Books - I'm writing a book ....

[beena]

Hi everyone,
SWIM is doing a Masters degree in Creative Writing at the moment and has been writing a lot of short stories and poetry as a result of that. SWIM hopes to write a novel some day in the not too distant future but before she does that she thought it would be a good starting point to try and put together a collection of short stories instead.
As a drug addict for 9 years herself, SWIM tends to write about what she knows, i.e. addiction to crack-cocaine and heroin. Although SWIM has tried many other drugs too. She has an idea for a book and would appreciate any input other drug-forum users might have/like to share.
She wants to write a book that is made up of short stories where the characters are all drug-users or addicts. But the stories in the book don't have to have huge narratives, rather she wants them to be like scenes that paint a snap-shot of what life as an addict is like. SWIM was thinking about the collection of stories that make up the book 'Dubliners' by James Joyce, which has a series of stories that try to paint a scene of what life is like in Ireland in the 19th century rather than having a major plot as such.
SWIM was thinking about calling the book 'Hotcakes' - which is drug slang for crack or perhaps 'Cracker-Jacks' which is drug-slang for Crack users and she was thinking that she might focus on crack use and users in Britain in particular. If SWIY's have any ideas about this, please let me know ... i.e. what do you think about the idea of focusing on one drug and drug users such as crack and crack-cocaine users in particular? Or do SWIYs think it would be better to have a collection of stories that was broader in it's remit: so, for example, stories ranging from those about cannabis smokers, to pill-droppers (ecstacy takers) in clubs, through to hard-core class A drug addicts?
What do SWIYs think about the title ideas SWIM has had so far? Hotcakes ? Crackerjacks ? Any other ideas?
Finally, SWIM wanted to know if there were any particular scenes that SWIYs can envisage or imagine making up the book? Are there any memories of events that have happened to you regarding drug-taking or addiction that you think should be included?
Some ideas that SWIM has had so far are stories or scenes that are based around the anticipation of a couple of addicts waiting for their crack dealer to arrive - the story/scene would show them rushing about excitedly, manically even, trying to get everything ready, make up home-made pipes, put ash on, get lighters ready, etc. Perhaps even getting so wound up they're getting on each-others nerves and bickering. They keep ringing their dealer up who says 'ten minutes', then 12mins later they ring and he says 'seven and a half minutes' so they wait another ten before ringing and he says 'three minutes' and so on until he finally gets there 40 minutes later or something. Then I'd show them having their first pipe and the reader would see them go from the manic excitement of waiting to having a pipe and struggling to even speak/get their words out afterwards. As you can see, it's not a huge story or narrative in itself but put together with other stories telling other drug-addicts tales...
I would have stories with different addicts in different positions: from a weekend user - a student in halls of residence perhaps - to a hardcore addict, homeless, living on the streets.
I could perhaps go back and revisit different characters again too - so I could show the part-time, weekend-using student starting to cut classes and have grades slip as his use is becoming more frequent and his behaviour more erratic.
Perhaps I could chart the progression of a relationship between a couple (a man and women) who live together and are also drug-addicts - show how drugs make them argue - tear their lives apart - but they've still got a deep love for each-other - or is it dependency?
Perhaps the long-term homeless man who is probably at the lowest ebb of addiction could be the one who gets into a rehab and gets clean at the end? the least likely to succeed could succeed, whereas the student who had it all going for him could be the one in the end who is just starting out really on the road to 'hitting rock bottom'. So, perhaps the individual stories/scenes could come together to have a strong plot after all ....
I dunno yet - i'm just thinking aloud - but some ideas I wanted to include were:
1) I want to show a couple who have a flat together and have material possessions (tv, stereo, pc, etc), only for them to loose them one by one ... perhaps I could keep revisiting the couple in different chapters and each time there are less and less possessions in the room!
2) I want to show addicts at different points of addiction and in different locations: so someone who thinks that smoking crack is something they can control to someone who has literally lost everything to addiction. I want to show addicts struggling to stop, to get clean, to others who enjoy using. I want to show an addict smoking on his own to others using in groups. Perhaps I could have a chapter done from the viewpoint of the dealer too? Perhaps I could show a chapter with a couple of addicts frantically ringing their dealer every ten minutes to a chapter with the dealer driving around in his car, taking his time, stopping for a burger king(?) and blatantly not giving a toss!
I could show how different addicts get their drugs - tales of shoplifting, prostitution, etc. Through to a group perhaps who are all on the dole and get their money different days of the week so support each-other - a co-operative of crack users?!
3) I wanna show the end of the night when crack-users run out of drugs and the so-called 'chicken-scratch'! Which is when addicts crawl around on their hands and knees looking for bits they might've dropped. On the other hand I could show addicts who use heroin after they run out of crack - cos it brings you down totally smoothly without the need for the 'chicken scratch'.
Well, as you can see, I wanna show all aspects of addiction and different types of addicts. Basically, I just wanna know if SWIYs have any input or ideas or thoughts about the above? Do SWIYs like the idea or not? Would SWIYs read something like this if they saw it in the shop?
Constructive criticism would be much appreciated ....
thankyou in advance. Beena.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Good post
	Now this is brilliant news (davie xxx)