The other day, I was surprised when a fellow THD resident, who has not read my blogs (she has no computer-no Email), asked me if it's true, that I have an unfinished novel. I said yes, Indeed. I asked her who told her about. She said they were talking about it the other day during meal times. She was not quite sure who mentioned it. Anyway, she asked why I am reluctant to finish it. My answer has been the same- no incentive and too busy with my daily blogs.
However, with my addiction to AI technology the past 2 months, I thought perhaps, I should do Chapter 1 of my novel, that is my Childhood and Teenager years in the Philippines. With AI this should be easy. So, I started with the help of AI on Chapter 1. I hate it, so once again, it will be an unfinished novel.
I asked myself. What would be my end goal? If I finished the novel, shall I submit it for publication or self-published myself? Assuming I self-published, am I expecting a monetary reward? DO I really need the money or just fame? I do not need both.
Currently, I am happy with daily blogs and responses from my readers all over the world. So for now, the novel will remain unfinished. Here's the outlined of the novel, in case you have not read it before.
"In 2002 after my retirement from FDA, I drafted a semi-autobiographical novel. I have the summary/outline and chapters all drafted, but today it is still an outline draft and I have no energy or inspiration to finish it. Currently, all my writing energies are concentrated in my blogs.
After Dodie's ( my oldest son) novel, The Cloyne Court was published released at Amazon https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7576060-cloyne-court, I felt no desire in finishing this novel. The unexpected thing was that the hero of Dodie's novel was Derek, also the name of the main character in my draft. Dodie does not know of my draft story. A very unexpected coincidence, I may say.
The other main character in my draft was named Martina. Martina and Derek were married for over 62 years and have 2 adults children - Donato and Daniela. There is a 3rd major character in my novel, the villain named Dante. The full fictitious names of the three main characters are Derek Belleza Katigbak, Martina Nieva Jalandoni and Dante Sarmiento Reyes.
Several minor characters are in my draft named Isabel, Manuel, Austin, Rowena, Renato and Martha ( all semi-fictional). The names are some of Derek and Martina's friends during their over 62 years of married life and residence in Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Silver Spring, MD, Modesto and Pinole, CA.
The first scene in the novel was on the Airplane, on United Airlines from the US to Stockholm, Sweden. Derek was on his way to receive his Nobel Prize Award. Derek is the first Filipino-American to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Derek research on the botanical extracts from a rare plant in the Philippines that lead to the development of a pill that retards the aging process was the main reason he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
During his flight flash backs and reveries of his life from childhood in the Philippines until his retirement in the US dominated his memory. This is the main theme of the novel.
The draft of my novel has plenty of scenes of sexual nature- hetero, homo and bisexuality as well as group sex. All these scenes are fictional indeed, but in my mind if I want this novel to be a best seller it has to have plenty of sex of all kinds.
The novel also discuss Filipino culture and traditions and the adjustment of Filipino immigrants to life in the US. It describes the life of Derek as a Graduate Student in US, his marriage and courtship of Martina and finally Derek and Martina involvement with the Filipino-American Communities in the Tristate Area of MD_VA -DC, California, Missouri and in the Philippines.
The last two chapters outline the life of Derek and Martina's two adult and accomplished children,-Donato and Daniela . Donato became a lawyer specializing in cyber crime and a published writer; Daniela became a famous painter and later became the first Filipino-American to be a Presidential Appointee.
The location of the novel are in the Philippines, Illinois, California, Missouri, Washington DC and Maryland. Other locations are in Southern Spain, London, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Cancun, London and Rome.
There is a chapter on Chateau Du Mer in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines. I was hoping I could write a novel that is not only that entertaining but also educational. I was also planning the novel to be a little bit trashy and incorporate the 7 common sexual fantasies, so it will sell and perhaps become a popular novel.
The Novel ends when Derek woke up from his reveries when the plane landed in Sweden. Derek could hear the audience thunderous applause as he receives his Award as he walks out of the airplane.
The draft of this novel had been in my possession for over three decades now. Again, I do not have the energy, inspiration and determination to finish it. So like Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, The Intellectual Migrants will be my Unfinished Story.
Photo Courtesy: By Jenny Shively, THD
No comments:
Post a Comment