Marcel P

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WRITE YOUR STORY STATEMENT: Returning to his California hometown under the guise of reconciliation, 32-year old Abraham is driven home by a deeper intent. Haunted by a calamitous accident from his past, Abraham journeys to The Freeman Institute for a radical and contentious procedure that promises to replace the source of his struggles with Artificial Intelligence. The narrative delves into the consequences of cultural expectations as Abraham reflects on how his upbringing has gotten him to this point. The novel touches on Abraham's experiences as an Assyrian-American and how the weight of his identity has played a role in his demise. ANTAGONIST: Like other literary fiction, the antagonist, or source of tension, is both internal and cultural. The nearly impossible and unreachable cultural expectations that are placed on children of immigrants, specifically in Eastern cultures, to succeed and to "make something" from the sacrifices of their parents is at the forefront of this novel. It is what influences Abraham into being his own antagonist. BREAKOUT TITLE: The Sound of Metal The Sound of Fire TWO COMPARABLES FOR YOUR NOVEL: The Idiot by Elif Batuman A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Both The Idiot and A Little Life are comparables, not necessarily in terms of thematic events but rather with the target demographic and audience. My novel also falls into the category of literary fiction and I think will reach similar audiences. The Idiot tells a coming-of-age story of Selin, daughter of Turkish immigrants as she navigates Harvard in the 90s. In a way, this novel is an inverse of my own. Selin isn't plagued with insurmountable expectations that Abraham is, even though they both arrive from similar regions. With A Little Life, the structure of the novel and the room for reflection and for lore/backstory was an inspiration for my novel. Slowly revealing more about the protagonist through the lens of the past is vital in my novel. HOOK LINE WITH CONFLICT: Haunted by a tragic past, a man seeks to replace the source of his struggles with Artificial Intelligence. THE CONDITION FOR INNER CONFLICT YOUR PROTAGONIST WILL HAVE: This is essentially the root of the story. It is a cautionary tale of what it means to succumb to the expectations that were instilled in you since youth. Specifically the inter turmoil of wanting to meet the expectations that are expected in a middle eastern culture. Trying to fulfill those expectations takes Abraham to his rock bottom. The novel is set after the fact when he has to pick up the pieces while dealing with the despair and depression that his "rock bottom" has brought along. The secondary conflict, the vessel in the novel, is the easy way out solutions that are available to curb/rid of that pain and anguish that Abraham carries. Will implanting AI to nullify suffering work? Is it worth it to feel nothing at all? SKETCH OUT THE SETTING IN DETAIL: The setting here is interesting in the sense that it is almost a homecoming story for Abraham. The novel starts off with him in his new home in Washington. He ventures back home to California. Throughout the novel, the audience will see what Abraham's upbringing in his hometown looks like. This will later be contrasted with his revisitation after much turmoil, despair, and furtiveness. The latter half of the story takes place in the sterile environment of The Freeman institute.