NOTES FROM JASON
Well, it took nearly twenty pages, but we’ve reached the moment hinted at in this chapter’s cover. Our two characters, face to face, and since this is a comic, things are about to get messy. This was yet another scene that evolved over time. In the original Chapter 4 drafts, Penny took refuge in an abandoned building in the slums district of Diamond City. I believe it was a tenement building or even a school, don’t really remember. It was where she ended up after the sewers, as I mentioned previously. And that was where Colton and Avery would have found her after following her trail from the movie studio and sewers. But as I said before, I didn’t like any of that. The two-week gap also made it a bit ridiculous, especially after we established that Colton has been chasing Penny all around the city. And then there was the location. It was just too boring and generic a place for such a big moment in the story.
It took a lot of mulling over to solve this narrative dilemma (it usually does with me). Then I thought back on Penny’s family manor. It was still there, not being used, not going to show up again in our tale. But why not? That’d be a cool place for a confrontation. And it would make perfect sense for Penny to go back. She’s a fugitive with nowhere else to go, nobody to rely on, and not much more strength to do anything else. Where else to go but back home? After all, she doesn’t know that the Agency knows who she really is. So, back to Fortescue Manor we went, and the dilemma was solved, making the final result much better. At least, I think.
Randy’s post on Tuesday mentioned that this manor is based off an actual location known as Gonder Mansion. He also surmised that I was the one to suggest the location. He is correct. I’ve always loved going past that house and gazing at it, pretending I lived there. I don’t, and never will, but it’d be nice. Don’t care if it’s haunted. That’s the likely reason why I decided to use that particular house, because I liked it and thought it would be neat to put in a book. It’s not the first time I’ve done that. There are some differences of course. The real Gonder Mansion isn’t in a remote area, rather right on Main Street in Strasburg. Also, everything within those walls is taken from pure imagination. I’ve never been inside the mansion. Hopefully I’ll change that one day.
That’s all for this week. You can probably guess what’s coming next…
Bad dreamer, what’s your name? Looks like we’re riding on the same train. Looks as though there’ll be more pain. There’s gonna be a showdown…