-22: The Back Story

Home again.

Scooter’s in the garage, laundry is washed, cupboards have been restocked. I have a long list of deferral activities; in fact, I think it fair to say I exceed expectations when it comes to procrastination. But with all tasks successfully completed, the blank screen awaits. I love this moment. There is so much potential,  with no tangles to mar the perfection.

Well, that’s going to change.

First tangle: how do I get rid of Finn’s parents? The story is always stronger if my character has to sort things out for him or herself. I thought about divorce, but that’s too easy. I mean, as a device. Kill them off? Too cruel. Finn’s a smart kid, so maybe his parents are smart too. I’ll make them researchers. What do they research? This story is about a river, so one of them can be a river expert. Are there river scientists? What are they called?

I haven’t written a word yet and I’m already off track. All I need to do is get rid of his parents because they aren’t part of this story, but I’ve wasted a whole morning developing their research program. Did you know that a scientist who studies rivers is called a potamologist? In truth, it’s not a widely used term but it’s accurate, and it’s such a cool word that I have to use it. They’ll be researching a remote river (so it will make sense that Finn has to stay behind) but a scientifically important river. It’s truly amazing what Google can do with odd search terms. It turns out that the Yenisei River in the Russian Arctic fits the bill. It starts in Mongolia, empties into the Arctic Ocean, is difficult to get to, and is sparsely populated. Better still, it runs south to north like the Red River and thus suffers from annual ice jams and consequent flooding, also the same as the Red. Not that those details are important to the story but I like the symmetry.

I just found out that Canadian Colin Angus was a member of the first team to navigate the Yenisei’s entire length in 2001. Checking out his website. Switching to my library site to put a hold on his book. It’s for research, of course.

Focus, Penny.

The disposal of Finn’s parents is only necessary to set the stage, but it will be a good tool to introduce Finn’s personality. He’s telling the story, not me, so what’s he thinking when his parents tell him they’re dumping him with his grandmother while they go on an exciting adventure? Does he care? Does he take it well? Is he aggressive, abusive, a whiner? Scrivener wants me to list his character traits but that’s not how I work. It’s more like I feel him as a person. So I just write his dialogue and hope for the best.

I just ran my first attempt by my son, who rolled his eyes. “A little precocious, don’t you think?” he asked. Back to the drawing board to work for a little more edge. But overall, as a springboard, I think this back story will work. Too bad it’s only the back story. My whole day is gone.