Okay, continuing with that brainstorming about Denny. I'm going to copy it over here so I can continue.
Q: What is the important thing to think about w.r.t. Denny, in addition to the main plot points?
A: His subplot.
Q: Which is?
A: His wife Marianne has just left him, he's started using junk again, and he has to decide what to do next. Because he is indomitably wealthy, it's not a matter of how to survive financially, only emotionally and physically.
Q: How will going back on heroin affect him?
A: It won't, in the short run -- i.e. for the purposes of the book.
Q: So do we have to talk about it?
A: Only in passing, perhaps as we take leave of Denny for the last time.
Q: So the main thing to think about is what?
A: His emotional state with his wife leaving him.
Q: But that's affected by...?
A: His emotional state is affected, i.e. muted, by going back on junk. So we'll have to acknowledge that.
Q: Then what's the main thing?
A: As I've said before: he's searching for meaning in his life -- more so now, since he's lost two relationships -- and for some sort of redemption.
Q: How does he express this search for meaning and redemption?
A: He already expressed it partly by getting involved with Marianne and trying to kick for her. By trying to do that relationship better, he was in some way trying to atone for his relationship with Marinka.
Q: Note the similarity in names.
A: True. I never quite noticed before how similar the names are.
Q: Anyway, sum up.
A: He tries redemption with Marianne. Doesn't work out. Now searching again for meaning and redemption.
Q: Is the wi-fi thing really a strong enough impulse?
A: No, not at all. Needs something else.
Q: What will that something else be like?
A: Has to be something he can do with his existing resources. Could be a relationship. Could be something he's doing with his money.
Q: Contrast with Bart.
A: Bart is already on the boards of non-profits and stuff.
Q: Why isn't Denny?
A: He probably is -- I can include that. But it should be something a little more daft and impractical and not as community-oriented as what Bart does. Like the Long Now Foundation.
Q: Perfect.
A: It does something "for the future" that's totally impractical. And in addition let's invent some artistic thing that's similar. He's on the board of a foundation that supports a single middle-aged artist whose project is an earthwork artist whose project is deep underground in a remote desert location -- the height (or nadir) of inaccessibility.
Q: Beautiful.
A: I could link this in "Knock Yourself Out" too -- that artist could be a character in that book!
Q: OK, OK. Focus. This is presumably stuff that Denny has been doing for the last while. What's he doing in addition, now?
A: Well, the wi-fi thing. That's his new thing.
Q: How does Dreedle reflect or match that?
A: It's the dark side of his redemption-through-investing-in-the-right-things strategy. In fact, I can have him considering various applications from "green technology" firms too.
Q: What does this say that you haven't mentioned?
A: That people are always coming to him for money.
Q: Should put that in now.
A: Right... OK, I put that in.
Q: Why are we thinking about Denny right now anyway?
A: Because he's one of the most interesting characters and his subplot is the most substantial, we're trying to figure out what plot points in that subplot need to be developed, and how they fit into the themes of the book. And because his ultimate decision about whether or not to give money to Don, or to support the wi-fi thing, has directly to do with Hap. That decision has to be well prepared for.
Q: OK, so what's next?
A: I did have done idea, to launch directly into another story by Greg. I think it would recharge the book's energy. I think it sort of needs it at the moment.
Q: What about another idea -- develop this thing that Denny's into in the desert.
A: Hmm, have Denny tell a story about being in the desert in support of this artist character? Some kind of erotic encounter down there?
Q: Reminds me of what?
A: The unfinished story set in the desert with all the converging story lines.
Q: Does that really help?
A: Probably not... I might mention one or two of the settings. I can mention the crater and the Marine Base maybe... Just the setting. Not characters.
Q: What do you want to show about Denny at this point?
A: There's this point -- 4. Denny again speaks to Hap, holding out the possibility of an alternative that isn't so morally objectionable. It doesn't involve the possibility of riches, but it does involve Denny buying Hap's building and letting him stay there. -- and I need to link this to an emotional place that Denny is in.
Q: So you should do what?
A: Have Denny come to Hap instead of the other way around.
Q: What happens?
A: Denny talks to Hap on the porch again. For some reason the porch is Denny's territory.
Q: But...?
A: But I can't have Denny straightforwardly offer the whole arrangement to Hap, because then it's too simple for Hap to just take it. Denny has to approach things obscurely. (In fact -- work that more into his character.) And hap has to be somewhat confused about what Denny is really offering. Don't draw this out too much, though. We already had Don draw out the whole Dreedle thing somewhat. (Of necessity, however, because of its complexity, and to create a sense of mystery.)
Q: What is the important thing to think about w.r.t. Denny, in addition to the main plot points?
A: His subplot.
Q: Which is?
A: His wife Marianne has just left him, he's started using junk again, and he has to decide what to do next. Because he is indomitably wealthy, it's not a matter of how to survive financially, only emotionally and physically.
Q: How will going back on heroin affect him?
A: It won't, in the short run -- i.e. for the purposes of the book.
Q: So do we have to talk about it?
A: Only in passing, perhaps as we take leave of Denny for the last time.
Q: So the main thing to think about is what?
A: His emotional state with his wife leaving him.
Q: But that's affected by...?
A: His emotional state is affected, i.e. muted, by going back on junk. So we'll have to acknowledge that.
Q: Then what's the main thing?
A: As I've said before: he's searching for meaning in his life -- more so now, since he's lost two relationships -- and for some sort of redemption.
Q: How does he express this search for meaning and redemption?
A: He already expressed it partly by getting involved with Marianne and trying to kick for her. By trying to do that relationship better, he was in some way trying to atone for his relationship with Marinka.
Q: Note the similarity in names.
A: True. I never quite noticed before how similar the names are.
Q: Anyway, sum up.
A: He tries redemption with Marianne. Doesn't work out. Now searching again for meaning and redemption.
Q: Is the wi-fi thing really a strong enough impulse?
A: No, not at all. Needs something else.
Q: What will that something else be like?
A: Has to be something he can do with his existing resources. Could be a relationship. Could be something he's doing with his money.
Q: Contrast with Bart.
A: Bart is already on the boards of non-profits and stuff.
Q: Why isn't Denny?
A: He probably is -- I can include that. But it should be something a little more daft and impractical and not as community-oriented as what Bart does. Like the Long Now Foundation.
Q: Perfect.
A: It does something "for the future" that's totally impractical. And in addition let's invent some artistic thing that's similar. He's on the board of a foundation that supports a single middle-aged artist whose project is an earthwork artist whose project is deep underground in a remote desert location -- the height (or nadir) of inaccessibility.
Q: Beautiful.
A: I could link this in "Knock Yourself Out" too -- that artist could be a character in that book!
Q: OK, OK. Focus. This is presumably stuff that Denny has been doing for the last while. What's he doing in addition, now?
A: Well, the wi-fi thing. That's his new thing.
Q: How does Dreedle reflect or match that?
A: It's the dark side of his redemption-through-investing-in-the-right-things strategy. In fact, I can have him considering various applications from "green technology" firms too.
Q: What does this say that you haven't mentioned?
A: That people are always coming to him for money.
Q: Should put that in now.
A: Right... OK, I put that in.
Q: Why are we thinking about Denny right now anyway?
A: Because he's one of the most interesting characters and his subplot is the most substantial, we're trying to figure out what plot points in that subplot need to be developed, and how they fit into the themes of the book. And because his ultimate decision about whether or not to give money to Don, or to support the wi-fi thing, has directly to do with Hap. That decision has to be well prepared for.
Q: OK, so what's next?
A: I did have done idea, to launch directly into another story by Greg. I think it would recharge the book's energy. I think it sort of needs it at the moment.
Q: What about another idea -- develop this thing that Denny's into in the desert.
A: Hmm, have Denny tell a story about being in the desert in support of this artist character? Some kind of erotic encounter down there?
Q: Reminds me of what?
A: The unfinished story set in the desert with all the converging story lines.
Q: Does that really help?
A: Probably not... I might mention one or two of the settings. I can mention the crater and the Marine Base maybe... Just the setting. Not characters.
Q: What do you want to show about Denny at this point?
A: There's this point -- 4. Denny again speaks to Hap, holding out the possibility of an alternative that isn't so morally objectionable. It doesn't involve the possibility of riches, but it does involve Denny buying Hap's building and letting him stay there. -- and I need to link this to an emotional place that Denny is in.
Q: So you should do what?
A: Have Denny come to Hap instead of the other way around.
Q: What happens?
A: Denny talks to Hap on the porch again. For some reason the porch is Denny's territory.
Q: But...?
A: But I can't have Denny straightforwardly offer the whole arrangement to Hap, because then it's too simple for Hap to just take it. Denny has to approach things obscurely. (In fact -- work that more into his character.) And hap has to be somewhat confused about what Denny is really offering. Don't draw this out too much, though. We already had Don draw out the whole Dreedle thing somewhat. (Of necessity, however, because of its complexity, and to create a sense of mystery.)
