I think I've settled on a vague idea - but no more than that - for the story I want to write for the legal fiction competition I posted about a day or two ago. I want to set it in the Jemma universe and have it be from the POV of the Grienyte family lawyer (or one of them), whose mundane practice is turned upside down by her murder/disappearance/whatever. I already started writing bits of it in my head, and besides the plot, which remains a mystery to me, my main challenge is to make the protagonist a distinct character from Jemma. Actually, she could sound exactly like Jemma from the perspective of the judges, but I don't want to have One Stock Character I bring out whenever I write something original.
I'm thinking that Unnamed Lawyer is an intellectual property lawyer who specializes in magic business (which has a fancier name, after suggestions of critique group). This sounds awfully close to my own interests, but I promise that it actually works within the Jemma story. I'm thinking that Jemma pulled something along the very cliche lines of, "Send this story to the papers if I'm killed," but left something with her family's magic-specializing lawyer instead.
I already have a short tangent in mind about how the incorporation of magic into the legal codes and things finally spurred Congress or whomever to pass a law officially striking down the law against perpetuities. Okay, that might have to go, but the idea tickled me as I was thinking of it. The RAP is basically evil and complicated and stupid.
Anyway, the poor lawyer is bewildered by the wackiness that ensues, and I think that's where Unnamed Lawyer is going to differ from Jemma. Jemma was always pretty hyped up about what was going on, the point that my critique group mentioned several times that she's on the verge of a heart attack, and Unnamed Lawyer is going to be the opposite - bewildered but really laid back about it. Hey, you don't put in your obligatory three years in BigLaw in magical law only to jump out of your skin every time you get a death threat.
So that's all I have for now. Plot still needs to be figured out, but I have a character I like and a universe I vaguely know, which is pretty good progress.
EDITED to add: Check this out! Etymology of the word "prestigious": 1546, "practicing illusion or magic, deceptive," from L. præstigious "full of tricks," from præstigiæ "juggler's tricks..." Oh, that's going in there.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Contest - legal fiction
From an email in my school inbox (edited):
To Whom It May Concern:
Following are particulars of this year’s NYLJ Fiction Contest:
• National contest is open to attorneys, law professors & law students.
• Prizes: $1,000 (first place), $500 (second place), and $250 (third place). In addition, first place manuscript to be published (one time only) as special feature of the New York Law Journal edition of Friday, Dec. 4th, 2009.
• Manuscripts of 500 to 5,000 words must be works of fiction, set in the legal milieu, or with attorneys, law professors or law students as principal characters. A manuscript may be either a short story or a chapter(s) from a novel in progress.
• Deadline is Friday, Nov. 6th, 2009. Mail five hard copies of manuscript—along with author name, address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address—to (...)
• Ten finalists to be short-listed for judging. Finalists’ works to be published at NYLJ/NYLawyer.com on one-time, unpaid basis.
• Top three winners from short list to be selected by an independent panel of judges (to include author/attorney Linda Fairstein).
• Winners to be honored with surprise announcements during reception for all entrants, to be held at New York City Bar Association headquarters (42 West 44th Street, NYC 10036) on the evening of Thursday, December 3rd, 2009.
• Entrants subject to contest letter of agreement covering eligibility and author warranty of originality of fiction, and warranty that manuscript does not defame or libel real life individuals or institutions.
I can do this! Deadlines are my best friends, when it comes to writing. I'll think about this more when I'm not working.
To Whom It May Concern:
Following are particulars of this year’s NYLJ Fiction Contest:
• National contest is open to attorneys, law professors & law students.
• Prizes: $1,000 (first place), $500 (second place), and $250 (third place). In addition, first place manuscript to be published (one time only) as special feature of the New York Law Journal edition of Friday, Dec. 4th, 2009.
• Manuscripts of 500 to 5,000 words must be works of fiction, set in the legal milieu, or with attorneys, law professors or law students as principal characters. A manuscript may be either a short story or a chapter(s) from a novel in progress.
• Deadline is Friday, Nov. 6th, 2009. Mail five hard copies of manuscript—along with author name, address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address—to (...)
• Ten finalists to be short-listed for judging. Finalists’ works to be published at NYLJ/NYLawyer.com on one-time, unpaid basis.
• Top three winners from short list to be selected by an independent panel of judges (to include author/attorney Linda Fairstein).
• Winners to be honored with surprise announcements during reception for all entrants, to be held at New York City Bar Association headquarters (42 West 44th Street, NYC 10036) on the evening of Thursday, December 3rd, 2009.
• Entrants subject to contest letter of agreement covering eligibility and author warranty of originality of fiction, and warranty that manuscript does not defame or libel real life individuals or institutions.
I can do this! Deadlines are my best friends, when it comes to writing. I'll think about this more when I'm not working.
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