Morphs and Cannibals

The work-in-progress is 'La Grippe', which was a name for the influenza that ravaged the world in 1918/19.

I started this story thinking it was about two guys who, after demobilisation, travel Europe and kinda get lumbered with a beautiful girl who happens to be stricken with the deadly flu. That's how it started.

But the whole thing is morphing on me. I've got this tale taking shape which is more to do with the two friends coming to terms with their own post-war traumas. The girl is still the catalyst, but no longer the focus of things. Which probably makes no sense to anyone, but hey, I don't try to analyse these things. For me, this is exactly what makes writing great. You set out with an idea and make some attempt to guide it in the general direction you want it to take. Sometimes it follows the intended path and sometimes it wanders into unexpected terrain. I think I enjoy the latter more.

One of my first attempts at writing a fiction was called 'Ricochet'. This was rejected by WEIRD TALES magazine, but the editor was kind enough to tell me why it didn't make the grade. So I took the middle part and wrote a complete new story called 'The Emigrant', of which I am enormously proud, although I have yet to sell it. I then took the other half of 'Ricochet' and wrote 'The Devil's Fauna', another one I'm proud of. There were still a few bits left over so I used some of it in a story called 'Clob', and another passage went into its sequel, 'Japanese Motorcycle Clob'. I've just grabbed a leftover scene for the current work, 'La Grippe'.

Waste not, want not.