Endgame

Chapter 0: Musings/Foreword

Author's Note: Chapters will generally take about a week for me to finish. Cliffhangers will become common practice.

The title. Naming a story isn't like naming a film; you can't simply stick two nouns together, or put 'The' before any old word. Okay, you can, but the book mustn't be related to the title in those cases. I must conjure a universe in my mind, give the entire thing a fitting and enticing title, and then gift the idea to the reader in a small, free, package. Hardly a simple task for a novice such as myself. I chose Endgame.

By my rushed calculations, I'll write about 3 pages a day. Give me a month, and I'll have 100 pages, or less than a short novel.

The prognosis looks grim thus far.

Perhaps I shall write more words per day, although a writer's block would have a significant effect on the method's effectiveness. Maybe, I shall simply endeavour to continue this challenge for two months, giving me a half-a-short-book. But what if my motivation fails me yet again, as other necessities have failed me before?

Alfred Leech.

I have just stumbled upon a name for a character! In all honesty, I didn't really 'stumble' upon it, I used a random name generator until I got a name that fit my character somewhat. Now that we're on the topic of the man in question, I'll divulge the details of his traits, appearance, and backstory. But before that, I'll introduce yet another character: Harmon Kirk.

He will both help and antagonise the MC. A criminal at the head of a gang of pickpockets, he is often found doing things he pretends to understand, but really doesn't. His speech will hopefully provide both an insight into the way I, the writer, think and feel, and also sprinkle humour into an otherwise bland book. He shall appear at the most unexpected of times, and yet be completely predictable moments before he appears. You won't know in which chapters he plays a role, but when he is to appear soon, you will feel it. At least, that is my intention.

There will be female characters in this tale. Of that I am quite certain. What I am less certain of it what role they will play, or how they will interact with other characters. You see, I'm not particularly experienced with females outside of my close family, and the worst thing about that is the fact that upon attempting to write one into a story, I have no life experiences on which to base my characters.

You might say to me 'write them as you would a man' however, and excuse my lack of political correctness, men and women are fundamentally distinct. If they were not, transgender individuals would not exist, as their current identity would be the same as their old one. I'll endeavour to dream up convincing, lifelike female characters, but I cannot guarantee I won't have to consult friends every week or so.

Why, I am rambling on a bit. Shall we get this started?

Oh, wait. Our main character. You want a description, don't you? You do. Very well.

Alfred Leech is a short, dark-eyed young man, with added emphasis on the 'young'. His empathy and care for others is lower than average, only manifesting itself in the case of loved ones. He feels no compassion or guilt towards strangers, which is a personality trait I thought might be quite useful in this book. In the next hundred pages, you'll read about exploits of his that you and everyone you know would never dream of doing.

He suffers from an undiagnosed mood disorder. Readers are free to speculate on its nature, but I shall not name it, for fear of backlash from the respective community. This is the main drive for his actions in the book.

I've tarried too long. I hope I haven't bored you all, readers. It gets better, trust me. This advice applies in all situations.