So, while I toil away trying to get the attention of some literary agent (as they, in turn, sift through what I imagine are stacks and stacks of manuscripts devoted to vampires, eventually getting to my tome), I figured I might as well keep posting chapters from my book here and there, lest anyone cares to read them.
Now, since my book doesn’t actually have traditional chapters, per se, but rather sections arranged by narrator, I don’t feel as bad making posts that are seemingly out of order. The point of the book is really to dissect these main characters and their interactions and relationships with fellow students over the course of a few months at the fictional Wellington Ayers University. I mean, ultimately, this is what college is about, in my opinion—for the first time in your life, typically, you are in total control of what you do and who you spend your time with, and this unfurling of adultness creates many unique situations as you progress throughout your years of study.
This section is narrated by Vikram, a graduate student at Ayers born and raised in Goa, India (a very touristy, artsy resort city on the West Coast of India). He is a Sikh, devout for most of his life, then, suddenly, is thrust in a world that excites and tempts him, a world he has only seen from a distance so far–a world of carnal sins. In this specific instance, Vikram is attending a party being thrown by his flatmates for his birthday, and, being that it’s first time drinking alcohol, I decided to write this section in stream-of-consciousness, trying to invoke what it’s like to be drunk the first time, experiencing a wave of conflicting emotions and feelings. I think, at times, this section sounds almost melodic. Hope you enjoy.
Continue reading More shameless plugging of my novel “Impossible Monsters”