First of all, allow me to apologize for the delay. My goal is to write something every Sunday. I think, as readers, you deserve the consistency. This Sunday however, I was struggling with my English exam – I had to write an analysis of a ‘staged’ conversation. I am glad it is over. English Linguistics is simply not for me. Oh, it is interesting to see how people interact and how they express themselves and subconsciously follow rules, but I could not imagine myself doing it all the time.
But saying that, I never imagined myself being a father. So maybe I should be careful what I refuse to picture. (smile)
Talking of picturing things, Chapter Two is the start of the portray of the game, and George’s position in it. He is an experienced player who has turned his youthful hobby into a profession. I only touch on his entrance into the game, although, originally there was a lot more information concerning his reason for joining. (which if I find time, I will look for – it’s somewhere on my many USB sticks – under some strange title like ‘an idea’. I have had a lot of ideas LOL)
So, it might take a while.
Back to the chapter. Creation is one of the best games on the market, and therefore, one of the best marketed. The game owners earn money in every conceivable way: collecting stickers of all the Olympus players, personal training camps, and membership to all kinds of chat-rooms, fan clubs and virtual TV.
In my mind, this all makes sense. What makes a great game is the possibility to share it, on multiple levels.
One of my favorite parts about this chapter is how George gets smashed up by the river. Here, I am slightly poking fun at those films where, the protagonist survives amazing dives or falls into water, unscathed, while at the same time warning my younger readers not to try it. I live by a river. A small river, which in summer, at the deepest, is perhaps only one meter, but when it is in flood, it’s not, and it’s deadly. It has claimed too many lives. Young lives, children from people I know. Maybe this is the reason why I go into such detail of how George’s avatar is continually being smashed against the rocks, because in real life that’s what happens. And what is also terribly true is how when the river is swollen it calls out to me, tempting, challenging me– ‘come a little closer, look at the way I race. Come on, I bet you are strong enough to swim across!’
I know I am not alone with this feeling. I have seen children tempted by its call.
A river in flood is not Hollywood. There are no spectacular dives with great escapes. It kills, that’s about it.
Now, as I begin to look at each chapter, I wonder just how much of what I write is connected to me in this way. I know I wanted the scene of George’s drowning to be realistic – at least through my eyes – I have also tried to make his character as realistic as possible, which at times has been rather uncomfortable – he is not always nice – he’s young and makes mistakes. Writing them, is therefore unpleasant, as inside my mind, I know he should not do this or say that. At times he behaves so immaturely! (LOL) But it is only by being honest to his character, can I believe in the book myself.
I think the first sign of his less than gallant character is how he deliberately knocks Ng Mui over, rather than fight her, and then raccoons up a tree to safety. Very sensible, I know, but at the same time, it rings of cowardliness.
His reason for winning the game is definitely personal, as seen in the statement: ‘this was George O’Donnelly, not his dad!’ and introduces further clues to his relationship to his father. I suppose it is the normal conflict most teenagers have with their parents as they try to establish their own personal identity. This conflict again could possibly come from personal experience. I do have a thirteen year old boy.
I would be interested to know how you interpret George’s reaction to Ng Mui or how you saw the river scene, and look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday, with chapter three, wherein I will try to be 100% honest about the adult emotions within the vault.
