Mad Max: Fury Road
So it’s kind of like that, but not. This is going to be rather tough to explain since I only have a handful of notes. Hoping to organize them today and see if I can make a full story out of it. This came to my mind as I was biking and wanted to write a story about a serial killer, but you can’t do that very easily. So I thought of a way to make one a ‘good guy’. That’s where the female lead came into play and the landscape became an anarchy United States.
To explain the pieces of the setting, I need to first say that the reasons for this doesn’t matter since the characters aren’t involved in reviving the past. It’s about survival. The rest of the world has blockaded the USA for a reason that nobody knows and DC was nuked soon after the borders were closed. Big companies of the world still do underground trading, so various items can be found for a price. That price isn’t money any more, but swapping goods. Some odd stuff too. For example, a trader with kids in some areas might give food or clothes for arcade tokens because one is around and they want to make their children smile. It’s all about finding out what a person wants or needs to get what you want or need. Also about getting through the country because every State has turned into its own territory.
Road Warrior
And getting through is the big thing. The female lead is going to be a woman in New York who has a locket with her mom’s ashes inside. She wants to release them off the Golden Gate Bridge, which is the dying wish. Good with a gun and smart, she still needs some muscle and breaks a few criminals out of Riker’s Island. The place has become a pretty nasty place to keep the worst of the worst out of a crumbling society. Well, she gets a few baddies, but the male lead decides he doesn’t want the competition and kills the other 2-3 when their savior’s back is turned. There’s going to be humor here. For example, she’s going to make a fake bomb to put on his ankle, but the serial killer calls her bluff and says that they aren’t in that kind of story.
Yes, I will be using the crazy serial killer to do a little 4th wall breaking. Not too often, but a joke here or there. Like when they run into a British woman who is trying to turn a city into a ‘civilized’ place and is angry about being trapped in the US. I can’t write accents, so she won’t talk with one on paper. The crazy guy is going to point out ‘the author can’t write accents’. I want to end every one with the other characters staring at him and his response being ‘What?’. Think a combination of Deadpool and Carnage from Marvel comics.
Mad Max: Fury Road (How awesome was this guy?)
A big part of this story is about how the two heroes deal with the new landscape and how they change. That requires events and creating the different regions. Also figuring out their vehicle (thinking a jeep), weapons (her guns and him ‘stuff’), and plotting the route. I think I have the third as them simply going down I-80, which means I have about 11 States to factor in. An adventure at every stop with violence, some cursing, and colorful characters. I have a civil war in Pennsylvania, a psycho woman that kidnaps the serial killer, bandits, and a few other ideas. Need to have someone chasing them and I’m thinking of an assassin that comes out of the radioactive spots. The character is in constant pain, so he/she/it works for medication that can ease their suffering and prolong their life. There’s an old story of mine that he this landscape before, so I’m hunting for those notes.
This is going to be another tough one since it steps out of fantasy. No magic and monsters, but cars and guns here. My knowledge of those two things aren’t very good. This is a project that I want to simply have fun with and will start in mid-August. Not as heavy as Raven’s Hold or as short as Ichabod Brooks. Not even close to the scale of Legends of Windemere. Just fun and those don’t seem to sell as well as the big one for some reason. Then again, I don’t care. Need to figure out a title and what genre/categories this story would be. Left out a bunch since I’m not sure of a lot. So I hope people like the initial concept.
Wow! I love the concept, even if I already know that the end product will probably leave half of these ideas behind 🙂
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Not sure about that. Been pondering this stuff for a few weeks. This is what stuck. The details are probably going to change though.
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In that case, I was just speaking for myself – I seldom plan that far ahead 😀
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I’m a big planner. Think it was born from only having time to outline, so it’s my comfort zone. I don’t know how detailed I’ll be with the prep work here. Maybe just a list of events, character quirks, a few 4th wall jokes I have, and other stuff I can’t afford to forget.
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It sounds like post-apocalyptic fiction (genre wise). I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun writing this story! Will it be a full novel? A novella? Short story?
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Might be somewhere between a full novel and novella. Looking at 13-15 chapters going by events. I’m leery about calling it post-apocalyptic though. Seems strange calling a story that when the rest of the world is fine.
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It’s post-apocalyptic for the U.S, because you mentioned that DC was nuked and the rest of the country has changed drastically. Some event had to have triggered the nuking. So for the citizens of the U.S., the setting is post-apocalyptic.
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Maybe. Just such an odd term at times.
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Amazing Pic!!!!
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It was a fun movie.
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What a mind of photographer !!!………A man standing on the roof of truck with arrow-bow…… great
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I was surprised when the character actually got involved in events. Thought he was only a visual thing.
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are you also a part this shot?
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Nope. Just in the audience at the theater. 🙂
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That sounds fantastic and… you were biking when you came up with the idea! LOVE IT! 😀
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It happens. Probably more often than I realize.
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I like the concept. I would get a bigger vehicle than a Jeep so a number of “temporary” riders can go along. I think a GMC Yukon Denali from the old days would be perfect. (maybe one from the NY Museum of Automobiles. I made this up)
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I was actually thinking of not doing any temp riders like in the original idea. The personalities of the mains are making it hard to play well with others. I also wondered about speed. There’s a big chase scene and I couldn’t see the big vehicles do well there. Unless I misunderstand the Yukon.
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There are classic car shows all over the place.
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I think it sounds fun. You’ve put some thought into it too, and I hope it works out well.
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Thanks. I think it’s the cars, guns, and geography stuff that has me worried. I’ll have to use some time to pick real cities along I-80.
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I know a lot about realistic guns. Not into assault type stuff, but if I can field a question or two, drop me a line.
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Thanks. Part of me wonders if it’s ‘smarter’ to avoid doing any specifics like bullet size and gun model. The plan is for the female lead to have a bunch of firearms in the car, but stick to a common pistol for the most part. The male lead is a bigger fan of blades, blunt objects, and whatever he can get his hands on. Not sure how that’s going to work when I get right down to it.
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Either way works. Sounds like a fun project, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
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It’ll be more relaxing and fun than the paranormal thriller. I really need to stop picking on that one though. 🙂
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When do you think you’ll write this?
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Might start writing it in August after I edit a few books. Can’t start anything until after the July 4th weekend. Kid is home and we’re going to Buffalo for 4 days.
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This rocks! Sounds likes it’s really starting to gel in your head. Time to start writing. 🙂
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Can’t dive into it until mid-August. Next week and July are very event heavy. So I’d have to take constant breaks. Gives me time to do more research, I guess.
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