BEEEEP!
“Hey Sue, this is Margaret. I have an update about the magazine shoot next Tuesday. I’m sorry but they canceled. They’re looking for fifteen- to eighteen-year-old girls, it’s not personal.”
“They canceled because I just turned nineteen,” Sue said derisively, looking with contempt at the answering machine as if it were the fashion liaison for Visual Sports magazine. “How can that not be personal?”
*Excerpt ends*
This is still in draft form and could change between now and publication. Still, it gives you a glimpse and I hope you enjoyed it.
Excerpt #2 From Unto Dust (A Mindfire Prequel)
This excerpt is from Unto Dust (A Mindfire Prequel), my current work-in-progress. The scene features Steve Hamilton (Crusader, the co-leader of the AR-MEN superhero team) and his then-girlfriend, Angela Merrick. It is set in 1992 in Digby, California. This is 21 years before the events in Mindfire.
NOTE: There might be changes to this scene by the time the book is published, due to the editing process. But this will give you a good first look.
*Excerpt begins*
“You really want to break up with me?” she had said, sitting with her torso turned to him in the passenger seat of this car. She had looked at him with hurt in her emerald-green eyes as she folded her arms across her waist line.
“It’s not that I want to break up with you, Angela,” Steve had replied. “I just think that it’s best. You know what almost happened today. You could have been killed.”
Though it was a fine Spring day outside, within the parked car, their storm was raging. It was as if they were in a separate space from the world around them.
“You protected me,” she had countered. “Isn’t that what matters?”
“Angela, Togarr is a barbarian that I take seriously. He’s from another dimension and he’s a killer. Clever, strong, and experienced. When he had you, with one arm wrapped around your waist and his axe blade an inch from your throat, I was terrified for you. If I didn’t have super speed, I wouldn’t have been able to fly in, disarm, and K.O. him. You would have died.”
She had looked down, as though reliving that moment. “I know,” she replied softly.
“The fact is, I protected you this time. I might not always be able to do that,” he had added. “And what if one of the AR-MEN’s enemies learned you’re my — Crusader’s — girlfriend?”
Angela had lifted her head and made sharp eye contact with him again. “This is because I don’t have powers like you,” she had interjected bitterly.
Steve had sighed and hung his head. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”
She had looked down, balled her hands into fists, and cursed under her breath. Then she locked eyes with his, sadness and fury warring within.
“We have something good, Steve! We’ve been building this relationship. I know it hasn’t been that long, but I want a life together with you,” she began. “I may not have a suit of armor like John or fox powers like Dana, but I’m intelligent and resourceful. Most of the time, I can take care of myself very well. I can stay out of sight or get out of the way when you go into action. I can learn how to use a gun.”
Even though her eyes were misty, and her face was reddening from stress and anger, she conveyed a confidence that surprised Steve. He shook his head. “Please, don’t buy a gun. That could just as easily be used on you.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “This is more important anyway: I understand you. I can be there for you and give you a perspective you need.”
What she was saying had made sense to him. He knew she was right, and he wanted what she wanted. But over the next several seconds, his responsibilities and fears lashed against his hopes until he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Don’t you get it?!” he roared, venting his frustration. “None of that matters if they hunt you down and —” He had stopped himself from going further, but he knew he’d already said too much.
Angela was visibly stunned, but only briefly. “None of that matters,” she repeated numbly. She closed her eyes and he could see her own tension build until it erupted. “I can’t believe this! You want to throw away what we have and kick me out because of the chance that something might happen to me?!” she raged, her voice filled with resentment.
Steve looked at the dashboard, then downward at the car door next to him. He could look anywhere but at Angela. Every time he did, he saw that her face was brimming with frustration and disappointment. And that made him regret doing this, despite how firm he was in his decision.
“Do I really mean that little to you?” she said in a near-whisper. He had heard the tears in her voice, and it tore into him. He held his breath and tensed up.
He had turned his head to face her, starting to reach over to offer some kind of comfort. But before he could speak, she had opened the car door and stepped out.
“Fine. I’ll go get my things and pack them into my car. Don’t even think about helping me,” she had said, standing next to the car with the door still open. She paused a moment, then poked her head into the car with daggers in her eyes. “Oh, and you can keep the bed.”
After that, she slammed the car door and walked away furiously.
*Excerpt ends*
NOTE: There might be changes to this scene by the time the book is published, due to the editing process. But this will give you a good first look.
*Excerpt begins*
“You really want to break up with me?” she had said, sitting with her torso turned to him in the passenger seat of this car. She had looked at him with hurt in her emerald-green eyes as she folded her arms across her waist line.
“It’s not that I want to break up with you, Angela,” Steve had replied. “I just think that it’s best. You know what almost happened today. You could have been killed.”
Though it was a fine Spring day outside, within the parked car, their storm was raging. It was as if they were in a separate space from the world around them.
“You protected me,” she had countered. “Isn’t that what matters?”
“Angela, Togarr is a barbarian that I take seriously. He’s from another dimension and he’s a killer. Clever, strong, and experienced. When he had you, with one arm wrapped around your waist and his axe blade an inch from your throat, I was terrified for you. If I didn’t have super speed, I wouldn’t have been able to fly in, disarm, and K.O. him. You would have died.”
She had looked down, as though reliving that moment. “I know,” she replied softly.
“The fact is, I protected you this time. I might not always be able to do that,” he had added. “And what if one of the AR-MEN’s enemies learned you’re my — Crusader’s — girlfriend?”
Angela had lifted her head and made sharp eye contact with him again. “This is because I don’t have powers like you,” she had interjected bitterly.
Steve had sighed and hung his head. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”
She had looked down, balled her hands into fists, and cursed under her breath. Then she locked eyes with his, sadness and fury warring within.
“We have something good, Steve! We’ve been building this relationship. I know it hasn’t been that long, but I want a life together with you,” she began. “I may not have a suit of armor like John or fox powers like Dana, but I’m intelligent and resourceful. Most of the time, I can take care of myself very well. I can stay out of sight or get out of the way when you go into action. I can learn how to use a gun.”
Even though her eyes were misty, and her face was reddening from stress and anger, she conveyed a confidence that surprised Steve. He shook his head. “Please, don’t buy a gun. That could just as easily be used on you.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “This is more important anyway: I understand you. I can be there for you and give you a perspective you need.”
What she was saying had made sense to him. He knew she was right, and he wanted what she wanted. But over the next several seconds, his responsibilities and fears lashed against his hopes until he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Don’t you get it?!” he roared, venting his frustration. “None of that matters if they hunt you down and —” He had stopped himself from going further, but he knew he’d already said too much.
Angela was visibly stunned, but only briefly. “None of that matters,” she repeated numbly. She closed her eyes and he could see her own tension build until it erupted. “I can’t believe this! You want to throw away what we have and kick me out because of the chance that something might happen to me?!” she raged, her voice filled with resentment.
Steve looked at the dashboard, then downward at the car door next to him. He could look anywhere but at Angela. Every time he did, he saw that her face was brimming with frustration and disappointment. And that made him regret doing this, despite how firm he was in his decision.
“Do I really mean that little to you?” she said in a near-whisper. He had heard the tears in her voice, and it tore into him. He held his breath and tensed up.
He had turned his head to face her, starting to reach over to offer some kind of comfort. But before he could speak, she had opened the car door and stepped out.
“Fine. I’ll go get my things and pack them into my car. Don’t even think about helping me,” she had said, standing next to the car with the door still open. She paused a moment, then poked her head into the car with daggers in her eyes. “Oh, and you can keep the bed.”
After that, she slammed the car door and walked away furiously.
*Excerpt ends*
From Allen - Write Away!
Musings about writing, my books, the times we live in, and upcoming events by Allen Steadham.
- Allen Steadham's profile
- 73 followers
