Decided to look at history of today and saw this at the top of the first page. For those who don’t know, Alcatraz was an island maximum security prison used from 1934-1963. It’s near San Francisco and surrounded by cold water with strong currents. It was called ‘The Rock’ and considered inescapable. Although, 3 prisoners used plaster heads in their cots and got out through holes in the wall, but nobody is sure if they made it or drowned in the water. The fate of John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris is considered an Alcatraz mystery. Currently, the place is a museum.
So, who were some of the famous inmates?
Arthur R. Barker for conspiracy to kidnap. He tried to escape and was shot by the guards.
Al Capone who had been continuing to run his empire from previous jails.
Alvin Karpis who was a ‘Public Enemy #1’ and in jail for 10 murders and 6 kidnappings.
Machine Gun Kelly for robberies and murders.
Harvey Bailey who was one of the biggest bank robbers of the 1920’s.
Robert Stroud a.k.a. the Birdman of Alcatraz who wrote ornithology books.
Those who weren’t killed by guards trying to escape, killed by other inmates, or died for other reasons would be sent to other institutions after some time. This is because inmates were sent to Alcatraz if they were misbehaving and causing too much trouble for less structured prisons. For example, Al Capone was given special treatment and still involved in criminal activity while in jail. So, he was sent to Alcatraz where he couldn’t do that any more and was treated like every other prisoner. This place seems to have been designed to get the inmates to adhere to a strict system and almost rehabilitate them. Some to the point where they could leave jail.
Here are some odd facts:
Alcatraz being a harsh, merciless place was a myth. The strict schedule and segregation meant everyone got their own cell. This reduced violence.
Inmates could have hot showers. Supposedly this also meant that their bodies would be more susceptible to the cold water if they tried to swim away.
Good food was provided as three meals a day. Similar to the showers, this may have been done under the theory that lazy, fat inmates won’t be able to escape.
In the 1930’s, prisoners couldn’t talk to each other outside of meals and recreation periods. Doing so resulted in whatever military punishment is and revoking of being able to speak.
Softball was a popular sport for the inmates.
Many inmates worked on the island for 5-12 cents an hour.
Al Capone played banjo in the prison band?
The saltwater from the ocean caused a lot of corrosion on the structures, which was expensive to repair.
Due to the one man per cell, food, library, jobs, and showers, some inmates requested to be sent to Alcatraz.
Even though Alcatraz had death row inmates, it did not hold executions. Those inmates were sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary when it was time.
Robert Stroud, Birdman of Alcatraz, was not allowed to keep birds in his cell. He did that in Leavenworth before he was transferred.
I’m writing this Friday night while we get another taste of Hurricane Debby. That or this is her and everything else throughout the week was her entourage. The rain did somewhat stop the heatwave, but it’s still muggy and gross. I might be annoyed because of two incidents with one being scary and the other being sigh-inducing. Guess the second is comical as long as you’re not me.
On Tuesday, we got a massive downpour and the timing couldn’t be worse. I was the end of day bus matron, so I couldn’t get home before it hit. Thankfully, most of our kids got home before it got really bad, but it hit hard when I was dropped off at my car. Decided it was smarter to go to my son’s camp and wait for pick up time instead of going home and then driving back into the storm. I was closer after all. Saw the parkways were a mess, so I had to take side streets. Made sure to avoid the ones that I knew were bad, but I didn’t realize the far end of one was in terrible shape. With no way to turn around, I had to drive through a severely flooded road with a really slow person in front of me. The guy kept hitting his breaks as if he was going to park and go fishing, which freaked me out. We finally got out and I prayed my car could keep going, which it did. Thankfully, the rain stopped when it was time to get my son, but it started up again soon after we got home.
Oh yeah, we went to the mall for Pokemon Go and dinner on Tuesday. Heard an announcement 15 minutes in that things were closing up for the weather. It wasn’t storming, but we saw it on the horizon while we drove home. Had to stop at Wendy’s for dinner and discovered that EVERYONE was ordering Doordash. Took us 30 minutes to get our order when we were in person and it was pouring by the time we got out. They screwed up my order too. It seems even you choose the two junior hamburgers at Wendy’s they still make cheeseburgers. I salvaged one, but the other had the works and looked so bad that I lost my appetite.
Anyway, the second (now third) incident was at our trip to the Queens Zoo. The weather report said light rain, but we had no rain when we arrived. Now, this zoo is a circle with the entrance/exit at one end and the restrooms/outdoor eating area on the other. We reached the eating area and some kids ordered food. The light rain started, but quickly became harder rain. Most of our kids had ponchos and the tables had umbrellas, but it still was messy. Did our best before it was time to call it quits and head for the exit, which meant hurrying through the rest of the zoo. Let’s just say there was a little bit of miscommunication among our ranks and I ended up alone at the wrong of the zoo from everyone else. So, everyone got to rest on the bus while I trudged my way back there. I will say that it’s better for a teacher to be missing than a student, so I’ll take that as a win.
A picture and video from the trip though:
First time I ever saw the Mountain Lion right there
Nothing else to really rave about. My son had a bunch of appointments, which made Pokemon Go and typing in edits difficult. I still got some of both done, so this weekend could see me finish Darwin & the Avenging Elf. I’m still going to wait until I get back from Oswego before I tackle Darwin & the Demon Game. Means I have less to carry and I really should do some notebook work. Need to figure out what to do about food on that trip too. Mostly, I wonder if I should buy a little from the grocery store up there or bring everything from home. Curious to see what kinds of seltzer they have, but I should get a container of rocket apples for a healthy treat. Lunch and dinner will probably be fast food since I don’t want to spend tons of money.
Speaking of the trip, I’m still kind of nervous. Thought it was only about the long drive there and back, but there’s something else. Can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s because I’m going to the place I went to college and have so many memories. There’s still a barrage of nostalgia, which triggers both creativity and makes me wonder about decisions made during that time. Some great and terrible events happened up there, so memories bubble up to the surface. Could be that two days doesn’t feel like enough as well as going up alone instead of sharing the experience with someone. Being that I met my ex-wife there and the previous 2 returns were with my son, this would be the first time I’ve gone up to Oswego alone since I started my second semester in January of 1999. We’ll see how the whole thing goes, but I’m definitely fixated a bit.
This coming week is the last one for summer school and camp. That means, I’m going to be busy until the weekend, but I’m going to squeeze in whatever edits remain. Can’t think of anything too strenuous this week. It’s the one after where I have my son and there are 4 appointments that it’ll be crazy. Trying to squeeze in fun stuff when there are so many other things going on is tough, but I think I carved out two day trips for us. Not going to share those publicly until they’re locked in. Let’s get to the goals:
Finish summer school.
Cook penne with vodka sauce tomorrow night.
Catch Shadow Lugia in Pokemon Go.
Finish the hand edits of Darwin & the Avenging Elf. Probably should be higher on the list.
Continue working on Bard-dur Lego set to relax.
Tinker with ‘Phi Beta Files’. I’m at another naming stage, so I get weird looks when I pull out the baby name book. Need a new one of those though.
Protag 1– Okay, we’ve agreed to go on this adventure together.
Protag 2– We did?
P1– I mean, I assume we did since we’ve been traveling togethar all this time.
P2– Fought a lot of monsters and solved a lot of puzzles together. Keep using the word ‘together’ too. Guess we’re partners.
P1– Let’s not go that far. Clearly, one of us has to be the main hero.
P2– Why should it be you?
P1– Because my name has turned into ‘P1’ and you’re ‘P2’. Everyone knows that can stand for Players 1 and 2. Second Players are always sidekicks.
P2– Only if you can’t choose your character. Besides, this isn’t a video game, so your logic doesn’t work.
P1– Then what are we?
P2– The term is dual protagonists, which means we share the spotlight. We’ve been doing that all this time.
P1– I’ve had more attention. Remember that I tricked the guild leader into giving us the key to the safe.
P2– And I was the one who distracted the other thieves while you used that key. You would have failed without me.
P1– Distractions are for sidekicks.
P2– What about when I killed the dragon blocking the road? You were the one keeping him busy while I prepared my spell.
P1– I . . . You see . . . I solved the griffin’s riddle.
P2– I solved the witch’s puzzle.
P1– Our enemy killed my father and I demand revenge.
P2– Our enemy stole my sister’s soul, so I want it back.
P1– Will it be a problem if I kill him?
P2– Not unless doing so will destroy or lose my sister’s soul.
P1– Okay . . . Guess we’re partners until we can’t work together anymore.
P2– Deal. Now, who’s this third guy?
Protagonist 3– I’m a third protagonist who might join in later with his own goals and throw off your established dynamic. Probably be teetering on sidekick and only kept afloat due to my popularity.
Outside of buddy comedies, you don’t see a lot of dual protagonists that are truly even. A lot of times, you see one fall to the background at some point in the adventure. This is because it’s really hard to juggle two characters on the same level, especially if you aren’t working with a long series. An author might be able to redirect at some point, but lasting damage can be made. So, what are some ways to make sure you don’t have the adventure slip to a single protagonist?
Make it clear from the beginning or even the blurb that this is a story with two protagonists. If you don’t, readers will immediately latch onto one and think that’s the main character. They might get annoyed when the other hero gets attention because they won’t realize the situation. It becomes really tough when you have to introduce your protagonists separately. The first one introduced tends to be seen as the main hero if you aren’t clear about your intentions.
Each of your protagonists needs their own goal. They might share a common goal that unites them, but they have another plot that is all their own. These goals also won’t immediatley trip over each other. For example, they might be going after the same enemy for different reasons. One wants to reclaim a stolen item while the other wants revenge. Both goals are unique to each hero and they don’t have a high risk of interfering with each other.
In terms of pacing and page time, try to give the protagonists as close to equal as possible without harming the story. It might not be a constant back-and-forth, but keep an eye out for when you have spent too much time with one. Then, jump back to the other for a time. By the end of the adventure, the audience must feel like the dual protagonists shared the spotlight instead of one getting more attention than the other, so hopping might be necessary.
If you find that one hero is taking up most of the adventure, you might have to resort to tension and jealousy. While protagonists don’t realize they are main characters in a story, they can note when they are being left behind. Part of this is becuase dual protagonists tend to have an agreement to help each other in their individual goals. It might not be said, but it is there. So, one seeing that the other is making headway while they are not can allow you to use jealousy to redirect the story for a bit.
When you feel like they are stepping on each others toes, you can have the protagonists split up for a time. Maybe they need time apart to pursue leads. It can also be a forced separation by the villain. This allows you to jump between them and have them grow as individuals. Otherwise, you might have them turn into the same type of character because they are always doing stuff together.
Dual protagonists of opposite genders don’t have to become lovers . . . That’s it.
Always try to keep the core of the characters’ skill sets unique. They might both be great warriors, but maybe one is an archer and the other uses a spear. If they are matched in combat, one could be stealthy and the other intimidating. Both of them need to bring something unique to the table and keep that as their own to retain their individuality.
There were two versions of Savagery when I was outlining. One had the big villain showing up once per book before it being 18-19 chapters of brutal battling. The other was what I used instead, which turned into a deviation from Clyde’s usual adventures. Overall, I can never really tell how I did with this book.
This is the book where Clyde was meant to feel true fear and face an enemy he couldn’t easily brutalize into an early grave. Alastyre was a terrifying monster who was once human and determined to destroy all of the Dawn Fangs since Clyde nearly killed him in Loyalty. Created by Desirae and meant to be a toy, but he broke his bonds and has been lurking in the shadows until now. So, he ends up beating Clyde and taking over Nytefall where he casually beheads the rest of the cast when bored until our hero can return from his training. The training is on a magical island used by vampires of the past where he must face a series of trials and his only allies are a corpse-eating pixie and good old Lost.
Savagery was originally going to be closer to a Kaiju movie. Clyde and Alastyre would be doing their thing while events were going on until they clashed in the finale. I fell out of love with the idea when I realized it would only let me give them a single fight where Clyde would have to win. Giving them an initial encounter that Clyde loses meant I could finally give him a solo development arc. He was growing a bit, but his story was about how he didn’t want to lose control, which was hindering him for good reason. Now, I gave him a quest and a final enemy who he could unleash his full monstrous power on.
This had to be one of the hardest books to write in the series. It jumped around three stories, which were Alastyre on Nytefall with his prisoners, Mab trying to save them without getting caught, and Clyde going through his vampire tests. The first two were fairly straightforward and done to create breaks in the main story of Clyde learning his lesson. That’s where I started having trouble because I put a blunt, aggressive character into a situation that needs patience. His impulsivity for violence when stressed does create a problem and he learns some self-control, but that didn’t make guiding him through these adventures any easier.
Creating Mestra was a lot of fun. These were the vampire training grounds that could be accessed through a magical door. It crafts itself to the need of the vampire visiting, which I did to explain why those of different power levels could be challenged. So, the place was designed to push Clyde and make him learn a lesson. I did this also because he couldn’t grow physically stronger. It had to be a riddle that would enhance either his mind, personality, or senses. Didn’t really have a clear answer in mind when I started writing, which is why Clyde comes up with several wrong answers. Those were actually me throwing stuff out, having him think about it for a bit, and realizing that didn’t work either. Took a few edits to get things to work after I finally settled on what I wanted him to learn in order to beat Alastyre.
Speaking of Alastyre, he was an interesting character to write. Originally, he was going to be a vampire hunter who would show up in every volume with enhancements and always get defeated. He would inevitably become this monster and cause some trouble, but I thought it might work better to give him a single appearance and then have people forget about him. After all, Clyde didn’t remember him either. Alastyre is also the first purely physical enemy that the group has faced with everyone else being more about powers, speed, and cunning. The guy is smart, but he’s able to take a direct hit from Clyde who can shatter a mountain. Hence, why I was always thinking about fights between Godzilla and other Kaiju when these two clashed.
The part of Savagery that always irked me was the series of challenges. Don’t get me wrong. I loved writing them and I had fun figuring out how Clyde could solve each situation without resorting to punching only. The whole thing was to get his mind working and flexible again. It was simply strange to take a character who had been more about single mission stories and toss him into one where he has a gauntlet of challenges across an island. It was fairly quest adventure-like, which I hadn’t tried with this series, so it didn’t play to Clyde’s strengths. I mean, that was kind of the overall point with him needing to be out of his comfort zone. So, I might be overthinking this situation in thinking I would change the method of testing. Probably just alter a few of the challenges to make them more to his liking now that I have newer ideas.
Question time!
What is a benefit to stepping out of your comfort zone?
Is retreating from a superior enemy cowardly or smart?
What should a fighting hero have besides his physical abilities and courage?
Legends of Windemere 