Walking Dollar Bills

Author's Note

Thank you for finishing the novel! This story took a life of its own throughout the writing process, but I think that's a good thing. Art should do more than imitate life, it should breathe too.

 This was the first novel that I have ever written, so please forgive any subpar writing. Honestly, Walking Dollar Bills (WDB) was never a serious idea. My sister told me about this website, so I decided to upload an old short story I wrote as a final in one of my college classes (The Serpent's Tale), and then later, I decided to pen an adventure story about some people who didn't create wealth through labor, but their bodies alone were wealth. This story was of course, WDB.

Throughout the first three chapters, I had no clue what to do with this story. A compass didn't guide this narrative until chapter four. If you remember, that's the chapter where the group encounters the Apothecary, who has a lasting impression on the story and the characters despite her early demise. Then, the story truly takes shape in chapter five: "The Dictator's Beneficence." This was personally my favorite chapter because it marked my transition from a storyteller to a writer. I could create complex characters, conflicts, cliff-hangers, and climatic moments, but my writing wasn't at the level I aspired to reach.

The earlier chapters were written in very terse present tense language. This was most likely because screenwriting was the only creative writing that I indulged in for the last five years. Screenwriting focuses on giving direction and dialogue, but description and figurative language are ignored. Thus, from chapter five until the end of the novel, I honed in on the aesthetic aspects of fiction writing. I implore anyone to read an earlier chapter of this book, and then read the final few chapters. You'll notice an immense difference.

But enough of the structure, I want to briefly talk about the substance. This story discussed a range of very complex topics. The story engages with political systems, economic systems, race, iconographic warfare, the Genesis section of the bible, eugenics, automation, Greek mythology, and so many other themes. Allegory perfectly describes this text because many characters take inspiration from actual human beings. Dictator Beneficence is loosely influenced by Mao Zedong, Toure is influenced by the Black Panther Kwame Ture, Byrd is influenced by Xiang Jingyu, and Horatio is a reimagining of the writer Horatio Alger.

My goal was for this story to exist in the intersection between history and fantasy, which explains the surfeit of allusions and parodies within the text. I also want to acknowledge the many readers that made these connections in their comments. You all helped the story feel more interactive as I wrote it.

Lastly, I want to admit that I don't see myself writing a second part to this story. I found WDB to be a great exercise and reintegration into the world of fiction, but I dream of writing stories way more complex and impactful. 

Looking back, I wish I would have made the four main characters more distinct and peculiar. There were times when they all seemed too similar or indistinguishable from each other. I think particularly of the character Gumbo, who doesn't really come to life until the final chapters where it's clear that he is suffering from amnesia. I wish I would have emphasized Earl's childhood as an orphan, Amara's repressed emotions, and Zala's intellectual maturity, more consistently as the story developed.

These are just some of my personal gripes with the story. With that said, I have a lot of other exciting ideas that I cannot wait to share with those of you who enjoy my writing. Dating Father Time's Daughter is going to bathe in longevity; furthermore, I am already beginning the planning, researching, and organizing phases of a new story I wish to debut in 2021. My new novel will include themes like the afterlife, friendship, hierarchy, and regret. There will also be personification, but I won't reveal what will be personified.

Thanks again for finishing the book. Also, thank you for taking the time to read my author's note. I hope it gave you a good peak into my mind! I plan to rewrite the first four chapters of the book before the summer ends, so some of you may take interest in checking that out. I'm so happy to have my first novel finished! Knowing that I can start a novel--and finish it--gives me the confidence needed to begin other projects that deserve to exist in writing and not just on the walls inside of my head. Until the next author's note,

Peace.