Project Atoll Monthly Update - Number Huan

A blog update?!?  On a Wednesday?!?  It’s the end, isn’t it?!?  The dinosaurs are going to rise again and reclaim the earth, aren’t they?!?  Perhaps but not today: today is just the day that I’ve allocated for Project Atoll updates!  As mentioned in a previous blog, I have decided to do a monthly update of Project Atoll, so that I can keep everyone updated about it without saturating every post  and I have chosen the first Wednesday of every month.  Why Wednesday?  Well, I feel that Wednesday is an underrated day and I’m going to fight for it to get the respect that it deserves.  Or I chose it at random.  Your choice.  Also, by updating on here, it really does mean that I need to keep myself motivated and continue working to complete it (my motivation sucks at times).  This monthly update will probably be shorter than my regular updates and perhaps more text heavy but it will give you an overview of the work I’ve been doing in the previous month.  Not only this but I will also use this section to introduce sections of dialogue, characters and some more artwork as well.

So what have I been up to this month?  Quite a lot actually (for once) and it’s great to see my story taking shape.  First of all, I’ve actually started to write a couple of scenes from Project Atoll already: the introduction and the first scene plus I’ve started the second scene as well.  I wouldn’t normally even considering writing scenes and dialogue before I was completely happy with the plot but in this case, I knew exactly what I wanted these to include (with the exception of the second scene but I just got caught up).  I’m happy with what I’ve got so far and, although I will probably rewrite parts of it, I think it does what I want it to.  

·         The Introduction: It does as it says on the tin.  It introduces Curtis and gives a brief overview of the story.

·         The First Scene: The first ‘proper’ scene introduces two new characters (Huan and Xin Na) as they pick Curtis up at the airport, and helps to continue to set the scene a little bit as well.  Not only this but it covers Curtis being shown his new flat, which is loosely based on my own experience.  When I first arrived to Nepal, I was took by the principal and a colleague to where I am now living and I was amazed!  It’s hard to explain but all my life, I’ve lived with my family at home or with my friends in a shared flat and all of a sudden I’m told that this flat is mine and mine alone!  It was an overwhelming moment; especially when I barely count myself as an adult (especially height wise) and I really wanted to include my experience.

·         The Second Scene: Although this has only just been started, it is going to look at Curtis’s first week or so in Hong Kong.

The second thing I’ve been working on is the actual plot.  My original plot overview was originally about ¾ of a page long but I’ve been working on expanding on this significantly: the 2^nd iteration being 3.5 pages long and still expanding.  Not only this but I’ve started to split up the key events into a timeline, grouping the appropriate events together in the hope that everything will run a little smoother.  Once I’ve completed expanding the plot, I plan to highlight all the key incidents and events and then expand upon these even further, to create the final outline.

Finally, I’ve started to think about the tone of Project Atoll, as I feel that this needs to be perfect (or as close as) for it to be a true success.  Although I want to have a darker tone at times and explore some dark concepts, I don’t want Project Atoll to be bogged down by depressing story telling nor take itself too seriously.  Ultimately what I would want is a good mix between humour and drama; to keep the audience entertained and to ensure an emotional attachment to the characters.  Creating an emotional attachment to the character seems to be difficult but from my own attachments/experiences, you need a good mixture of highs and lows.  The closet I’ve came to the tone I want is an anime called ‘My Little Monster’ but with less focus on the humour…tricky times ahead as I try to balance it all out!

Almost done with this month’s update but I can’t go before I introduce a new character to Project Atoll: Huan Wu.  Currently, I’m really enjoying being able to write about Huan because he isn’t a main character.  This means that I can have a little bit of fun with him and use him as a bit of comic relief.  That said, towards the end of Project Atoll, he will have a very serious part to play.

Huan Wu

Sex: Male
Age: 45
Nationality: Taiwanese
Favourite Food: Pork Balls and Congee
Least Favourite : Toast
Description: Huan is a family man who, before getting married, travelled around various countries in his youth, having some fairly unbelievable adventures…some of which may even be true.  Regardless, he is a worldly and knowledgeable mentor to both Xin Na and Curtis, developing fatherly feelings for both through is role as their line manager and as their friend.  Although he is incredibly good natured and loves to laugh, he can be angered…especially in matters related to his family.  Despite sharing numerous tales of travels, little is known of his time before he left China and it is rumoured that he had been involved on gang activity, something that his connections around Hong Kong support.