Perhaps in the rewrite, if it needs it. For now, for better or worse, this is the SHAME (rushdie) / Victor Hugo approach—hustle us into place and then bring the madness. Aint for everybody but hopefully as the drama snaps into view the early acceleration will make sense. If not I’ll just rewrite.
Still having a blast with this. I think the humor in the voice mixed with the bleak Weird Fantasy world and circumstances is a really compelling combination. Like if Terry Pratchett was writing inside a China Mieville setting.
I'm In. Rooting for G. and Lonqo. Identifying w G. up the wazoo. I get it that you're daring to share first draft (brave!) and that much will change. As a shrink, I can tell you, this has universal appeal for a YA and adult readership. An extra piece of flesh being the signifier of shame is damn genius. Not a soul in the world (especially YAs)that can't identify with that! This has serious legs...
Love this story—it has your peculiar wonderful mix of street, humor & dead serious….also it’s one of my favorite settings: the post apocalyptic dire and anything goes landscape.
I am so freaking glad I found your substack just in time to read this Mr Díaz--I feel like one of the luckiest readers/nerds/kidlit lovers in the world, this is a delight!
Unsure if the writer knows, but mec (prononced mek) is French for homeboy. Sort of. Makes me smile reading this.
i heard this and decided to run with it but good to get some corroboration, thank you!
It works. Foreshadows solidarity to this reader.
Slow it down a bit. We are learning the whole back story so fast. Put more of it in scene.
--Two cents you didn't ask for, but there it is.
Perhaps in the rewrite, if it needs it. For now, for better or worse, this is the SHAME (rushdie) / Victor Hugo approach—hustle us into place and then bring the madness. Aint for everybody but hopefully as the drama snaps into view the early acceleration will make sense. If not I’ll just rewrite.
You're the driver!
Still having a blast with this. I think the humor in the voice mixed with the bleak Weird Fantasy world and circumstances is a really compelling combination. Like if Terry Pratchett was writing inside a China Mieville setting.
I'm In. Rooting for G. and Lonqo. Identifying w G. up the wazoo. I get it that you're daring to share first draft (brave!) and that much will change. As a shrink, I can tell you, this has universal appeal for a YA and adult readership. An extra piece of flesh being the signifier of shame is damn genius. Not a soul in the world (especially YAs)that can't identify with that! This has serious legs...
This piece makes me care for Lonqo and the narrator. Love that narrator mentions once being 12 years old.
Love this story—it has your peculiar wonderful mix of street, humor & dead serious….also it’s one of my favorite settings: the post apocalyptic dire and anything goes landscape.
thank you, mia. having grown up in a post-apocalyptic dictatorship this was the world i keep being called back to…
I’m hooked!
I am so freaking glad I found your substack just in time to read this Mr Díaz--I feel like one of the luckiest readers/nerds/kidlit lovers in the world, this is a delight!
Love this. You are killing it.