As the project developed, I needed a clear outline for the experience of the work. Marina Zurkow posed some helpful questions about defining the scope and intention of this work. Specifically, "Do you want people to take actions outside of their experience of the work?" I realized that with this project, I did not want to ask people to take actions except for when they were actively engaged with what I had made. I wanted to give an experience to people. I defined this, and continue to do so, by declaring my intention as "wanting to tell a good story." With this intention in mind, I more closely started to develop some earlier explorations that I had done into narrative styles. Playing with fiction writing styles has helped me internalize how tone of voice could affect the experience. It has also become a helpful way for me to loosen up, when the project was feeling overwhelming.
When reviewing some of my notes for this collection, I came across something I wrote about a month before starting this project. I had just started to follow some curiosities into Amazon. "What else is different about our world now? Whose story becomes an interesting way into this place? Read some George Saunders." In retrospect, that is primarily what I have tried to do. Use storytelling and game mechanics as an interesting way into this little corner of our world.
The work below are some of my attempts at telling a good story.
As this work started with an investigation, I very early on thought of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. I was really drawn to his investigatory, novelistic approach. As I re-read the book, I was able to observe his ability to tell a single story from multiple perspectives. The experience of reading and switching between the narrative threads helped to lend a removed journalistic impression to language that was more poetic than journalism tends to be. You were aware the author was taking liberties with the truth, but you had a sense that there was a stronger sense of his actual impression of the events because of it.
The majority of her body is covered by the flag, just shy of taut between her outstretched arms. It’s a comfortable stretch, not aggressive but demonstrative. A stretch for the viewer, ensuring an unobstructed look at her flag and its message, which is far less subtle then the generosity of her pose. A Mona Lisa smile on her face. A nose that peaks downward in what I’ve come to learn is not an unusual West Virginian trait. Her eye color is impossible to discern.
It is easy to crave more distinction from her. To ask for glasses, a tattoo, or a sharp chin that would help to categorically separate her from the infinite list of anyone.
Her hair, though thinning, reflects a color somewhat unnatural to the age her skin implies. A neat, short haircut frames the top of her face, but reveals detached ear lobes. It is easy to crave more distinction from her. To ask for glasses, a tattoo, or a sharp chin that would help to categorically separate her from the infinite list of anyone. The existence of which would have in all likelihood changed the scene before us and simplified its fate.
I shared some of this work with my thesis group for feedback. One interesting note that I received was that this way of describing her, almost felt more intrusive than seeing the photo. Throughout this work, I found myself balancing between my experience of making the work, imagining a stranger experiencing the work, and trying to imagine this one woman experiencing the work.
A major conceptual and tonal influence for me is the writing of George Saunders. Prior to launching this body of work, I read his fantastic book, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, in which he walks readers through 4 short stories from Russian literature. It quickly became one of my most dogeared books to date. I, like many others, have made some attempts at the Saunders tone-of-voice with results that don't really warrant discussing. What I continue to be more interested in, is the Saunders process and his articulations around creative work. I've borrowed from Saunders the idea of trying to develop a voice for the characters, so that can lead and guide the work. But even more than that, I've borrowed his make, react, edit approach to the creative process.
"You don't need an idea to start a story. You just need a sentence. Where does that sentence come from? Whereever. It doesn't have to be anything special. It will become something special, over time, as you keep reacting to it." - G. Saunders
Throughout my thesis work, I have been making. Often, this making was primarily motivated by "whatever it was I felt like making at the time", far more than it was about a cohesive output for an audience. When something had been made, I would try to evaluate it, and the process of making it. Did I enjoy doing it? Did it feel right for this work? Did it yield results that showed me anything? This internal reflection was pivotal in allowing me the freedom to explore and to enjoy the exploration. It also helped me understand what the final output should be. The criteria for what is right or wrong for the end result of this project, is a direct result of this process. It is a criteria that is internal to me, because of the experiences I had when making the things.
"Our anxiety has made us crave a method, when what the situation demanded was some moment-to-moment responsiveness to what was actually happening (to the true energy of the conversation." - G. Saunders
The repairman is a pivotal character in the game's narrative. I won't fully know how it feels for a user to try and manage both characters until I get to that stage in the development. Until that happens, I wanted to try to flesh out the embodiment of this repairman a bit more, and give them a tone of voice. I started by trying to write a little story, and then by trying to write an "excerpt from the repairman's diary." Interestingly, after writing the diary excerpt, I rewrote the piece by hand so I could try to mock up what the diary page might look like. I found myself completely rewriting it with a very different tone. I'm a little too close timewise to evaluate these, but am glad that I was able to explore the character in this way.
The sun is shining across the faces in the crows. The glass wall behind them is a darkened mirror. It lacks the definition of time and space that my eyes crave. I search the crowd for more.
From the moment the machine first broke, I’ve been whirring. Chasing this thing, this stranger. A smarter person would have stopped ages ago. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t answered the call. I imagine
She’s a ghost, haunting the flag factory, despairing over her image being sent and pushed into the world. You must find my daughter. She’s good with technology. Can you find her? A photo is stuck in the machine.
July 26, 2019
Another day studying the photo. Today I fixed on the glass wall behind the crowd. Their faces look like the sun is in them, which is probably why the glass is basically a mirror. Thought maybe I could search the reflection for clues. Fruitless. It lacks the definition of a certain time or a specific space that I can feel my eyes just want to see. Tomorrow, I’ll search the crowd more. I think there might be a t-shirt or a lanyard that I missed somewhere.
From the moment the first machine broke, I’ve been whirring more than the factory. Chasing this thing on behalf of a who? A stranger? A ghost? Seeing the word written down makes me feel like the fool I am. Smarter person would have stopped ages ago. At times, I wish I hadn’t answered the factory’s call. But when I really think about it, that would have been worse. She might still be trapped forever, but the least I can do is make sure the flags don’t continue to move…at least not at the speed they are now.
Still, can’t help but wish that she was likable. I guess its hard to be stuck and likable at the same time.
P.S. Still don’t know what to say when (if) I find her. Will think on it tomorrow.
July 26, 2019
Another day on the photo. Fixed on the glass wall behind the crowd. Faces squinting…sun in their eyes? Must be why glass looks like a mirror. Thought might be clues in reflection. NADA! Whole photo just lacks what my eyes are hunting for, a very specific time and a very specific space.
Tomorrow, recheck crowd for shirts, lanyards, etc. Maybe I missed something Ha Ha. For sure missing things. Miss my life from before I fixed that machine. Who knew one photo and one conveyor belt could shut down a whole factory? And that photos almost got me shut down too, ha ha! I don’t know what to call her other than ‘ghost’ but that still makes me feel dumb. Somedays, like today!) wish I could go back and not pick up the phone, never go to the flag factory at all.
Sad though cause she’d be just as stuck. IDK if I can free her but I do know I can stop the flags or at least slow them down?
Wish she was likable but eh. Maybe its hard to be likable and stuck somewhere.
P.S. Still what to say when I find woman? Think here tomorrow!!