Johnny E. Mahaffey
June 19, 2017

The Novelist Portent

SKYE YELLOW: Chapter Three

This instalment of "Skye Yellow" comes a little late for a few reasons. For one, there's been more deaths--these being gang related--leading to a statewide lock-down. Guards have been beaten, and there's been a full-on mini-riot at another prison (Trenton?)--adding to the lock-down's duration. Second, I've been busy revamping the classes here in the Character-Based Unit, CBU, where I'm the Educational Coordinator over programs. Third, I did some painting (a few portraits); and, finally, but there is more, I've had some interesting conversations with my creative writing students about the ... absence of--true females--in their lives, and the essays they've constructed (are now being workshopped together into one), turned out to be, something. You'll see soon.
Prison, just like the rest of the world is FULL of its share of drama. And if things persist at this rate, "Skye Yellow" will take longer than twelve months--unless, at some point, my pen (and typewriter) suddenly find a burst of momentum: I could use a good muse. Isn't this the time when--for the artist--a goddess of a must reveals herself and assists in some way? Or am I doomed to be forever lured towards rocks? Prison, ironically, being one big rock, hollowed out; its intention as a final destination.
An intention I aim to disappoint.
Right now, with "Skye Yellow", and my other writing projects, I'm struggling with how to reconcile my want for multiple genres. My main focal point, of course, being literary; but, I can't deny the intruding paranormal, sci-fi, and ... steampunk elements, and characters. Making the only TRUE classification of my work: speculative fiction. The rule of thumb for any good genre novel is that if you are going to have an oddball element (or cast of characters), then you need to introduce it early. Don't go fifty pages in and have Ted come walking into a scene with an Icehouse in one hand and a woman in the other--leaving a reader to realise, Oh, so there's giant talking bears in this!
And, it drinks and womanizes.
Or, would that be, HE ... drinks and womanizes?

Johnny E. Mahaffey
June 19, 2017

The Novelist Portent
Page 2

Point is--set the scene.
I know I may be talking a little MFA-ish here, but it's why, in chapters one (and two; especially two), I've sprinkled all sorts of ... hints ... to foreshadow things to come. And I DO mean things, I'm just still deciding on specifically WHAT those things will be. Part of me wants to be "serious"; while part of me wants to be true to myself.
It's looking like the latter is going to win out.
The third chapter of a novel can be a very important one, setting the groundwork for the rest of the book--and even the series. So, I've the groundwork for the rest of the book--and even the series. So, I've put some deep consideration into these pages. The cool thing is that you can see--if you look closely--things in the narrative from my day-to-day activities, what I've been seeing on TV (i.e., when I give a link like @ErinADarling, after seeing some hot chick on "QYOU PRIME", or I throw out #bowlogravy after an episode of Tosh.O, and I know of the URL www.comedycentral.com/tosh.o from the show, and I share it with my readers, for a reason, so, check some of it out, share it), you see some of my own life in these pages, my own ideology, and the ideologies that I've inferred to be in some of the people I've known. All of it fictionalized--heavily--but as true to life as I can manage with the skills that I have.
The Burg itself is akin to Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, so that affords me all kinds of leeway. This chapter sets a big scene.
I hope you enjoy it. I still welcome any feedback, or ideas.

"I have often wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to which they belong."

--H.P. Lovecraft
Beyond the Wall of Sleep

On May 2, we left Peanut the Poet still on the trail like a toe-jam junky looking for a fix. While Kasper battled bouts of introspection in the face of solitude, all those little (and big) Undone things tormenting him, as he tried to find his way, reconciling the life of his dreams with the life of his reality.

J.E. Mahaffey/SKYE YELLOW/Chapter Three Page 4

increase. But, most of that was beyond Melissa. Yet, it never stopped Donal from telling her, showing her, and laughing as she grabbed the trusty oh-shit-handle during short, neighborhood drift sessions.