Chamber #2: The Setting

There are many characters in these stories. However, the most important character isn't human, nor animal.

It's the city of DeRizin Heights.

The settings of any story is probably the most unrecognized character. Heck, people don't understand how important the location usually is. For example, imagine The Simpsons if it took place in Arlen, Texas rather than Springfield. The duality of Bedford Falls and Pottersville helped George Bailey realize that life was worth living. There's a reason why Marvel uses New York City as a backdrop rather than, say, Miami Beach.

DeRizin Heights is a city that was partially inspired by my own homebase within the Seven Cities of South Hampton Roads, Virginia. Ever been here? It's beautiful. It's a harbor town. A growing metropolis. A working class town. A military stronghold. A farming community. A fishing town. A summer destination. A historical region. This is truly a place I'd like to retire to whenever I retire from something.

Yeah, DeRizin Heights is NOTHING like that. Sure, the city is a metropolis, but it has ceased growing decades ago. Developers won't even come into the city anymore. The major league baseball team, once the pride of the area, has relocated across the country in a beach community in Florida. The corruption is deep in all aspects of society, from city hall and the police to the three major crime syndicates that control what goes on here, from the packing factory. There are a few beacons of light here and there, but it has to be seen within cracked, smoky, stained windows. The light will shine before the story's over.

DeRizin Heights is a working class town. If you're not on the city payroll or a member of one of the three syndicates, you're likely working in the fish cannery near the harbor, the iron works right by the railroad yard, one of the downtown pubs, up high in the skyscapers behind a desk, or down beneath the streets in the sewer lines.

The sun rarely shines on DeRizin Heights, mostly because the city is blanketed by monsterous skyscrapers. Colossal buildings made of granite, stone, steel, and glass that look like demonic talons rising from the earth. Each of the syndicates own a building to front their "legitimate" businesses. Afterall, they have to maintain a reason to remain in the "city of decay," a less-than-loving moniker given by the local media. There's just something about this city that makes all of them want to stay.

DeRizin Heights is a living, breathing entity within this story, and it'll be the one that evolves the most during the duration of this tale.

*bang*

The First Shot: Why THIS Story?

The first thing any writer must contemplate in writing a story is why do you want to tell THIS story.

Why do I want to tell this story?

Well, the answer is twofold. I want to tell this story because I want to challenge myself by writing a mature crime story and I want to see if I could actually create a story that is truly different.

The second answer is going to be hard to accomplish. Afterall, there have been many, many stories about criminals with ambiguous agendas that blur the line between good and evil. I mean, come on. The late 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century has given us many tales like these. With shows like Cowboy Bebop, The Sopranos, and The Shield as well as movies like Pulp Fiction, Training Day, Kill Bill, Sin City, and Layer Cake, the thin line between good and evil has been radically blurred. The story is about five different characters; three hitmen (two of which try to live a normal life), a hardened cop who's actually one of the least corrupt in the city, and a crook, fresh from prison, trying to change his ways but getting in way over his head.

I've mostly written stories about superhuman champions, alien worlds, fantasy warriors, and supernatural beings. This story is purely a crime fiction story. Nothing that can't happen in real life will happen in this story. Well, there are a few things are unbelievable here (one of my characters can make a weapon out of anything, even a drop of water). I've never really told a serious, mostly dramatic tale. The very first scene has one of the main characters dead of a gunshot wound to the head and three of the characters aiming a gun at each other. This is perhaps the most important scene in this story, which will be seen from from the perspectives of the five books, including the actual murder in book five. There will be numerous deaths. There will also be sex, violence, and profanity (heck, I might even make up a word or two), a very mature story to tell. It'll also make you think, but not too hard. Every character does what he and she does for a reason. They're human, which means they have their strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. Nobody's perfect, just like in real life, and it's a rarity to see it in a book.

This story will be something I hope people will enjoy, which is why I want to tell it instead of keeping it in my head.

*bang*